H.E.R. Honors George Floyd With 'Painful' New Song 'I Can't Breathe'

Nearly six years soon after Eric Garner uttered his last words, "I can't breathe," while being choked to death by New York City police officer Daniel Pantaleo — and sparked by the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin while in which Floyd repeated those same, harrowing words — the phrase has returned as a rallying cry for protesters around the world calling for an end to police brutality and systemic racism against the Black community.


As demonstrations continued, soon after several celebrities have leveraged their platforms to support activists on the ground, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter H.E.R. joined the conversation, honoring the painful words that propelled an enthusiastic and required movement with an emotional efficiency. On Wednesday (June 10), she debuted the new song, "I Can't Breathe," which described as "very painful" and "very revealing," throughout iHeartRadio's Living Room Concert Series.


“These lyrics were sort of easy to write because it came from a conversation of what’s happening now, what’s been happening, and the change that we need to see,” H.E.R. Mentioned, speaking from a Brooklyn studio with an acoustic guitar in hand. “I think music is powerful once it comes to change and any time it comes to healing and that’s why I wrote this song, to prepare a mark in history. And I hope this song does that.”


Keeping the beat with mid-tempo strumming, H.E.R.'S raw vocals take center-stage. She sang: "What is a gun to a gentleman that surrenders / What's it gonna take for someone to defend her / If we all agree that we're equal as people / Then why can't we visualize what's evil?" Then, Floyd's words reverberate while in an explosive chorus: "I can't breathe / You're taking my life from me / I can't breathe / Will anyone fight for me?"


Watch the singer's powerful iHeartRadio efficiency, kicked off by "I Can't Breath," below.