H.E.R., Back of My Mind | Album Review 💿

Multi-award winning, gifted R&B singer/songwriter H.E.R. delivers a superb, well-rounded, debut album with Back of My Mind. 

Finally, the time has come.  For what? Why, for 🏆 multi-award-winning R&B singer/songwriter 🎙 H.E.R. to release her debut album, 💿 Back of My Mind.  The things that Gabriella Wilson has accomplished prior to dropping her official first LP are amazing – truly and utterly stunning! Wilson has won four Grammys, including Song of the Year for 🎵 “I Can’t Breathe”, and an Academy Award for 🎵 “Fight for You” from 🎦 Judas and The Black Messiah.  Now, perhaps, it’s her biggest moment, building off early, unprecedented success and dropping that real deal LP.  How well does Wilson do? Superbly by my estimations. 

“We Made It”

H.E.R. gets off to an awesome start with ✅ 🎵 “We Made It”.  Early on, the instrumental shines, taking nearly a minute to simmer.  I heart the production by 🎛 DJ Camper and 🎛 Flippa. Once Wilson begins singing, she’s ‘on-point,’ never over-singing, delivering expressive and nuanced vocals; the richness of tone is stunning.  Beyond the picturesque backdrop and sweet vocals, there’s also strong songwriting.  Wilson mixes contemporary, love-motivated, reflective, and gratitude within the same song. There are several key moments, including a favorite, “They said I won’t come up with the family and cop a couple of Grammys / All the things they said I can’t be, revenge taste just like candy.”

✅ 🎵 “Back of My Mind” enlists DJ Camper and Flippa once more.  They offer up another sleek, modern, and classy backdrop.  It’s a treat to hear H.E.R.’s rich, incredibly sultry low register. I love the vocal contributions by 🎙 Ty Dolla $ign, brilliantly mixed behind Wilson. He provides awesome ad-libs enhancing the record.  Other awesome happenings are magnificent vocal harmonies and vocal production, and catchy pre-chorus and chorus sections. On 🎵 “Trauma,” Wilson is paired once more with 🎙 Cordae, having previously collaborated on 🎵 “Racks”.  Sound-wise, I like the dusty sounding drum programming, hearkening back to a previous era.  Vocally, we continue to get thoughtful vocal production blending Wilson’s standard voice with pitch shifted vocals. Cordae provides a solid verse, contrasting Wilson’s chill approach with a more rhythmic, grittier showing.

“Damage”

“Careful what you take for granted, yeah / ‘Cause with me know you could do damage.” ✅ 🎵 “Damage” marks another authentic, well-rounded offering from the R&B darling. Throughout this 🎙 Cardiak and 🎙 Jeff “Gitty” Gitelman produced gem, H.E.R. explores a ‘real love,’ one where all the faux, phony stuff is stripped.  She’s revealing all her cards, and he, could literally make her happiest woman ever (if he’s truly genuine) or totally break her down (if he ain’t sh–). 🎙 Ant Clemons provides fine supporting vocals that only up the ante.  Also ‘upping the ante’ is a 🎙 Herb Alpert sample, 🎵 “Making Love in the Rain”. This sample adds warmth, perfectly complementing and contributing to the romantic vibes conveyed by Wilson.  Solid songwriting bodes in her favor, particularly the chorus.

The next two songs from Back of My Mind are totally different from one another. 🎵 “Find a Way” features 🎙 Lil Baby.  The song is anchored by a trap beat, something not typically associated with H.E.R. At the same time, we often forget she’s just 23 despite maturity exhibited beyond her years. Once more, she displays versatility, singing ‘like it’s nothing’ on this trap-soul joint. Lil Baby ‘does what he does,’ eating the beat up. ✅ 🎵 “Bloody Waters,” featuring 🎙 Thundercat, is the more effective pairing and natural fit for Wilson.  The record features a fabulous soulful groove and comes off as a surefire vibe.  Sultry vocals by Wilson – check!  As “Bloody Waters” progresses, she digs in more, blessing us with those terrific runs.

“Closer to Me”

🎵 “Closer to Me” keeps Back of My Mind on track.  We get ‘more of the same’ which is positive.  That includes more elite vocals, another polished contemporary R&B backdrop, and songwriting focused on those relatable matters of the heart. H.E.R. slips profanity in yet still sounds classy to the nth degree. Once more, the vocal production is sharp with brilliant use of layering.

“But you should come through tonight / I’m chilling on the Westside, boo.”  H.E.R. brings the heat on standout ✅ 🎵 “Come Through”, featuring fellow 🏆 Grammy-winner, 🎙 Chris Brown. “Come Through” sounds moody from the onset, set in a minor key.  Despite its moodiness, the production is lush and radiant (🎛 Cardiak). Wilson sings beautifully, never getting too high yet packing a punch.  “Almost missed my flight today / I look good, even though I feel shitty,” she sings on the first verse.  The fix for such ‘shittiness’ is for him to “come through tonight!” On the second verse, Brown, seeing ‘her’ upset, provides his own perspective, citing conflicts yet wishing to indulge in this late-night rendezvous.  They combine on the third verse, discussing the state of their ‘relationship,’ followed by a collaborative chorus. On the outro, Wilson waiting for him to “hit me on my phone.” 🎵 “My Own” follows, featuring the Gabriela Wilson ‘ace in the hole’: stellar lower register singing.  Also, more ear candy.

