Grammy-winning musician H.E.R. is now a Golden Globe–nominated musician. Nominated for Best Original Song, “Fight for You” was produced by H.E.R. alongside Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II and co-written with Emile and Tiara Thomas, the latter a longtime collaborator who also was a part of the process for last year’s “I Can’t Breathe.”
Next week, Judas and the Black Messiah, starring Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield, is hitting HBO Max. The highly anticipated film, directed by Shaka King and co-written with Will Berson, is based on the betrayal of Black Panther Party chairman Fred Hampton (Kaluuya) by FBI informant William O’Neal (Stanfield). Although the film takes place in the late ’60s, H.E.R.’s contribution to the soundtrack fits the current landscape of America.
“Fight for You” is imbued with urgency for a revolution against systemic corruption and a call for action towards racial justice. “Feel the hate when they stare / All the pain that we bare,” she sings amidst production that would make Curtis Mayfield proud. Burly horns and subtle orchestral details make the song feel both vibrant and lush. An inquisitive bass line lingers around H.E.R.’s pressing vocal harmonies as she delves into the complicated definition of what it means to be Black and free in America.
Judas and the Black Messiah isn’t out until February 12, but you can listen to the track below.
