Today: Mar 28, 2024

H.E.R.’s new single leads to showstopping performance

Essence Boyd – Contributor

Gabriella Wilson, better known as H.E.R, released the single “Sometimes” on Jan. 26 and performed the single for the first time that night on the Grammy stage. The stage was accompanied by four trumpet players, four violinists, four backup singers, a drummer, a keyboardist, a bass guitarist, a grand piano and electric guitar both played by H.E.R during the performance.

The 22-year-old California native took the stage in a light blue jumpsuit accented with a light blue tinted pair of aviator sunglasses, gold jewelry, a dust red lip and light blue diamonds aligned down the part of her sleek curly ponytail.

The R.C.A records artist started the performance off solo playing a black grand piano slowly increasing the tempo and softly began to belt in her soulfully silk voice, “Sometimes it don’t go your way, sometimes you gotta/Sometimes/Sometimes it don’t go your way, sometimes, sometimes/You gotta, uh, yeah/ had a plan, I had it mapped out/I knew where I was going when I left out/Oh, you couldn’t tell me that I wouldn’t be there on time/I had some guarantees, I had a deadline.”

During this time the four trumpet players and four violinists became background dancers putting on a tasteful and almost militant- like performance moving as one to the beat, not yet playing their instruments.

H.E.R is then joined in by the bass and drum. Both instruments came in very strong, steady and solid giving the song a nice southern jazz twist. Although the two are introduced into the melody, the spotlight does not waiver never moving from H.E.R.

She then went on to finish verse one and the pre-chorus “But now I know things change for better or worse/You could say that I’m the same, but I ain’t adjusted to all the hurt/So many no’s, so many yeses/No one to blame, don’t got the answers (Yeah)/I felt the pain, I can attest it/That’s just the game and I respect it, yeah.”

four background singers then came from backstage also dancing in unison, each member adding a little more to the performance with each note. H.E.R got up from the piano for the first time during the performance and walked to center stage, placing the microphone on the stand and sang the chorus with so much power the message of the song became clear: resilience.

“Cause sometimes shit don’t go your way, sometimes/And sometimes you gon’ have those days, yeah/And sometimes you’ll feel out of place/You can’t promise me it’ll be the same/’Cause sometimes change (Yeah, yeah)/Sometimes, sometimes change (Yeah, yeah).” In this moment the once background dancers begin to play their instruments adding an uplifting and almost church-like tone to the song.

H.E.R moved from one instrument to another by transitioning from piano to electric guitar and she does not disappoint.

H.E.R begins to get emotional. As someone who has seen H.E.R in concert twice, I can honestly say with her you truly get an experience, she is anything short of talented.

After shredding the guitar, the lights stopped changing colors, the background singers exited stage left, the band stopped playing and the dancers went back to being stationary to allow H.E.R to end the performance the way she started; with just her voice and piano.

During this intimate moment, H.E.R showcased just how talented she is by showing the audience ranges of her elegant and nurturing voice as she sang the chorus one last time. The four minute and 17 second performance came to an end and left the audience cheering.

Although H.E.R was nominated for five Grammys, she left the event with zero this year which was a shocker as she left last year’s event with two. Nonetheless, she put on a showstopping performance.

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