Ruel (singer)
Ruel Vincent van Dijk (born 29 October 2002),[2] known mononymously as Ruel, is an English born Australian singer and songwriter from Sydney, best known for his singles "Don't Tell Me", "Younger" and "Painkiller". At the ARIA Music Awards of 2018 he won the award for Breakthrough Artist for his single "Dazed & Confused".
Ruel | |
---|---|
![]() Ruel performing at the Byron Bay Falls Festival 2018 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Ruel Vincent van Dijk |
Born | Isleworth, London, United Kingdom | 29 October 2002
Origin | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
Genres | |
Occupations |
|
Instruments |
|
Years active | 2017–present |
Labels |
|
Website | https://www.oneruel.com/ |
Early life
Ruel was born on October 29, 2002, in Isleworth, London, to British mother, Kate van Dijk, and Dutch-born and New Zealand-raised father, Ralph van Dijk.[3] His father is the founder of Australian radio agency, Eardrum.[4] His family moved to Sydney, Australia in 2006.[5]
Music career
2015–2017: Early years
In 2015, Ruel's father sent a demo of him singing James Bay's "Let It Go" to Grammy Award-winning producer M-Phazes. M-Phazes said, "I lost my mind when I heard his voice!"[3][6]
In April 2017, Ruel released his debut single "Golden Years" with M-Phazes.[7] 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.[8] The video gathered half a million video views in less than 48 hours.[9]
In July 2017, Ruel released "Don't Tell Me", which peaked at number 86 on the ARIA Chart. Later in September, Elton John played "Don't Tell Me" on BBC Radio 1, giving Ruel high praise.[10] The track was also featured in CelebMix's 21 songs by under-21s in 2018.[11]
In November, Ruel joined Khalid on his American Teen Tour of Australia and New Zealand.[12] Later that month, Ruel signed with RCA Records internationally.[13] In December, Tom Thum released a cover of Rag'n'Bone Man's "Human" featuring Ruel on vocals.[14]
2018–present: Ready and Free Time EPs
On 24 March 2018, Ruel played at Pop Spring Festival, Tokyo, where he did his first meet and greet.[15] On 4 April, Ruel performed at the Opening Ceremony of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.[16] On 19 April, a music video for the single "Don't Tell Me" was released.[17]
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.[18] 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.[19] On 11 October, Ruel was nominated for the Breakout Artist award for the ARIA Awards,[20] which he later won, making him the youngest ever to do so.[21]
On 10 January 2019, Ruel was confirmed to appear on Hilltop Hoods' new album The Great Expanse, on the track "Fire & Grace". The album was then released on 22 February.[22] On 1 May, Ruel released the lead single from his Free Time EP, "Painkiller", alongside an accompanying music video.[23][24] On 9 August, Ruel released the single "Face to Face" alongside a music video that was shot while he was on tour in France.[25] On 13 September, Ruel released his second EP, Free Time.[26] In November 2019, Ruel was an opening act for two shows of Shawn Mendes: The Tour.[27]
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 18th of March.[28]
Discography
Extended plays
Title | EP details | Peak chart positions | |
---|---|---|---|
AUS [29] |
NZ [30] | ||
Ready |
|
76 | —[upper-alpha 1] |
Free Time |
|
3 [33] | 18 |
Remix EPs
Title | EP details |
---|---|
Don't Tell Me (Deluxe Edition) |
|
Painkiller (Remix Pack) |
|
Singles
As lead artist
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AUS [29] |
NZ Heat. [36] |
NZ Hot [37] | ||||
"Golden Years" (with M-Phazes) |
2017 | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
"Don't Tell Me" | 86 | — | — | Ready | ||
"Dazed & Confused" | 2018 | 53 | 7 | — |
| |
"Younger" | 76 | — | — |
| ||
"Not Thinkin' Bout You" (solo or remix featuring GoldLink) |
— | — | — | |||
"Say" (acoustic version featuring Jake Meadows)[40] |
2019 | — | — | — | ||
"Painkiller" (solo or featuring Denzel Curry) |
35 | — | 6 |
|
Free Time[upper-alpha 2] | |
"Face to Face" | 73 | — | 8 | |||
"Real Thing" | 73 | — | 18 | |||
"Down for You" (with Cosmo's Midnight)[41] |
2020 | — | — | — | TBA | |
"Empty Love" (with Gracey)[42] |
— | — | — | TBA |
As featured artist
Title | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"Human" (Tom Thum featuring Ruel) (Triple J Like a Version)[43] |
2017 | Non-album singles |
"Weathered" (M-Phazes featuring Ruel) (Triple J Like a Version)[44] | ||
"Flames" (SG Lewis featuring Ruel)[45] |
