Ruel

Ruel Vincent van Dijk is a British-Australian rapper and songwriter who develops a pop sound with R&B influences, and is also associated with indie pop and indie. He is born in 2002 and begins attracting attention as a teenager after his father sends a demo of him performing a James Bay song to producer M-Phazes in 2015. That connection starts his recording career.

Early releases

His debut EP, Ready, appears in 2018 and establishes him as a writer of polished, radio-ready songs. The release includes “Dazed & Confused”, which combines a light rhythm with heartbreak-themed lyrics and string arrangements, and “Younger”, which uses piano, vocal hooks and gospel backing vocals to tell a story about friends drifting apart.

Later work

In 2020, he releases Bright Lights, Red Eyes, where his writing becomes more mature and more intimate. Songs such as “courage” use a stream-of-consciousness approach and highlight the vulnerable, bedroom-pop side of his music.