Au micro de Waxx, Ruel first returns to a founding memory: the moment Elton John played one of his songs on his radio show. For the artist, this recognition counted as a real entry into the music industry. He talks about how crazy he found it to start like this, with the support of such an immense figure. Elton John not only played his song, but he also spoke about himself with great kindness. