On the 2nd edition of 4GEMZ
, we select four must-hear, surefire gems from Academy award and Grammy award winning musician, H.E.R.
Welcome to 4GEMZ , a miniature playlist comprised of โ you guessed it โ four songs! How is 4GEMZ like other miniature lists on The Musical Hype? Each song featured on the list gets a short blurb. How does it differ from our other miniature lists? Rather than being based around a theme, topic, or word, itโs based on a musician or band. The songs can span the respective musician/bandโs entire discography, or all four songs can appear from the same project, hence, the โgems.โ On the 2nd edition of 4GEMZ, we select four must-hear, surefire gems from
Academy award and Grammy award winning musician,
H.E.R..
1. H.E.R., โHard Placeโ
I Used to Know Her โข
RCA โข
2019
โWhat if nothing ever will change? / Oh, Iโm caught between your love and a hard place.โ Indeed H.E.R. (Gabriella Wilson), Indeed.
โHard Placeโ appears as the 17th track on
I Used to Know Her, the second compilation album by the highly decorated,
award-winning musician. On โHard Place,โ Wilson finds herself in a tough situation where that pesky thing, better known as love, has her โin a hard place,โ to be honest.
Wilson, essentially, is letting her heart dictate. Perhaps, she should use her head and make an even tougher decision. She clearly loves the guy she sings about, but heโs flawed to the nth degree. โYou know that you be dead wrong,โ she sings, adding, โTell me to relax when Iโm reacting.โ Later, sheโs all-in: โAnd even when you cause tears / Youโre the one who wiped them away / Maybe thatโs the reason I stay, stay.โ Seems like an imperfect, situation, but at least the listener benefits musically from Wilsonโs love pains on this Grammy-nominated juggernaut from her discography.
2. H.E.R., โFateโ
I Used to Know Her โข
RCA โข
2019
โSweet, sweet fate / Oh, if itโs really out of my hands / Can you forgive all of my sins? / Have mercy on me, me.โ
โFateโ appears as the second track on
I Used to Know Her. As to be expected, โFateโ is a dark record, set in a minor key, featuring lush production and rich, dramatic vocals. Here in particular, the piano and strings evoke a certain mood.
Vocally, H.E.R. is incredibly emotional without ever over-singing or forcing things. Her lower register is warm, while her upper register is quite powerful. As far as the songwriting and theme, whatโs the premise of โFate?โ Unsurprisingly, matters of the heart, specifically the fate of her current relationship.
Also appears on :
Fate: 3BOPS No. 6 (2021)
3. H.E.R, โWe Made Itโ
Back of My Mind โข
RCA โข
2021
H.E.R. gets off to an awesome start on her debut album,
Back of My Mind, with
โWe Made Itโ. Early on, the instrumental shines, taking nearly a minute to simmer. I heart the production by
DJ Camper and
Flippa. Once Wilson begins singing, sheโs โon-point,โ never over-singing, delivering expressive and nuanced vocals; the richness of tone is stunning.
Beyond the picturesque backdrop and sweet vocals, thereโs also strong songwriting. Wilson mixes contemporary, love-motivated, reflective, and gratitude within the same song. There are several key moments, including a favorite:
โThey said I wonโt come up with the family and cop a couple of Grammys All the things they said I canโt be, revenge taste just like candy.โ
To reiterate, โWe Made Itโ is an awesome way to start off Back of My Mind. Furthermore, itโs awesome standalone record.
Also appears on :
Made: 5ive Songs No. 51 (2021)
13 Songs That Totally Have It MADE
Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: June 2021
4. H.E.R., โI Canโt Breatheโ
โI Canโt Breatheโ โข
RCA โข
2020
โI canโt breathe / Youโre taking my life from me / I canโt breathe / Will anyone fight for me?โ Cutting right to the chase, H.E.R. shocked the world at the
63rd Annual Grammy Awards. How so? Well, after several nominations in the โbig fourโ categories, she won, unexpectedly, for
โI Canโt Breathe.โ Written alongside
Dernst โDmileโ Emile II (who also produces) and
Tiara Thomas, โI Canโt Breatheโ tackles a history of racist injustice in America, specifically reignited by the murder of George Floyd.
As the chorus lyrics suggest, โI Canโt Breatheโ is a heavy record. Set in a minor key, expectedly, Wilson desires the record to be reflective, somber, and thought provoking. This isnโt a song you should listen to and not take something away from it. Always a great songwriter, this record is by far her most timely, given the troubling situations inspiring it. Sure, most music critics wrote it off as a possibility to take such a prestigious honor at the Grammys, even if Wilson has been a darling of the Recording Academy early on in her career. Clearly, we shouldnโt have. Itโs truly a special, meaningful song.
Also appears on :
Eye
This List of Must-Hear โIโ Songs
โSay it Loud,โ Beautiful Black Voices