Meet the mysterious R&B singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist H.E.R., whose identity at one point didn’t go beyond a shadow and silhouette. Now, she is fully stepping into the spotlight—albeit with her face still slightly concealed by oversized sunglasses. We chatted with H.E.R. backstage at Essence Festival in an exclusive interview about performing at Essence, her mysterious image and the value of musicianship.

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