2019 | Dawn |
Other charted songs
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
---|---|---|---|
NZ Hot [46] | |||
"Don't Cry" | 2019 | 29 | Free Time |
"Hard Sometimes" | 28 | ||
"Unsaid" | 33 | ||
"Free Time" | 47 |
Other appearances
Title | Year | Artist(s) | Album |
---|---|---|---|
"Fire & Grace" | 2019 | Hilltop Hoods featuring Ruel | The Great Expanse |
Music videos
Title | Year | Director(s) |
---|---|---|
"Human" (Tom Thum featuring Ruel)[47] |
2017 | Tom Wilson |
"Golden Years"[48] | 2018 | Marcus Flack |
"Don't Tell Me" | N/A | |
"Dazed & Confused"[49] | Grey Ghost | |
"Younger"[50] | ||
"Not Thinkin' 'Bout You"[51] | ||
"Painkiller" | 2019 | |
"Flames" (SG Lewis featuring Ruel) | ||
"Face to Face" | ||
"Real Thing" | ||
"Down for You" (with Cosmo's Midnight) |
2020 | |
"Empty Love" (with Gracey) |
||
Awards
APRA Awards
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 one award.[52][53]
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | himself | Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year | Nominated |
ARIA Music Awards
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 one nomination.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | "Dazed & Confused" | Breakthrough Artist | Won |
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2019 | Ruel | Favourite Aussie/Kiwi | Won |
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres international. Ruel has won one award from one nomination.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2019 | Ruel | Best Australian Act | Won |
Notes
- Ready did not enter the NZ Top 40 Albums Chart, but peaked at number 3 on the Heatseeker Albums Chart.[31]
- The remix of "Painkiller" is only included on the Painkiller remix EP.[35]
Tours
Headlining
Supporting
- Gallant - Ology Tour (2017)
- Khalid - American Teen Tour (2017-2018)
- Shawn Mendes – Shawn Mendes: The Tour (2019)
References
- "Ruel / Ones To Watch". Ones to Watch. Archived from the original on 6 August 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Ruel Biography". All Music. Archived from the original on 12 January 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
- 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.
- "LinkedIn". LinkedIn. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
- 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.
- "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.
- "Ruel releases debut single Golden Years". Herald Sun. 17 April 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "Ruel". Live Nation NZ. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
- "Ruel (artists)". Universal Music Publishing Group. Archived from the original on 24 December 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- "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.
- "CelebMix's 21 Songs by Under-21s". CelebMix.com. 30 November 2017. Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
- "ive been invited to support Khalid on his australia/nz tour! so grateful for this opportunity! [...]". Twitter. 18 September 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- "Ruel Signs With RCA Records". RCA Records. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- "Human (featuring Ruel)". iTunes Australia. Archived from the original on 5 May 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- "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.
- "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.
- "Ruel - Don't Tell Me (Official Video)". 19 April 2018. Archived from the original on 11 June 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018 – via YouTube.
- "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.
- "ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2019 Singles". ARIA. 31 December 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- "NOMINEES". ARIA Awards. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- "Ruel: The youngest solo artist ever to win an ARIA". Icon. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- Newstead, Al (10 January 2019). "Hilltop Hoods just dropped the tracklist for their feature-packed new album". Triple J. ABC. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
- Staff Writer (1 May 2019). "SOTD: Ruel sets the tone for next EP with 'Painkiller'". The Music Network. Archived from the original on 11 May 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
- Ruel (1 May 2019). "Ruel - Painkiller (Official Video)". Archived from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2019 – via YouTube.
