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THE FUTURE OF Music Interview is a Q&A in which our favorite artists and producers share their vision of what’s next, weighing in on everything from AI to emerging scenes to the artists inspiring them the most.
As a virtuoso multi-instrumentalist who was more than happy to record a club banger with the likes of DJ Khaled and just finished a stint opening for Coldplay in European stadiums, H.E.R. bridges many musical worlds. Her latest single, “The Journey,” is an unabashed power ballad written by Diane Warren, and H.E.R. has “50 to 100 songs” already written for her next album. “I’ve been focusing on the songs,” she says, “getting out everything I feel and want to say.”
A lot of interesting things are happening with AI and music. What’s your general take on all that?
It’s both exciting and scary. More tools mean more possibilities, but that scares me a bit. I like going back to the basics, keeping things simple. Even with something like a drum machine, I sometimes prefer not to use a plugin, because the actual machine is so much better. With technology in music, it’s tough, because we often end up going back to what’s important — the relationship between the artist and the listener, intimate shows, going back to the basics. With A.I., we need some regulation there, so no one is hurt by it. Sometimes it feels like it’s cheating with certain things. It could help, but it could also hurt. We’ll see what happens.
Is A.I. something you’ve played around with in any way yet?
No, I haven’t. I keep hearing about it and I’m like, “Should I get into this?” I don’t know. I don’t know yet. I’m not quite there yet.
You definitely don’t just do R&B, but you’re also part of it. How do you see the future of R&B specifically?
R&B has evolved into so many forms. Especially for young people, we don’t really care about genres anymore. It’s not about genres, it’s about good music. That’s what I’ve always been about. The lines are blurred now because you have these really dope artists who are just uniquely themselves, making music that represents them. That could be alternative sounds with classic R&B melodies and chords, or simple R&B runs with just an acoustic guitar. There are so many directions it can go. It’s hard to even talk about the genre specifically. But we know that the classic sound is at the core of many people’s music. But now, these playlists are a mix of hip hop, R&B, pop, alternative. All the lines are blurred, and I’m glad about that, because we’re just making music that feels good to us, and we don’t fit in any boxes.
Are there young artists you’re looking at who you think will have a huge impact on the future of music?
A lot of them are my peers that I kind of look up to. Just the impact that they’re having and the freedom that they’re having in their creative process, you know, like Doja Cat and SZA.
With SZA, I’m happy and proud of her because she’s been doing it a long time, like me. And you know, we do different things. Even though we’re in the same world, we’re two completely different artists. So it’s really cool. And I’m rooting for her.
Is there a region outside the U.S. that you think has growth potential for influencing worldwide music?
My roots are the Philippines, and it’s really cool to see a lot of Filipino artists killing it. I’m not saying that. It’s a genre of music, but I’m just like, super proud of my people, you know, all across the board, just like representing because a lot of people don’t know about Filipino culture. Ben & Ben is a band from there that’s really dope. And I always go back to like, the classics like Sharon Cuneta. And of course Saweetie, and Bella Poarch, and Olivia Rodrigo, and a lot of people don’t know Bruno Mars is Filipino.
But I definitely am a huge Afrobeat fan, and I think the world is a lot smaller now. So you just never know what could come from anywhere at any time. My sister, who’s 16, knows music from India and France because of playlists and streaming services.. And I guess that makes the world a lot smaller. And it’s really exciting.
In general, what gives you the most hope about the future of music? And what worries you the most about the future of music?
I don’t think I’m worried. Maybe the technology worries me sometimes. But I know it will help, also. So you know, you take the good with the bad. I’m super excited just to see the new generation of artists loving instruments, playing instruments. Tthat was not a thing when I came out. Like, it wasn’t cool. I was even afraid to play guitar on stage. But I was like, this is a part of me. And I hope you know that I have something to do with that inspiring the next generation. People think it’s so cool to be in a band again. And that excites me. Because there’s all these people who are like, “I want to learn how to play guitar. I want to learn how to play piano.” And that to me is the most exciting thing about right now.
