Ruel Creates Sunny, Self-Assured Pop Creates Happiness

The Australian singer-songwriter Ruel is a savant of musical styles. 2019’s “Painkiller” was a compact mix of funk and pop, and 2023’s 4th Wall blended acoustic and electronic elements. Discovered by the Grammy-winning producer M-Phazes at age 12, Ruel van Dijk achieved stardom in his native Australia after signing with RCA Records at 15 and performing as an opening act on Shawn Mendes’ 2019 tour. His second studio album, 2025’s Kicking My Feet, proves he is ready to continue ascending the music industry ladder. “If everything comes, I’m gonna say yes to it,” he told Rolling Stone.   

In the music video for “Wild Guess”, Ruel plays himself, a musician acting in a movie. “Singers shouldn’t be actors,” says his co-star in the video. Through this self-reference, he calls attention to the fact that, since the dawn of social media, musicians have become multi-media celebrities. In 2023, he told The Guardian that the album title 4th Wall was inspired by The Truman Show, a film about a reality television series. As a rising star himself, he related to Truman’s constant surveillance. 

Kicking My Feet is a joyful record that portrays messy emotions as building blocks for newfound happiness. In “Not What’s Going On”, Ruel gives in to a new romance, as glossy harmonies enhance an ecstatic chorus. “I Can Die Now” conveys a similar sentiment: “But since I found you, I can die now.” “Only Ever” calls back to the funk influences of his previous records, but uses crisp guitar riffs to express devotion in a laid-back manner. Elsewhere, “The Suburbs” leans into rock, as a raucous sound contrasts peaceful lyrics: “Always drivin’ under 35,” Ruel says, imagining a settled-down life with a partner. 

At other points, Kicking My Feet takes a break from bliss. “Destroyer” brings the record’s rock homages to a crescendo, as Ruel contemplates his agency in the breakdown of a relationship. In “Even Angels Won’t”, the singer appreciates a friend who stuck by him during tough times, as haunting harmonies blend with a chilling acoustic piano riff. When he says to a friend, “You go where even angels won’t,” the tension of this moment might have, in the hands of another artist, warranted production theatrics. However, his husky vocals and songwriting mastery create a compelling composition that draws on pop’s core elements. 

Kicking My Feet is a shiny, highly-produced album, but it stands out in a crowded field of male pop stars. In 2024 and 2025, Shawn Mendes and Justin Bieber returned from extended breaks, and the odd former member of One Direction always threatens to release a solo album. Meanwhile, newcomers Sombr and Role Model blend rock and country to contrast the glitzy bubblegum pop that boy bands espoused in the 2000s and 2010s. 

After exploring acoustics on 4th Wall and incorporating R&B and funk on previous EPs and singles, Ruel made his foray into synths and electric guitars. Kicking My Feet is a sharp take on an existing formula. While most pop stars could spend an entire album cycle deciding how confessional they want to be, he has struck an innate balance between fame and privacy as he has gradually ascended to stardom. This personal assurance allows him to focus on the music. Like a painkiller, the songs are quick shots of dopamine, small experiments with sounds that use lyrics to ensure tidy moral resolutions. 

“Two tickets for a funeral / When you blow up the hand that feeds ya,” Ruel says on “Destroyer”. Although personally content, the singer understands that pop works best when grounded in reality, conveniently or not. In an interview, he told Rolling Stone, “The goal is not extreme happiness or extreme success. My goal is to be comfortable and sustainable.” As expressed in the song “The Suburbs”, Ruel will maintain stability when he finds it, even if its soundtrack continues to change.