Ruel

Ruel Vincent van Dijk has been in the public eye since he was 14. Born in London in 2002 before relocating to Sydney with his family a few years later, he debuted in 2017 with “Golden Years”, helmed by influential Australian producer (and now repeat collaborator) M-Phazes. Later that year, Ruel became the youngest performer to appear on triple j’s Like A Version series—a title he held until 2026. Earning co-signs from Zane Lowe and Sir Elton John, the singer-songwriter quickly perfected his lovestruck blend of R&B and pop. Ruel’s heady 2018 single “Dazed & Confused” earned him an ARIA for Breakthrough Artist and became one of five singles from his debut EP, the aptly titled Ready, to tally gold or platinum sales in Australia. His smooth and soulful 2019 single “Painkiller” soared even higher, accruing triple-platinum certification. Since then, Ruel has notched memorable collabs with high-profile Australian artists like Lime Cordiale, DMA’S, Cosmo’s Midnight and grentperez while amassing his own robust songbook. His tender, compassionate voice has been acclaimed on tour and recordings alike, whether via his own material or well-chosen covers: Observe his heartbreaking take on The Verve’s “The Drugs Don’t Work” for an Apple Music Home Session in 2023. And in 2025, he won first place in the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition for “The Suburbs”, a 1980s-style slow burn shot through with synths and gated drums. The same year, Ruel told Apple Music that his second album, Kicking My Feet, was named after how he feels when he’s in love: excited in a pure, childlike way. As he first proved on “Dazed & Confused”, Ruel remains an intimate, articulate chronicler of how romantic love can seem to seep into every pore and take over from the inside out.