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Checked H.E.R.'s schedule recently? It's a little busy.
In the middle of headlining her Back of My Mind tour, the Grammy winner is also supporting Coldplay on their sold-out 2022 Music of the Spheres world tour.
You may think two tours in one summer sounds exhausting, but H.E.R. describes it as a dream come true.
"I'm on a high from every show so I feel like a little kid, like when a little kid is playing and it's definitely way past their bedtime but they don't even realize because they are having so much fun," she exclusively shared with E! News. "That is me right now and I'm honestly loving every moment of it."
Over Memorial Day weekend, H.E.R. will travel to Solider Field in Chicago where she will perform in front of a packed stadium. And while some attendees may be headed to the venue to see Chris Martin and his band rock out, chances are they will quickly be impressed with H.E.R.'s musical skills.
"It's crazy to see people on Twitter and Instagram saying things like, ‘Man I wasn't familiar with her music before. I never expected her to play all these instruments and be great live,'" H.E.R. said. "Even though they came for a Coldplay experience, they got a full on H.E.R. experience and I think it was better than a lot of people imagine and I love that. I love that people are pleasantly surprised when they see me in a stadium."
And before she makes her acting debut as Squeak in The Color Purple Musical next year, H.E.R. is soaking in every possible moment to perform on stage in front of a live audience.
After all, she's waiting a long time to hear her fans single songs from her latest album, Back of My Mind.
"It's surreal to hear people singing those words to my new album, knowing that they liked that," she said. "It's hard to remind yourself that what you do matters even with all the accolades and the recognition and ticket sales. When you really hear people in the audience and you get to feel them, it's a big, big, big reminder and it's a lot of love."
For more inside access to H.E.R.'s summer tour dates, keep reading. And click here to find out when she's coming to your neighborhood.
For the first part of 2022, H.E.R. has been headlining her Back of My Mind tour. "For the first few shows that I did, even just on this side of the year, I kind of got emotional on stage a little bit," she said. "I tried to hide it, but I was really emotional because it was just so surreal to hear people singing those words to my new album."
"I try to create an experience because at the end of the day, that's how I grew up listening to music," H.E.R. teased about her shows. "I'll always be R&B and soul music at my core. But there's just so much that I want to do and so much that I love so it's definitely an experience."
If you're lucky enough to score access to H.E.R.'s tour bus, the Grammy winner admits it can be a little messy. "There's fruit snacks and chips and blankets everywhere and shoes," she said. "We're just kind of all over the place."
While H.E.R. may be the star of the show on stage, she's the first to give credit to the crew behind the scenes. "They're there before I get to venues and there after I leave," she said. "They have to make sure that everything runs smoothly for the performance to go well. They set the foundation...there would be no show without them and they often get forgotten about."
Before showtime, H.E.R. loves to drink some ginger tea with a little bit of honey. And after warming up with her background singers, there's one ritual she has to follow. "We all pray together and we do a little pep talk or a moment where we all huddle up and put our fists in a circle," she said. "It's a big anticipation for the show."
When touring across the country this summer, the singer wanted fashion that was "classic H.E.R." In her words, think "easy, comfortable, but still hot."
"I decided I wanted to do these oversize silk shirts with some sneakers every night," she said. "And of course, the glasses are the key for any H.E.R. performance."
While performing in packed stadiums this summer with Coldplay, H.E.R. tried her best to describe the feeling she gets on the stage. "It just feels so epic and so powerful," she said. "It's honestly a motivation for me and it's so inspiring for me to be in stadiums, but it makes me want to rock out even more. It makes me want to just grab my guitar, just go out there and go crazy."
As H.E.R. continues living her musical dreams, she has a valuable piece of advice for those working hard to accomplish their own goals. "It's so important to have a good counsel around you just to guide you and make sure that you're in the right direction," she said. "At the end of the day, you know your voice is the one that matters and that it's okay to be uncertain sometimes."
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