H.E.R. Feels Like She’s Finally Earned Her Stripes as an Artist

H.E.R. is on the prime of her sport proper now. Between her 21 profession Grammy nominations, her Oscar win, snagging her first appearing position, and gearing up for Coldplay’s tour, she is music’s darling musician who’s properly on her solution to turning into an icon.

On prime of all her many accomplishments, H.E.R. has additionally been tapped by M&M’s to assist unveil its new album artwork packs — a partnership she’s enthusiastic about as a self-proclaimed fan of the model. “[The collaboration] was simply according to every thing that I stand for,” she tells POPSUGAR. “Individuality and music, and bringing folks collectively . . . All of these issues are particular to me. It is a actually cool, surprising, surreal collaboration.”

The beloved singer is up for eight Grammy nominations this 12 months — which embody almost each R&B class, in addition to album and music of the 12 months. And previously 4 years, she’s secured 4 wins. At this level in her profession, H.E.R. takes all her wins and nominations as “affirmation [that] I am doing one thing proper.” She provides: “I really feel prefer it’s type of telling me I am right here for the lengthy sport. I have been working so arduous in music and on my craft that for this to occur, I dreamt about this. It is type of like, OK, I am right here, and I am right here to remain. Like I earned my stripes or one thing, but it surely’s actually particular.”

With all of her musical success, H.E.R. tells us she continues to search out inspiration from legends like Prince, Michael Jackson, D’Angelo, and Erykah Badu, to call a couple of. However she’s additionally an enormous fan of her friends. “I like Burna Boy,” she says. “And I additionally love Yebba; she’s actually wonderful vocally [and] I really feel like I can be taught from her a lot. Summer time Walker, too, who I might like to work with, who I feel is an incredible author, singer, and songwriter. There’s lots of dope artists proper now that encourage me.”

Regardless of being labeled one of many largest R&B artists as we speak, H.E.R. does not wish to be boxed into only one style. In reality, she reveals that she’s engaged on “a couple of completely different initiatives in numerous genres” proper now. “I am all the time going to be R&B on the core, however there are such a lot of issues that I’ve all the time liked since I used to be younger, and I have been unleashing, slowly however certainly, a few of these issues,” she says. “I’ve gotten to work with lots of completely different legends, like Sting and Aerosmith, Stevie Surprise, and Alicia Keys. So it is like, the sky is the restrict. I simply wish to make nice music. It does not matter what style it’s. Genres are type of simply packing containers, and R&B lives in every thing.”

Past her music profession, H.E.R. has her sights set on conquering the appearing world as she gears as much as star in “The Colour Purple” film musical. Final 12 months, “The Hollywood Reporter” confirmed that the “Again of My Thoughts” singer would play the position of Squeak — a juke-joint waitress who aspires to be an expert singer. “I used to be so nervous about it, I am not going to lie,” she tells us. “As a result of ‘The Colour Purple’ is such an enormous movie and I actually wish to present up and do my factor. However I am simply grateful for the chance. I feel it is going to be enjoyable.”

With a number of Grammys and an Oscar beneath her belt, many imagine H.E.R. has what it takes to succeed in EGOT standing. “In fact, that is all the time the aim, however I am not likely doing issues like, ‘OK, I obtained to do that as a result of I need the EGOT,'” she says. “I’ve ambitions to be in TV and movie as an actress, possibly be on Broadway, create my very own play, rating movies, issues like that. I feel my ambition and my ardour is de facto going to take me there greater than something . . . I am midway there, such as you mentioned, so it is not too far of a attain.”

H.E.R. nonetheless has a lot extra to perform in her profession, however she’s picked up some gems of knowledge alongside the best way that she hopes to move all the way down to different artists. “The most important factor is do not compromise your self,” she says. “As a result of the world tries to provide you a system or mould of what an artist is, and also you type of [have] to all the time go in opposition to the grain and belief your intestine. You bought to only do you and benefit from the journey. That is the most important half.”

The sixty fourth annual Grammy Awards are scheduled to happen on Sunday, April 3.