Ruel emerged as a reflective singer and songwriter whose sound draws from modern R&B alongside gospel traditions. He first gained notice in Australia while still a teenager through the strikingly mature track “Golden Years,” which secured him a contract with RCA in 2017. Within a short span he moved well beyond his status as a youthful pop talent, capturing an ARIA award, achieving gold and platinum certifications on tracks from his initial EPs Ready in 2018 and Free Time in 2019, and issuing a more personal third EP titled Bright Lights, Red Eyes in 2020. Supported by the releases “Let the Grass Grow,” “You Against Yourself,” and “Growing Up Is _____,” his first full-length project, 4th Wall, arrived in 2023 and reached number three on the Australian charts while landing inside the Top Ten in New Zealand.
Born in Isleworth, England, Ruel van Dijk relocated with his family to Sydney at an early age. Drawn to music from childhood, he began voice and guitar instruction during primary school. At twelve he laid down a version of James Bay’s “Let It Go,” which his father—an audio marketing specialist—forwarded to ARIA-winning producer M-Phazes. Later that same year Ruel issued his first recording, the 2017 single “Golden Years,” written alongside M-Phazes and Thief. Still fourteen, he obtained a worldwide agreement with RCA and closed out 2017 with his initial charting release and gold ARIA certification for “Don’t Tell Me,” another collaboration with M-Phazes. That song served as the opening track for Ready, an EP released in June 2018 that also included the platinum-certified Australian hits “Dazed & Confused” and “Younger.” The former earned the year’s ARIA for Breakthrough Artist—Release.
Ruel sustained his rise in 2019 with Free Time, an EP that entered at number three upon its September arrival. One of its three charting cuts was the platinum-selling “Painkiller,” which later appeared in a version featuring Denzel Curry. The partnership expanded his reach in the United States, where both “Dazed & Confused” and “Painkiller” eventually received gold RIAA recognition. Working once more with M-Phazes as his chief collaborator and adding Sarah Aarons as a co-writer, Ruel delivered Bright Lights, Red Eyes in October 2020, an EP fronted by “As Long as You Care.” He reunited with M-Phazes and Thief for the standalone 2021 single “Too Many Feelings.”
Later that year he issued the solo release “Growing Up Is _____.” Additional tracks appeared throughout 2022, among them “Let the Grass Grow” and “You Against Yourself,” both of which climbed into the New Zealand Top 30. These recordings formed part of his debut album 4th Wall, released in 2023. The project drew from the “fourth wall” techniques found in films he admires, particularly The Truman Show, and explored the notion of discovering that his own existence was being recorded for public viewing. Once again produced with M-Phazes and additional contributors, 4th Wall peaked at number three in Australia and number ten in New Zealand, generating further singles such as “Someone Else’s Problem” and “I Don’t Wanna Be Like You.”