- Riddell, Rose (9 August 2019). "Ruel drops new single + video for 'Face To Face'". Coup De Main Magazine. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- 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.
- Spencer, Tallie (27 March 2019). "Shawn Mendes Adds Dan + Shay, Ruel as Australia & New Zealand Tour Openers". Billboard. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
- Bruce, Jasper (18 March 2020). "Cosmo's Midnight and Ruel share 'Down For You' music video". New Musical Express. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
- Peak chart positions in Australia:
- "Don't Tell Me": "ARIA Chart Watch 434". auspOp. 19 August 2017. Archived from the original on 19 August 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- "Dazed & Confused": "ARIA Chart Watch #477". auspOp. 16 June 2018. Archived from the original on 11 May 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
- Ready: "ARIA Chart Watch #478". auspOp. 23 June 2018. Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
- "Younger": "ARIA Chart Watch #481". auspOp. 14 July 2018. Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
- "Painkiller": "ARIA Chart Watch #529". auspOp. 15 June 2019. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
- "Face to Face": "ARIA Chart Watch #538". auspOp. 17 August 2019. Archived from the original on 17 August 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
- "Real Thing": "ARIA Chart Watch #543". auspOp. 21 September 2019. Archived from the original on 21 September 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
- "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 23 September 2019. Archived from the original on 20 September 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
- "NZ Heatseeker Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 25 June 2018. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- "Ruel announces new EP and all ages Free Time tour". ABC. 31 July 2019. Archived from the original on 6 December 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
- "ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. 23 September 2019. Archived from the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
- "Don't Tell Me (Deluxe Edition) – EP by Ruel on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 19 April 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- "Painkiller (Remix Pack) – EP by Ruel on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 12 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- "NZ Heatseeker Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 7 May 2018. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 13 May 2019. Archived from the original on 10 May 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
- "Face to Face": "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 19 August 2019. Archived from the original on 17 August 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
- "Real Thing": "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 9 September 2019. Archived from the original on 22 September 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
- "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2018 Singles". ARIA. Archived from the original on 17 February 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
- "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2019 Singles". ARIA. Archived from the original on 20 February 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
- "Say (Acoustic Version) – Single by Ruel on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 15 March 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
- "Down for You – Single by Cosmo's Midnight on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 31 January 2020. Archived from the original on 4 May 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
- "Empty Love – Single by Gracey & Ruel on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 22 May 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- "Human (feat. Ruel) – Single by Tom Thum on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 8 December 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
- "Weathered (triple j Like a Version) [feat. Ruel] – Single by M-Phazes on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 15 December 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
- "SG Lewis & Ruel ride dark synth waves toward dawn on 'Flames': Listen". Billboard. 10 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
- "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 23 September 2019. Archived from the original on 20 September 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
- "Tom Thum - Human ft. Ruel (Rag n Bone Man cover)". 7 December 2017. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2018 – via YouTube.
- "Ruel - Golden Years (M-Phazes Remix (Official Video)))". YouTube. 16 March 2018. Archived from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- "Ruel - Dazed & Confused (Official Video)". 30 May 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018 – via YouTube.
- "Ruel - Younger (Official Video)". YouTube. 2 August 2018. Archived from the original on 23 August 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- "Ruel - Not Thinkin' Bout You (Official Video)". 30 October 2018. Archived from the original on 12 December 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2018 – via YouTube.
- "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.
- "2020 Awards". APRA. 7 April 2020. Archived from the original on 9 April 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- "Facebook". Facebook. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2019-12-08. Retrieved 2019-12-08.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Instagram". Instagram. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
External links
![]() |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ruel. |
- Official website
- Ruel's channel on YouTube
- Ruel on Twitter
- Ruel on Instagram
- Ruel on Facebook