H.E.R. has been chosen to perform the American National Anthem during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, according to People. The renowned artist will deliver the timeless anthem at the Stade de France on Sunday, August 11, during the handover from Paris to Los Angeles, the host city for the 2028 Summer Games.
This closing ceremony will signal the conclusion of the Paris Olympics, which opened with a grand ceremony along the Seine. In a tribute to the Olympic flag handover, Tom Cruise will execute a dramatic stunt characteristic of his style, including a pre-recorded segment featuring the Hollywood sign, filmed back in March.
Among Team USA’s standout athletes, swimmer Katie Ledecky and rower Nick Mead, both gold medalists, have been selected as flag bearers for the ceremony. Ledecky, who now holds an impressive 14 Olympic medals, expressed her pride in the team’s achievements in Paris and her anticipation to celebrate with her fellow athletes on Sunday.
H.E.R.
While official announcements regarding other performers for the night are still pending, speculation suggests that French bands Air and Phoenix might grace the stage. Additionally, Variety has reported that Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are expected to perform from Los Angeles, in a blend of live and recorded acts. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass will receive the Olympic Torch at the ceremony’s conclusion, symbolically bringing it back to the U.S.
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Thierry Reboul, the executive director of the closing ceremony, mentioned in an interview with Variety that Los Angeles has created a 10 to 15-minute teaser as a preview of their upcoming Olympic Games. Although Paris is assisting with production, the Los Angeles team has been granted full creative control.
The Los Angeles Summer Olympics are scheduled for July 14 to July 30, 2028.
Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, better known as H.E.R. (an acronym for “Having Everything Revealed”), is an acclaimed American R&B singer born on June 27, 1997. Over her career, she has earned an Academy Award, a Children’s and Family Emmy Award, and five Grammy Awards, alongside nominations for a Golden Globe, three American Music Awards, and four Billboard Music Awards.
After starting her career under her birth name, she rebranded as H.E.R. in 2016 and signed with RCA Records, releasing her debut EP, H.E.R. Volume 1, that September. This was followed by four additional EPs, with the first two included in her self-titled compilation album (2017), which reached number 23 on the Billboard 200. The album earned her two Grammy Awards for Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance for the single “Best Part” (featuring Daniel Caesar).
Her second compilation album, I Used to Know Her (2019), enjoyed similar success, garnering five Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year and Song of the Year for the single “Hard Place.”
In 2021, she won her third Grammy Award for Song of the Year with her powerful single “I Can’t Breathe,” inspired by the George Floyd protests. That same year, her song “Fight for You,” featured in the film Judas and the Black Messiah, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance. Her debut studio album, Back of My Mind (2021), received critical praise and peaked at number six on the Billboard 200. In 2022, she added a Children’s and Family Emmy Award to her accolades for her work on Barack and Michelle Obama’s animated children’s series, We the People.
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