H.E.R. – Genius Storytelling And Meaning Behind Focus, Avenue, and Every Kind Of Way

Music by a young woman

Dedicated to young women

Introvert individual with explosive temper

“Tables turn and lessons learned” on self-love and self-worth.

H.E.R. is a whole sound experience herself. Her sound design feels like a movie scene in slow-motion, just like Rihanna in her car. Such a music experience is meant to be appreciated alone, shades and headphones on, sat in the backseat of a Uber, or by the window of a bus.

KEEPING MYSTERY WHILE HAVING.EVERYTHING.REVEALED

Rendition, sound tuning, lyrics… they all participate to make the storytelling one-of-a-kind.

The mystery of her identity, kept secret, even during interviews makes her music even more seducing and appeals attention. Even more when you know the irony behind the name of H.E.R. which stands for Having Everything Reveals. With that being said, thanks to a great and touching story, she’s letting you know everything’s that’s been running through her mind.

In a short fiction, you can get only one chance to have Gabriella Gibson (H.E.R.’s real name) reveal her face, down on her phone.

This fiction brings more life to her songs, where she reflects on the journey of love, the worth of time, the worth of a relationship, and eventually her very self-worth.

Besides, as H.E.R. states in an interview with SWAY, Focus is a song about “just being a young woman.[…] All women can relate. I was very vulnerable, very needy; I’m such a needy person, I think a lot of women are”.

Eventually “Focus on me“ are three words you should sing definitely for yourself first, before begging for the attention of someone else.

From Every Kind of Way, to Avenue and Focus, you can discover a girl passionately in love, physically and mentally. One day wild and on fire, the other day cold, silent and distant, you can feel her excitment, her pain and her surprises.

H.E.R., is giving tribute to poet and Neo-Soul singer Marsha Ambrosius (Floetry) in her title Wait For It. Delivering a package mixed with trap and neo soul, she catches Bryson Tiller‘s respect and attention, to the point that he brought her on tour for opening act for his Set It Off tour.

H.E.R., THE NEW R&B REVELATION OF THIS GENERATION.

Her vocals could make you think of SZA at times, though her sound designing and songwriting is heavily under Drake’s influence (Jungle); mellow vibes and sorrow, it all feels similar.

MEANING BEHIND THE SHORT FILM AND ALBUM STORYTELLING

At the beginning of the short film, H.E.R. speaks about life and relationships as a journey, with “a beginning, a middle and an end”.

This short film and the three visuals released to picture her songs are all about the highs and lows of teenage love. This script inspired by H.E.R.’s music, is somehow the modern version of the Miseducation (of love) of Lauryn Hill.

The movie directed by Sean Frank, does showcase love in every kind of way and features the following tracks :

LONE AND OVERTHINKING

JUNGLE, lone and overthinking
“Still findin’ myself, let alone a soulmate”

YOUNG LOVE

LOSING, trapped as the lyrics go“lookin’ in your eyes, I’m lifted”.
Love at first sight and physical attraction can be elusive.

“I haven’t got enough practice, all the ones before you were just a mistake or just a distraction.”

SECOND-CHANCE LOVE

PIGMENT, bittersweet time for desillusion and second-chance, even though this might not be the ideal partner.

“I’m givin’ you a chance to finally make a good impression on me”

QUALITY TIME REQUIREMENTS

FOCUS, in need for quality time, cuddle and proof of love.

“Me—Can you focus on me?
Baby, can you focus on me?”

DON’T-CARE-WHAT-PEOPLE-SAY KIND OF LOVE

FACTS, which features a gay couple. Lyrics singing “I don’t care ’bout opinions”
Whatever the sex, this is still love and that’s fact.

NO TALKING NEEDED KIND OF LOVE

SAY IT AGAIN, “no more talking”

BACK TO BEGINNING

Rewinds back to Jungle.
“Feel like we one in the same,
Our relationship changed that or it never existed”

End of the journey, final destination.

“Time to get off” in a whole new avenue.

All these tracks are extracted from the Vol.1., excepted for Say It Again that’s from Vol.2.

The “best part” in all of H.E.R.’s music videos is always the end, with a striking conclusion that makes you want to rewind back to the beginning of the story. Finally, as you wonder how come the situation has gone this far, let’s just keep in mind that “it’s not where you’re going, it’s how you get there”.