Ruel (singer)

Not to be confused with Ruelle (singer).

Ruel
Ruel in 2019
Ruel in 2019
Background information
Birth nameRuel Vincent van Dijk
Born (2002-10-29) 29 October 2002 (age 22)[1]
Isleworth, London, England
OriginSydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • piano
Years active2017–present
Labels
Websitewww.oneruel.com Edit this at Wikidata

Ruel Vincent van Dijk (born 29 October 2002),[3] known mononymously as Ruel, is an Australian singer and songwriter from Sydney, best known for his singles "Don't Tell Me", "Younger", "As Long as You Care" and "Painkiller". At the ARIA Music Awards of 2018, he won the award for Breakthrough Artist for his single "Dazed & Confused". Ruel's debut studio album 4th Wall was released on 3 March 2023.[4]

Early life

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Ruel was born on 29 October 2002, in Isleworth, London, to English mother, Kate Vincent, and Dutch-born and New Zealand-raised father, Ralph van Dijk.[5] His father is the founder of Australian radio advertising agency, Eardrum. His family moved to Sydney, Australia in 2006.[6]

Music career

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2015–2017: early years

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In 2015, Ruel's father sent a demo of him singing James Bay's "Let It Go" to Grammy Award-winning producer M-Phazes.[5][7]

In April 2017, Ruel released his debut single "Golden Years" with M-Phazes.[8] In June, Ruel made his live radio debut performing Jack Garratt's "Weathered" on Triple J's Like a Version. At 14, he was the youngest-ever featured performer on the segment.[9] The video gathered half a million video views in less than 48 hours.[10]

In July 2017, Ruel released "Don't Tell Me", which peaked at number 86 on the ARIA Singles Chart. Later in September, Elton John played "Don't Tell Me" on BBC Radio 1, giving Ruel high praise.[11] The track was also featured in CelebMix's 21 songs by under-21s in 2018.[12]

In November, Ruel joined Khalid on his American Teen Tour of Australia and New Zealand.[13] Later that month, Ruel signed with RCA Records internationally.[14] In December, Tom Thum released a cover of Rag'n'Bone Man's "Human" featuring Ruel on vocals.[15]

2018–2020: Ready and Free Time EPs

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On 24 March 2018, Ruel played at Pop Spring Festival, Tokyo, where he did his first meet and greet.[16] On 4 April, Ruel performed at the Opening Ceremony of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.[17] On 19 April, a music video for the single "Don't Tell Me" was released.[18]

On 2 June, Ruel announced the release of his debut extended play Ready on 15 June, as well as a headline tour in June and July.[19] In October, Ruel performed to a sell-out crowd in Sydney, and received the news that his single "Younger" had recently been certified gold by ARIA.[20] On 11 October, Ruel was nominated for the Breakthrough Artist award for the ARIA Awards,[21] which he later won, making him the youngest ever to do so.[22]

On 10 January 2019, Ruel confirmed that he would appear on Hilltop Hoods' new album The Great Expanse, on the track "Fire & Grace". The album was then released on 22 February.[23] On 1 May, he released the lead single from his Free Time EP, "Painkiller", alongside an accompanying music video.[24][25] On 9 August, Ruel released the single "Face to Face" alongside a music video that was shot whilst on tour in France.[26] On 13 September, Ruel released his second EP, Free Time.[27] In November 2019, Ruel was an opening act for two shows of Shawn Mendes' self-titled tour.[28]

On 31 January 2020, Ruel collaborated with Cosmo's Midnight on the track "Down for You". The music video for this song premiered on the 18 March 2020.[29]

2020: Bright Lights, Red Eyes

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On 4 September 2020, Ruel posted a video on Instagram with the caption "alayc", hinting at new music.[30] On 10 September 2020, the single "As Long as You Care" was premiered on Triple J, before releasing later that day, alongside an accompanying music video.[31] Ruel additionally announced his third EP, Bright Lights, Red Eyes, which was released on 23 October 2020.[30]

2021–2023: 4th Wall

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Ruel's debut studio album 4th Wall was released on 3 March 2023.[4] The album peaked at number 3 on the ARIA Charts.

2024: DMA's Collaboration and Adaptations

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On April 18 2024, Ruel released two songs with Australian band DMA's. The collaboration's second single, We're a Pair Of Diamonds,[32] first saw the light of day last October at a sold-out Enmore Theatre. In a surprise for fans, he joined DMA'S onstage for a stripped-down, acoustic performance of the unreleased alt-pop ballad. Originally written during sessions for his debut album, 4TH WALL, the song was revived thanks to the enthusiastic response from the crowd and online community. This outpouring of support inspired both Ruel and DMA'S to bring the song to life.

