Yes. H.E.R. writes and co-writes her own material and also co-produces it. She is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist who plays piano, guitar, bass, and drums, and she often records those parts herself for her records.
By the Numbers
1
Studio Albums
21
Tracks Credited
100%
Self-Written
10
Years Active
90
Collaborators
Authorship Breakdown 21 / 21 self-written
Who wrote the songs?
Across all 21 tracks: how many H.E.R. wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.
H.E.R. has a writing credit100%
100%
Sole author0tracks0%
Co-written21tracks100%
Outside writers0tracks0%
Role Fingerprint how they contribute
H.E.R.'s roles across the catalogue
Share of all 21 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.
Lyricist (words)100%
Composer (music)100%
Producer10%
Performer100%
Authorship Over Time writing credit per album
H.E.R.'s writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.
avg 100%
100%
2021Back of My Mind
Authorship by Decade track-weighted
100%
2020s
Back of My Mind
Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author
Where H.E.R. sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.
H.E.R.
Other artists on the site
Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.
Written by H.E.R., YG, Tiara Thomas, Dias, LaTour, Arrington, Carter, Mauldin, Hankerson, Parker, Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, Keenon Jackson, Tiara Nicole Thomas
Co-wrote
Damage
Back of My Mind
Written by H.E.R., Tiara Thomas, Ant Clemons, Cardiak, Jeff Gitelman, Harris, Lewis, Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, Tiara Nicole Thomas, Anthony Clemons Jr., Carl McCormick, Jeffrey Gitelman
Co-wrote
Come Through
Back of My Mind
Written by H.E.R., Chris Brown, Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, Christopher Maurice Brown
Co-wrote
None of the signature songs above fall in this category.
Discography 1 albums
Covers H.E.R.'s only official studio album, Back of My Mind (2021). Her earlier releases, H.E.R. (2017) and I Used to Know Her (2019), are compilations of prior EPs rather than studio albums and are outside this scope.
Bubble size = tracks worked on together. TN Tiara Nicole Thomas · DC DJ Camper · DC Darhyl Camper Jr. · JG Jeff Gitelman · JG Jeffrey Gitelman
The Authorship Story
Data Insight
H.E.R. is one of the clearest author-performers in modern R&B. She co-writes every song she records and co-produces much of her work, and she plays the instruments herself rather than sitting on top of finished tracks. On Back of My Mind her name is on all 21 writing credits, almost always beside a steady inner circle of Tiara Thomas, Jeff Gitelman, and Darhyl 'DJ' Camper. Her biggest career milestones underline the point: she wrote 'I Can't Breathe' in response to the 2020 protests and co-wrote the Oscar-winning 'Fight for You' with D'Mile and Tiara Thomas. The long lists of guests and producers on her records read as collaborators working under her authorship, not writers handing her songs.
Quick Facts
Anonymous debutShe launched in 2016 keeping her identity hidden, releasing music with her face obscured so listeners judged the songs, not the image.
Self-taught musicianShe plays piano, guitar, bass, and drums, learning by ear from her father's band as a child and playing piano by age three.
Five Grammy winsHer Grammys include Song of the Year for the protest song 'I Can't Breathe' at the 2021 ceremony.
Academy AwardShe won Best Original Song at the 2021 Oscars for 'Fight for You' from Judas and the Black Messiah.
One studio albumHer official debut studio album, Back of My Mind, arrived in 2021 after years of EPs and compilation records.
What the name meansThe stage name H.E.R. stands for 'Having Everything Revealed.'
Creative Fingerprint
A multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter who writes, co-produces, and plays guitar, bass, piano, and drums on her own records, making her a genuine author of her music rather than an interpreter of others' songs.
The Story
H.E.R. is the stage name of Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, an American R&B singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who launched in 2016 keeping her identity hidden so listeners would judge the songs rather than her image. A self-taught player of piano, guitar, bass, and drums, she writes, co-produces, and performs on her own records, making her a genuine author rather than an interpreter. She won five Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year for the protest song 'I Can't Breathe' in 2021, and an Academy Award for Best Original Song the same year for 'Fight for You' from Judas and the Black Messiah. Her official debut studio album, Back of My Mind, arrived in 2021 after a run of EPs and two compilation records. The name H.E.R. stands for 'Having Everything Revealed.'
Awards & Recognition
Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance, 'Best Part' (2019)
Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, 'H.E.R.' (2019)
Grammy Award for Song of the Year, 'I Can't Breathe' (2021)
Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance, 'Fight for You' (2021)
Academy Award for Best Original Song, 'Fight for You' from Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)
BET Award for Best Female R&B/Pop Artist (2021)
Children's and Family Emmy Award, 'We the People' (2022)
Frequently Asked Questions H.E.R.
Does H.E.R. write her own songs?
Yes. H.E.R. writes and co-writes her own material and also co-produces it. She is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist who plays piano, guitar, bass, and drums, and she often records those parts herself for her records.
What does H.E.R. stand for?
H.E.R. stands for 'Having Everything Revealed.' She adopted the name in 2016 as she began releasing music.
What is H.E.R.'s real name?
Her real name is Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson. She was born June 27, 1997, in Vallejo, California, to a Filipino mother and an African-American father.
How many albums does H.E.R. have?
She has one official studio album, Back of My Mind, released in 2021. Before it she put out a run of EPs and two compilation records, H.E.R. (2017) and I Used to Know Her (2019), which collected those EP tracks.
Who wrote 'Fight for You'?
'Fight for You' was written by H.E.R. with Dernst 'D'Mile' Emile II and Tiara Thomas. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2021 for the film Judas and the Black Messiah, and H.E.R. and Thomas handled the lyrics while D'Mile wrote the music.
Why was H.E.R. anonymous at first?
When she debuted in 2016 she hid her identity, releasing songs with her face obscured. The idea was to make people focus on the music and the writing rather than her appearance.
What instruments does H.E.R. play?
She plays piano, guitar, bass, and drums. She learned by ear as a child, listening to her father's band rehearse, and was playing piano by age three.
What did H.E.R. win Song of the Year for?
She won the Grammy for Song of the Year for 'I Can't Breathe' at the 2021 ceremony. She wrote the protest song in response to the police killing of George Floyd and the 2020 protests.
How many Grammys has H.E.R. won?
She has won five Grammy Awards. These include Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Album in 2019, plus Song of the Year for 'I Can't Breathe' and Best Traditional R&B Performance for 'Fight for You' in 2021.
Has H.E.R. won an Oscar?
Yes. She won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2021 for 'Fight for You.' She was the first Academy Award winner born in Generation Z.
H.E.R.