H.E.R. is set to perform the American national anthem during the 2024 Paris Olympics closing ceremony on Sunday (August 11).
It was confirmed by People that the musician will perform âThe Star Spangled Bannerâ in the Stade de France as part of the handover to the Los Angeles games, which are taking place in 2028.
The Olympics themselves have been tight-lipped about who will be involved in the ceremony, although it has been widely reported that Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg and Red Hot Chili Peppers might all be involved, as well as Tom Cruise performing his own motorcycle stunt.
Phoenix and Air are also reportedly to represent their home country as it brings the games to a close.
Charli XCX had cheekily teased that she might be involved in Eilishâs portion of the event, before later confirming that she was just joking.
The opening ceremony on July 26 launched the games with a divisive four-hour event that included performances from a showstopping Celine Dion, a pre-recorded Lady Gaga and a history-making Gojira.
It is not the first time this year that H.E.R. will have played before a global audience â in February, she joined Usher during the Super Bowl Halftime Show in one of the most-viewed television broadcasts of all time.
H.E.R. joined the R&B icon on guitar for âU Got It Badâ and âBad Girlâ, as part of a set that also featured guest appearances from Alicia Keys, will.i.am, Ludacris and Lil Jon.
After the performance, she posted on her Instagram account: âCANâT SPELL USHER WITHOUT H.E.R. HALFTIME SHOW?!?!???? WHAAAAAAT. AND IT WAS THE GREATEST EVER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TALENT, YOUR LOVE, AND FOR SHARING THIS MOMENT WITH ME. WOW I HAVE NO WORDS.â
H.E.R. released her debut album âBack of My Mindâ in 2021. In a four-star review, NME wrote that it was âa dazzling debut from an artist whoâs so in command of her own sound that itâs almost jarring when âExhaustedâ includes a shout-out to producer Darkchild. Most exciting of all is the bright future surely ahead of her.â
Her most recent release came in the form of the single âThe Glassâ last December, a cover of the Foo Fighters song from their recent album âBut Here We Areâ.
H.E.R. is also a previous Academy Award winner for the song âFight for Youâ from the 2021 film Judas and the Black Messiah, and a five-time Grammy winner, including for the protest song âI Canât Breatheâ in 2020, which picked up the Song of the Year prize.
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