In June 2024, Ruel released a cover of Sixpence None the Richer's "Kiss Me"; the lead single from his fourth EP, Adaptations and first on new label Giant Records.[33]

Discography

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Main article: Ruel discography

Studio albums

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Extended plays

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Awards and nominations

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APRA Awards

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The APRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by the Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually. Ruel has been nominated for three awards.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2020 Himself Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year Nominated [34][35]
2023 "Growing Up Is_____" (Ruel Van Dijk / Mark Landon / Julian Bunetta) Most Performed Australian Work the Year Nominated [36]
Most Performed Pop Work the Year Nominated

ARIA Music Awards

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The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. Ruel has won one award from the five nominations.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2018 "Dazed & Confused" Breakthrough Artist – Release Won
2020 Free Time Best Male Artist Nominated [37]
"Painkiller" Song of the Year Nominated
M-Phazes for Free Time Producer of the Year Nominated
Eric J Dubowsky for Free Time Engineer of the Year Nominated
2022 "Growing Up Is____" Best Solo Artist Nominated [38]
2023 M-Phazes for Ruel 4th Wall Best Produced Release Nominated [39]

Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards

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The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards is an annual U.S. children's awards ceremony show that is produced by Nickelodeon.

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2019 Himself Favourite Aussie/Kiwi Won

MTV Europe Music Awards

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The MTV Europe Music Awards is an award presented by Viacom International Media Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture.

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2019[40] Himself Best Australian Act Won

National Live Music Awards

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The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse live industry, celebrating the success of the Australian live scene. The awards commenced in 2016.

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2019[41][42] Himself Live Voice of the Year Won

Rolling Stone Australia Awards

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The Rolling Stone Australia Awards are awarded annually in January or February by the Australian edition of Rolling Stone magazine for outstanding contributions to popular culture in the previous year.[43]

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2023 "Growing Up Is _____" Best Single Nominated [44]

Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition

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The Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition is an annual competition that "acknowledges great songwriting whilst supporting and raising money for Nordoff-Robbins" and is coordinated by Albert Music and APRA AMCOS. It commenced in 2009.[45]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2020[46] "Painkiller" Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition 3rd

Concert tours

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Headlining

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  • Dazed & Confused (2018)[47]
  • Ready EP Launch Tour (2018)[48]
  • Ready Tour Asia (2019)[49]
  • Painkiller Tour (2019)[49]
  • Free Time World Tour (2019)[49]
  • Growing Up Is _____ Tour (2022)
  • 4th Wall Tour (2023), Support: Telenova

