RUEL RETURNS WITH NEW SINGLE 'GROWING UP IS _____'

Photo by Michelle Grace Hunder

Sydney-based singer-songwriter and multi-talented performer RUEL returns today with new single ‘GROWING UP IS _____’, first heard in full via triple j, and available to stream everywhere now.

A neon-drenched ear worm, ‘GROWING UP IS _____’ is the first of a string of forthcoming releases, one which delivers a finely balanced insight into the 19-year old’s state of mind, with an emotionally climactic chorus bouncing between the mundane (‘smoke a dart’) and reflective (‘question everything you thought’) truisms relevant to anyone flicking between screens, friends, cities and responsibilities. 

At just nineteen years of age, the performer born Ruel Van Dijk has already experienced several careers’ worth of success.  Since debuting in 2017 at the age of 14 on producer M-Phazes ‘Golden Years', and becoming the youngest ever artist to appear on triple j’s Like A Version, Ruel’s bio is bonkers. He’s released three EPs; toured the world; been hailed by the likes of Elton John, and touring partners Khalid and Shawn Mendes; had five platinum records, 1 billion global streams and 1.4 million Instagram followers; sold out the Sydney Opera House (twice); launched his own 24hr experimental online television show, and is continually touted as the next global pop star in waiting.

It’s enough to set off an existential crisis in the most confident of artists — even one preternaturally gifted as Ruel. He says: “I know I’m born to be a writer and a musician — that’s what I love and am supposed to do. But I’ve been trying to figure out what sort of person I want to be while doing that. So this song and the new songs coming are me awake at night looking at the ceiling thinking, ‘What is my purpose? Why am I here? What is the best way to live life?”

This shift is evident on ‘GROWING UP IS _____’ and the confidence to dig deep on this and future material was helped by an old friend and songwriter PJ Harding, long time collaborator, musical confidante and producer, M-Phazes and co-writer Julian Bunetta who’ve helped to complete the sound in his head. Now, the final step is delivering it to fans. 

"When I look back, I see I was just learning the ropes. Now it’s like, ‘Okay time to bring home my sound.”

'GROWING UP IS _____' by Ruel is out now via Recess Records / RCA
Stream/buy HERE