This year it’s all about H.E.R.
The California singer/songwriter, 21 — real name Gabi Wilson — is arguably American R&B’s most exciting new voice. Her first two EPs were combined to win Best R&B Album at last week’s Grammys (a full debut album is due later this year) and she also scooped Best R&B Performance for Best Part. She said: “We need more women to support other women. At the end of the day it’s not a competition; there’s a place for everybody’s voice to be heard.” Let’s hear it.
What would you save if your house was falling into a sinkhole?
Photos and physical memories. I’ve got about six guitars too, which would be a bit of an armful.
Earliest memory?
I was four and got gum stuck in my hair, so I cut it all off myself. My mum was furious.
A relationship that has defined you?
My dad introducing me to music is how we bonded, so perhaps music is my most important relationship. It’s a bond you can’t really put into words when it’s forged through music, because it’s something you feel.
Guiltiest pleasure?
Hershey’s Cookies ’n’ Creme chocolate bars.
Favourite smell?
Clean, lavender-scented laundry detergent.
Greatest invention?
My snack game is very good. Combining American crab mac ’n’ cheese with hot dog sausages, sandwiched between sliced bread and microwaved. That’s my gift to the world.
Your dream Groundhog Day?
The day I won the Grammy. The whole day was a peach. I woke up early, like “Oh my gosh, I’m going to perform at the ceremony”, so I got my nails done and had a nap. That’s a great way to prepare for anything.
H.E.R. will play at the O2 on March 24 and 25 and North Sea Jazz in July