Supporting

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References

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  1. ^ Satti, Amrutha (29 October 2020). "Ruel and his 5 Iconic Moments of 2020". Soundigest. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  2. ^ "Ruel / Ones To Watch". Ones to Watch. Archived from the original on 6 August 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  3. ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Ruel Biography". All Music. Archived from the original on 12 January 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  4. ^ a b Lochrie, Conner (25 January 2023). "Ruel announces long-awaited debut album, '4th Wall'". Tone Deaf. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  5. ^ a b Drever, Andrew (2 July 2018). "A Ruel twist of fate and a schoolboy soul singer is on his way". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 11 January 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  6. ^ Yates, Rod (14 September 2019). "Quiet rooms and coping mechanisms: how Ruel is handling his rise to fame". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  7. ^ "Exclusive: Go Behind The Scenes With Ruel & M-Phazes On Their New Track, 'Don't Tell Me'". The Music. 13 July 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  8. ^ "Ruel releases debut single Golden Years". Herald Sun. 17 April 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  9. ^ "Ruel". Live Nation NZ. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  10. ^ "Ruel (artists)". Universal Music Publishing Group. Archived from the original on 24 December 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  11. ^ "Elton John Continues To Praise Sydney Artist Ruel: 'You Have The Most Amazing Voice'". The Music. 22 November 2017. Archived from the original on 16 August 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  12. ^ "CelebMix's 21 Songs by Under-21s". CelebMix.com. 30 November 2017. Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  13. ^ "ive been invited to support Khalid on his australia/nz tour! so grateful for this opportunity! [...]". Twitter. 18 September 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  14. ^ "Ruel Signs With RCA Records". RCA Records. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  15. ^ "Human (featuring Ruel)". iTunes Australia. 8 December 2017. Archived from the original on 5 May 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  16. ^ "im going to be playing at POPSPRING FESTIVAL in japan nxt month!!! tickets r now on sale so ill see u guys sooooon". Twitter. 4 February 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  17. ^ "Gold Coast dazzles on the world stage as Commonwealth Games are officially opened". news.com.au. 5 October 2018. Archived from the original on 28 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  18. ^ "Ruel - Don't Tell Me (Official Video)". 19 April 2018. Archived from the original on 11 June 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018 – via YouTube.
  19. ^ "Ruel reveals official video for 'Dazed & Confused' first ever solo headline shows this June and July, pre-order Ruel's debut EP Ready, set for release June 15". amnplify. 2 June 2018. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  20. ^ "ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2019 Singles". ARIA. 31 December 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  21. ^ "NOMINEES". ARIA Awards. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  22. ^ "Ruel: The youngest solo artist ever to win an ARIA". Icon. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  23. ^ Newstead, Al (10 January 2019). "Hilltop Hoods just dropped the tracklist for their feature-packed new album". ABC (Triple J). Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  24. ^ "SOTD: Ruel sets the tone for next EP with 'Painkiller'". The Music Network. 1 May 2019. Archived from the original on 11 May 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  25. ^ Ruel (1 May 2019). "Ruel - Painkiller (Official Video)". Archived from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2019 – via YouTube.
  26. ^ Riddell, Rose (9 August 2019). "Ruel drops new single + video for 'Face To Face'". Coup De Main Magazine. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  27. ^ McCabe, Kathy (12 September 2019). "Australian pop sensation Ruel gets real about music industry mental health crisis on new Free Time EP". Billboard. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  28. ^ Spencer, Tallie (27 March 2019). "Shawn Mendes Adds Dan + Shay, Ruel as Australia & New Zealand Tour Openers". Billboard. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  29. ^ Bruce, Jasper (18 March 2020). "Cosmo's Midnight and Ruel share 'Down For You' music video". New Musical Express. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  30. ^ a b Brereton, Greta (10 September 2020). "Ruel drops smooth new single "As Long As You Care"". NME Australia. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  31. ^ Bracken, Claire (10 September 2020). "First Spin: Ruel announces new EP and drops 'As Long As You Care'". Triple J. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  32. ^ "DMA'S & Ruel Unveil Second Collab 'We're A Pair Of Diamonds'". Life Without Andy. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  33. ^ "Ruel Covers Sixpence None the Richer's "Kiss Me"". PM Studio. 28 June 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  34. ^ "Tones and I Leads Nominations for 2020 Virtual APRA Awards". Noise11. 7 April 2020. Archived from the original on 7 April 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  35. ^ "2020 Awards". APRA. 7 April 2020. Archived from the original on 9 April 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  36. ^ "Nominees revealed for the 2023 APRA Music Awards". APRA Awards. 30 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  37. ^ "ARIA Awards 2020 Nominees". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  38. ^ Lars Brandle (12 October 2022). "Rüfüs Du Sol Leads 2022 ARIA Awards Nominees (Full List)". The Music Network. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  39. ^ "Nominees Announced for 2023 ARIA Awards". Music Feeds. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  40. ^ "THESE ARE THE BIG WINNERS AT THE 2019 MTV EMA". MTV Europe. 3 November 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  41. ^ "HERE ARE YOUR 2019 NATIONAL LIVE MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEES!". NLMA. 22 October 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  42. ^ "AND THE WINNERS OF THE 2019 NATIONAL LIVE MUSIC AWARDS ARE…". NLMA. 5 December 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  43. ^ Barnes, Amelia (5 December 2011). "Rolling Stone Magazine Australia announces 3rd annual awards event". The AU Review. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  44. ^ "Amy Shark, The Wiggles & Kylie Minogue Among 2023 Shure Rolling Stone Australia Awards Nominees". Rolling Stone Australia. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  45. ^ "About the Vanda Young Global Song Writing Competition". APRA AMCOS. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  46. ^ "Thelma Plum's "Better in Blak" Wins Vanda & Young Songwriting Comp". Billboard. 12 March 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  47. ^ "Facebook". Facebook. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  48. ^ "StackPath". 2 August 2018. Archived from the original on 8 December 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  49. ^ a b c "Instagram". Instagram. Retrieved 8 December 2019. Non-loginwalled link at bibliogram.pussthecat.org
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