ET exclusively spoke with the singer on Wednesday, just moments after she received a Golden Globe nomination.
2021 is already off to an amazing start for H.E.R.!
ET exclusively spoke with the 23-year-old singer on Wednesday, shortly after news broke that her original song, "Fight for You," from Judas and the Black Messiah, was nominated for a Golden Globe. The track, co-written by Dernst Emile II and Tiara Thomas, is up for Best Original Song – Motion Picture, and drops on Thursday.
"Oh my gosh, it means the world!" H.E.R. told ET's Kevin Frazier, when asked what it was like to receive such a prestigious honor. "I really can't believe it. I didn't imagine this happening, so to be recognized by the Golden Globes off of a song I already enjoyed making for an amazing movie, it's crazy."
"My phone was just blowing up with 'Congratulations' [this morning] and I was so confused," she added. "I was like, 'For what?' and then, as I figured out what was going on, I was like, 'Oh my gosh, it's a Golden Globe nomination.' I was not expecting it. It was amazing."
In other exciting news, H.E.R. is also gearing up to take center field inside Tampa's Raymond James Stadium on Sunday to sing "America the Beautiful" for Super Bowl LV. While she admitted she's "kind of nervous" about performing on the world's biggest stage, she also told ET that she feels "excited and blessed" to be a part of this year's festivities, and to sing such an iconic song.
"Honestly, I am so excited to just be performing at the Super Bowl," H.E.R. raved. "It's a huge stage and it doesn't get any bigger, you know? But I think the goal, for me, is to make [the song] my own. I'm a huge fan of the different versions of 'America the Beautiful,' but I really want to bring some different elements in there... make it H.E.R."
"I've been in rehearsals a lot, and I've been watching a lot of other performers," she added, of how she's preparing for the big moment. "I'm just going to try to tell myself to have a really good time. But I'm going to be in there, getting my warmups in, and just praying that everything goes well."
H.E.R., who was born in Vallejo, California, and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, shared that even being given the opportunity to be chosen to sing at this year's unprecedented event means the world.
"I think the No. 1 thing I think about a lot is the fact that I'm a young Black girl from the Bay area, that never imagined that I would be on a stage like that," she said. "I think it's a message to other young Black women that you can do it too."
"There's nothing that you can't do. Reach for the stars," she continued. "That's kind of what I think of, and being the first Black woman to do a collab with Fender and be able to play my guitar on stage like this is, I think, inspiring in its representation."
Before the NFL championship game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs officially kicks off on Sunday, H.E.R.'s pal, Jazmine Sullivan, will sing the national anthem with Eric Church. The ladies recently collaborated on a new song titled "Girl Like Me," and H.E.R. can't wait to watch her friend crush it this weekend.
"I'm a huge, huge Jazmine Sullivan fan ... it's definitely a perfect moment," she gushed. "I'm like, 'Man, I really gotta show up now, because Jazmine is going to be on that stage with me,' you know?"
"We haven't gotten a chance to speak, but I know we've been cheering each other on, making comments on these [social media] posts," she added. "The fans are really excited, so I think this is going to be a really entertaining show. I think this is going to be a great year."
ET also spoke with Sullivan last week, who opened up about the significance of her and Church teaming up together, given the current political climate. The two will be blending R&B and country on Sunday for a performance that will undoubtedly be one to watch.
"I have not met Eric yet, but I'm excited to meet him. We definitely come from two totally different, um, everything," she said at the time. "But, I'm excited. I think it will be cool to blend the different sounds of music and just show some unity."
"I just hope that it brings unity," she continued, "and it shows that you can be from two different parts of life and come together for a good common cause."
Super Bowl LV airs live on CBS and Paramount+ on Sunday, Feb. 7. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. ET. Additionally, CBS Sports has a free live stream to watch the Super Bowl, as well as the CBS Sports app on your mobile device. In the meantime, stay tuned right here to ETonline.com for more exclusive Super Bowl coverage coming your way before game day!
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