HER (real name Gabriella Wilson) knows about winning trophies. She’s well-positioned to earn EGOT status. All that’s left is a Tony Award, which she’ll have a shot at as a member of the production team of Here Lies Love, debuting on Broadway this summer.
So it’s fitting that HER’s newest single, “The Journey,” is helping ESPN soundtrack its coverage of the 2023 NBA Playoffs. It had been included as an unreleased track, but as of Thursday, May 18, it’s her first solo release since 2021’s Grammy-nominated Back Of My Mind album.
One week ago, HER teased the single with an Instagram video of her listening back to her vocals in the studio with live strings instrumentalists recording. “ITS THE VOCAL AND STRINGS FOR ME,” she captioned the post. “I can’t wait for you to hear what I’ve been working so hard on.”
She took to Instagram again with a clip of the polished version earlier this week. “THE JOURNEY… It hasn’t been an easy one. But I’m grateful for it all. Ready for the next chapter… I’ll share more soon,” the five-time Grammy winner wrote.
“‘The Journey’ has been included within various in-game ESPN production elements, including vignettes voiced over by HER,” a press release explained. “The vignettes and additional production elements outline, through the song lyrics, the unique paths through the NBA Playoffs for all 16 teams.”
The field is down to four. The 2023 NBA Playoffs continued with the Denver Nuggets topping the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday, May 16, and the Miami Heat claiming Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, May 17. Whichever team hoists the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy will still have a ways to go to catch HER.
Listen to “The Journey” below.