“Lucky”

✅ 🎵 “Lucky” is more low-key, but incredibly hypnotic from an initial listen.  H.E.R. masters the performance approach that is commanding yet simultaneously controlled and poised.  “Lucky,” compositionally, benefits from its pacing and thoughtful use of space.  This is a record that has that extra special something without drawing much attention to itself.  Wilson continues to ‘get her shine on’ on ✅ 🎵 “Cheat Code.” Here, her man has instilled doubt in her mind with his lies and inconsistent stories.  Essentially, Wilson has allowed “pillow talk” to cloud her judgement when it’s clear he’s “learned the cheat code.” Sigh, we all love a song that involves cheating, particularly from the perspective of a woman.

🎵 “Mean It” is a fitting follow-up to “Cheat Code,” serving as an extension of the track.  H.E.R. realizes her man was no good and goes through all the motions. “You were my favorite, now you ain’t shit, I regret it,” she asserts on the chorus.  On the second verse, she ponders, “Maybe I should be more like her / Just forget about what’s right, just forget about my worth.”  We can only hope Wilson never compromises herself for such a lame dude. She moves on to 🎵 “Paradise” featuring 🎙 Yung Bleu.  That ‘paradise’ is sexual – shocker.  “Paradise” is a perfect example of creating a vibe, something modern hip-hop and R&B thrive off.  “Paradise” isn’t my favorite from Back of My Mind, but successfully captures that modern spirit of R&B.

“Process”

Even though Back of My Mind is lengthy, gems scattered throughout.  ✅ 🎵 “Process” is a gem, with its majestic, jazzy harmonic sensibilities. It’s a magical blend of old-school and chilly, modern sensual R&B. H.E.R. shifts between legato, melodic, cooing lines and quicker, rhythmic, hip-hop-infused ones.  Throw in a catchy, memorable chorus and “Process” ends up ranking among the best. Of course, Wilson comes through again on ✅ 🎵 “Hold On,” written by a team five songwriters, including herself.  This plushly produced joint arrives courtesy of 🎛 Bordeaux and 🎛 Non Native, who do a stellar job aiding Wilson in capturing soulful vibes. I love the use of electric guitar and electric keyboard.  As the record progresses, the guitar becomes more assertive, bringing in a pop /rock edge while remaining idiomatic of contemporary soul.  Furthermore, I adore how ‘unhurried’ it feels. The biggest selling point, however, is Wilson, who serves up beautiful, expressive, and nuanced vocals without forcing things.  In addition to her own marvelous instrument, great songwriting and a gorgeous melody give her awesome material to work with.  The chorus is particularly sweet.

For much of Back of My Mind, I’ve touted the lower register of H.E.R.  On 🎵 “Don’t,” that’s true too, but we also throw in some lovely upper register vocal moments.  Nothing’s more melodious than the blend of her rich lower and yearning upper register.  Another high-grade backdrop successfully bridges old-and new-school R&B.  Shout out to the brass synths, pummeling drum runs, and electric guitar. On 🎵 “Exhausted,” 🎛 Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins stitches up excellence for Wilson.  Notable pros include a jazzier harmonic progression (contextually) and the harmonized vocals on the lyric, “Yeah.”

“Hard to Love”

With 🎵 “Hard to Love,” well, you can say that the beat goes on. Another winner, just not top tier of Back of My Mind.  Still, we get a glorious chorus and a flawless tone from H.E.R.  🎵 “For Anyone” marks another ballad, but honestly, this is where Wilson’s bread is buttered.  What shines most is the sound – old-school, contemporary R&B of yesterday vibes – as well as the cool, chill aesthetic, which suits Wilson’s artistic sensibilities. Singing without perspiring – that characterizes ‘her’ perfectly! 

Penultimate record 🎵 “I Can Have It All” originally appeared on the 2021 🎙 DJ Khaled album, 💿 KHALED KHALED.  It reappears on Back of My Mind with a notable difference: no 🎙 Meek Mill performing on the second verse.  🎙 Bryson Tiller appears early on, on the intro like the original, but clearly, this version highlights of the star of the show: H.E.R. She serves up dramatic, tough vocals, playing an edgy role effectively. Back of My Mind concludes with 🎵 “Slide” featuring rapper 🎙 YG. Once more, Wilson excels at balance.  She preserves the sanctity of the R&B of old yet reminds us that she’s still young on this relaxed banger.

Final Thoughts 💭 

21 tracks/80 minutes long – lengthy for sure.  That said, H.E.R. makes those 21 tracks and that near one-and-a-half-hour-long listening experience well worth it.  Could Back of My Mind be edited down? Of course, but this is a fine representation of one of the most gifted musicians of our time.  Even the songs that don’t get the same acclaim are worthwhile listens, which is the mark of an elite artist.  Could Gabriella Wilson earn herself another nomination for Album of the Year? Yes, but the better question is, is it possible that she walks out of the Grammys with the ‘big one’? Seems very possible! 

✅ Gems 💎: “We Made It,” “Back of My Mind,” “Damage,” “Blood Waters,” “Come Through,” “Lucky,” “Cheat Code,” “Process” & “Hold On” 

🎙 H.E.R. • 💿 Back of My Mind • 🏷 RCA • 🗓 6.18.21

[📷: RCA]