Ruel, pop’s latest it boy, announces sophomore album

Australian singer-songwriter Ruel Vincent van Dijk-better known simply as Ruel (pronounced ROOL, rhyming with words like pool or cool) has officially announced his long-awaited second album, Kicking My Feet, set to release this Autumn via Giant Music.

To mark the occasion, he’s dropped a brand-new single, The Suburbs-a lush, emotionally charged track crafted with some of the industry’s finest collaborators. It’s dreamy, introspective, and unmistakably Ruel.

Ruel is growing up has been on the rise since he was a teenager, adorning his studio walls are an ever-growing collection of platinum plaques and award statues from the likes of RIAA, MTV, ARIA and Nickelodeon.

He has amassed over three billion streams, sold out multiple world tours and regularly attends fashion shows at the invitation of luxury haute couture such as Louis Vuitton and Hermès.

Away from the runway, Ruel’s admiration for unique, highly conceptualised style can be seen in his editorials with Prada and Fendi, and through his extensive list of features on the pages of Vogue, GQ, NME and The Face.

Around the world, eyes have been keenly watching Ruel’s career ascent; notably by Sir Elton John and Zane Lowe, both of whom have sung the praises of the UK-born, Sydney-raised talent, calling him a "superstar."

Kicking My Feet showcases the 22-year-old’s sharpened songwriting as he explores the innocence and embarrassment of being young and in love, as the album title teases.

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Teaming up once again with longtime collaborator M-Phazes-whose credits include work with Demi Lovato and Madonna-Ruel broadens his creative circle on the album, bringing in fresh voices like Fran Hall (known for writing for Charli XCX and Kelly Clarkson), Chelsea Lena (who’s worked with Sabrina Carpenter and Joji) and Elias Danielsen. The result is a dynamic mix of influences that push his sound into new territory.

The experimentation with his sound and artistry, has Ruel evolving himself into a bolder musician on an unmissable trajectory. The Suburbs is an ode to intimacy and imagining a simpler life with the one you love. With lyrics like “I can see us in the Suburbs, Never thought I’d be that person, but with you it sounds like paradise” Ruel taps into a soft vulnerability that builds on the expansive pop vision he introduced with his previous single, I Can Die Now.

It’s been pretty daunting to offer up this level of honesty in my songwriting but seeing the way it’s already connected so personally with fans has calmed my ‘pre-album’ nerves in a huge way.

Kicking My Feet marks the start of a new era for Ruel; one that feels creatively liberated, emotionally nuanced, and sonically bolder than ever. After relocating from Sydney to Los Angeles and signing with Giant Music, Ruel immersed himself in a new creative ecosystem and began building the album from the ground up.

I knew I wanted to push myself on this new album, but it wasn’t until I had to finalise the track list that I realised I’d actually made over 200 songs for Kicking My Feet.

The Suburbs and I Can Die Now are on all streaming platforms now and the album Kicking My Feet will be available to stream October 17 and is available to pre-order HERE.

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