Pop and R&B enthusiasts have reason to celebrate. Ruel will perform in our country this month: the British artist will take the stage on October 29 at Barcelona’s Razzmatazz and on October 30 at La Sala at the Movistar Arena in Madrid. Tickets are available for 30 euros plus distribution fees, on Primavera Tours’ official page.
Everyone has come to know the 23-year-old artist through his appearance on ‘Want U Around’, one of Omar Apollo’s early big hits, where Ruel showcased a prodigious falsetto. At the time, he was only 17. Yet, by the age of 15 he had already won the heart of one of the most iconic artists in history. Elton John declared himself a fan after spinning one of his first singles, ‘Don’t Tell Me’, on his Beats 1 radio program: “It’s amazing that someone so young can write something so good,” he commented.
Although that track was a straightforward pop ballad, his young age pointed to a bright future that, a few years later, would culminate in a sound halfway between melodic pop and the youthful R&B of Steve Lacy or, more recently, Malcolm Todd. ‘Painkiller’, his biggest hit, is enchanting from the very first listen thanks to its lo-fi nostalgia. The nostalgia of someone who was a child in 2016.
His latest release, which he will present at his concerts in Spain, is a double album titled ‘Kicking My Feet & Screaming’. All versions of his music coexist in its tracklist: ‘Don’t Say That’ perfects everything that was missing from ‘Don’t Tell Me’, ‘I Can Die Now’ dares with a direct pop sound similar to Shawn Mendes (whom he opened for), and ‘The Suburbs’ adopts the drowned and dreamy guitars of Mk.gee. Like most of Ruel’s compositions, the brain receives it as an instant hit.
