For onlookers, Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson’s rise to fame has appeared short and sharp. Better known now by her stage name, H.E.R., she will tell you it has been anything but quick with the American artist involved in music from a young age. According to the singer, living in California meant crossing paths with other young and talented people.
Speaking on the The Carlos Watson Show, the 23-year-old has revealed that she nearly started a girl group with Euphoria actress Zendaya and R&B artist Kehlani.
“Dylan Wiggins, who is D’wayne Wiggins’ son from Tony! Toni! Toné! – we used to be in a band together,” H.E.R. told the outlet. “We used to perform together when we were really young and Kehlani was actually in our band.”
She continued, “We all used to sing together. Zendaya was going to be in it at one point. But yeah, they all grew up together. I came into the picture in Oakland and we used to perform together.”
Oh imagine what kind of innocent world it would be with those three girls creating pop tunes.
The band went by the name Poplyfe and was even featured on season 6 of America’s Got Talent. I kid you not.
H.E.R has quietly cemented herself as a formidable force in music but 2021 has definitely seen her big break. Not only did she sing the American National Anthem at the Super Bowl in February, she made her Academy Awards debut and won an Oscar for Best Original Song – the song in question featured on Judas and the Black Messiah.
Talking to People, the artist says the awards and accolades are just the “icing on the cake” for her love of creating music.
“The accolades are the just icing on the cake, it’s really the process that I’m in love with,” she says. “It’s the leading up to the awards shows. It’s being in the studio and creating this music and then hearing the reaction from the people during shows, and creating the arrangements for these live shows. Those are the moments that count for me.”
