Is H.E.R. Blind? The Truth Behind Her Signature Sunglasses

H.E.R., the acclaimed singer-songwriter known for her musical talents and iconic dark sunglasses, often sparks curiosity about whether she might be blind. Despite her preference for wearing shades in public, it’s not due to a medical condition or blindness. Instead, her sunglasses serve as a way to maintain some privacy and mystery in an industry that thrives on visibility. Her choice reflects her desire to let her artistry speak louder than her image, distinguishing her in the music world.

Who Is H.E.R?

It is a common misconception that H.E.R. was fresh off the boat in the industry in 2016. But that could not be further from the truth. In fact, she’s been singing for most of her life and was a musical prodigy before the age of five.

H.E.R, born Gabriella Wilson in Vallejo, CA, had a musician father who began playing her music at a young age. We knew this girl was packing some serious talent from an early age! At only 10-years old, she received massive attention after her The Today Show performance of ”If I Ain’t Got You’ by Alicia Keys. At 14, H.E.R. shortly after, signed her first record deal and as Vanessa Hudgens, released one single, titled “Something to Prove.” Yet it still proved to be five years before her career really took off.

Back in 2016, she released her first mixtape H.E.R. Volume 1. H.E.R. is an acronym for Having Everything Revealed. Before long, the project had begun to create a lot of buzz, with H.E.R. Use an interesting way to make people tweet to search about her music. She chose to keep her identity unknown instead of being the face of her work. Nobody even knew that H.E.R. stood for Gabriella Wilson when she first started putting music out under her new moniker. Throw in dark shades and this only adds to the mystique (yes, now we want to know more about her).

By the time she disclosed her real identity, she had already captured a wide range of enthusiasts across the world. Though H.E.R. has now opened up about her identity, the shades never left, and they probably never will.

Why does H.E.R. wear sunglasses all the time?

But again, those signature sunglasses she is always wearing leads people to speculate WHETHER or NOT she’s blind (hey, her real name Gabriella Wilson gees!). It has nothing to do with a medical condition, but her decision to wear them. It is not about her real person, as it is related to her stage name and how she would like to be anonymous. The shades keep her private affairs behind closed doors and ensure that her music is listened to first, and not the way she looks, or who she is with.

They allow people to focus on what’s important, which is the music,” H.E.R. explained in an readmore-interview with Elle Magazine. She cracked that it’s funny how well she actually has been recognized with her glasses on, as opposed to without them. She removes them when she needs to be invisible; so she can more easily disappear into the crowd.

H.E.R. also explained that putting on the glasses allows her to be real and not be influenced by the music industry. Staying away from distractions and honing her craft, she empowered herself to build a lasting legacy without abandoning all of her authenticity and humanity along the way.

This isn’t the first musician to cover her head, and it isn’t about stage fright or shyness, but about letting the music stand for itself. About her public persona, she told Elle, “I think it enables me to put the music first, and for people not to give a shit about the superficial [things] or with whom I am connected, what circle I am in—all these things that do not matter.” “That’s what people are special about it, that’s definitely making them pay attention to the music more.”

However, H.E.R. certainly does not hold back when dishing out personal deets to fans. Her songs are the diary that she hushed up, but everything is there. Then again, she feels that tells its own story and she generally doesn’t like getting into song meanings in interviews.

I’m always uncomfortable when people ask me: ‘Who is this [insert song title here] about? I feel like I gave you access to my writers diary and now we need to have a come to Jesus. I allowed to read so already leave it as it is,” she said to The Guardian.

Now that the cat’s out of the bag, we know a little more about H.E.R.’s background and life before fame.

Gabi, known now as H.E.R., grew up in Vallejo, a town in the San Francisco Bay Area, and was already being noticed by the music industry at a young age. At 10, she sang “If I Ain’t Got You” on Today and already sounded and talked like she had decades behind her.

Musician by hobby: Gabi’s father Kenny When she burst onto the scene, he was a steel worker and her mom Agnes, a nursing son. Before appearing on Today, Gabi had already played the Apollo Theater and had been one of Radio Disney’s Next Big Thing at 12.

At 14, she signed to Sony and released one single, but she didn’t truly reappear for another two years as H.E.R. – and with her new label, RCA. The incarnation of Gabi gave her backronym: “Having Everything Revealed.”

At 24 (in 2021), H.E.R. is a multi-instrumentalist (piano, guitar, drums, bass) from childhood, so it was no surprise that she was one of the four artists chosen to participate in a tribute to Prince (who played every instrument on his early albums). We bet that the artist would’ve been a fan, for sure!

What’s Next For H.E.R.?

Life has been treating H.E.R. very well since her last album in 2019. She earned a Grammy and an Academy Award during 2021. A lot of individuals consider her to be a future legend of the game and her record is backing it.

She has yet to issue words on when she will release another album, but of course her following will be eagerly awaiting for another project. For now, everyone else older should be able to hold on with her latest singles.

As for people who are curious if she intends to give up spectacles at some point, probably not, akibatnya. But, luckily for her, she wears a pair for just about every occasion.