This year, H.E.R. has earned her first-ever nomination at the Academy Awards for “Fight For You.” The powerful song was written for Judas And The Black Messiah, a film based on the real-life story of Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya) who was the chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party in the 1960s.
Now, H.E.R. has debuted a soulful performance of “Fight For You” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ahead of the 93rd annual Oscars ceremony April 25. During the late-night talk show appearance, H.E.R. was joined by a slew of talented singers, percussionists and horn players who helped bring the song to life.
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This year, an array of skilled actors, captivating films and mesmerizing songs are nominated at the Oscars. “Fight For You,” which was written by H.E.R., Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II and Tiara Thomas, is up against some other truly gifted musicians in the Original Song category.
Leslie Odom, Jr. and Sam Ashworth’s song “Speak Now” from One Night In Miami and Laura Pausini’s “Io sì (Seen)” from The Life Ahead are both nominated in the category. As well, Celeste’s “Hear My Voice” from Netflix’s The Trial Of The Chicago 7 and “Husavik (My Hometown)” which was written by Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson for Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga are also up for the award.
H.E.R. opened up her performance of “Fight For You” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon by jamming out on drums before dancing her way to a group of other talented musicians.
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Together, the group took the soulful song to a whole new level with their layered vocals, rhythmic percussion and guitars and blaring horns section. Ultimately, the performance not only showcased H.E.R.’s charismatic aura and distinct vocals but also highlighted the deep meaning behind the song’s lyrics.
From freedom to social justice and the fight to keep moving forward during hard times, “Fight For You” greatly represents the unrest America experienced during the Vietnam War and Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.
H.E.R.’s performance of “Fight For You” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon is available to watch below.
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Along with Original Song, Judas And The Black Messiah has earned numerous other nominations at the Oscars. Both Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield are up for Actor in a Supporting Role. As well, the film is nominated in the Cinematography, Best Picture and Original Screenplay categories.
During her interview on The Tonight Show, H.E.R. opened up about how she ended up writing the Oscar-nominated song. She also revealed the main message she hopes every listener takes away from the track.
“The song was really just representing the themes and what Fred Hampton was about and all of the things he was fighting for,” she tells Jimmy Fallon. “He was not just fighting for the Black Panthers. He wasn’t just fighting for the Black community, he was fighting for social justice and equality all across the board. When people hear this song, the idea was for them to be hopeful and to know that there is hope for our future especially with what has been happening and what we’ve seen in 2020.”
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H.E.R. is among a slew of other talented artists on the Judas And The Black Messiah soundtrack. A$AP Rocky, Nas and JAY-Z are just a few of the other acts who appear on the film’s soundtrack. Both the Judas And The Black Messiah soundtrack and trailer are available to stream below.
Along with the Oscars and Grammys, H.E.R. has also been recognized at a few other award shows already this year. “Fight For You” earned her a nomination for Best Song at the Critics Choice Awards. As well, she was up for Best Original Song at the Golden Globes for the Judas And The Black Messiah track.
Her appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon arrives just a few weeks after her big night at the Grammys. This year, H.E.R earned three nominations and ended up winning two awards including Best R&B Song for “Better Than I Imagined.” She also took home the coveted Song of the Year for “I Can’t Breathe” which was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and the death of George Floyd while in police custody. Her Song of the Year acceptance speech at the 2021 Grammy Awards is available to watch below.
What are your reactions to H.E.R.’s soulful “Fight For You” performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon? Let us know in the comments below.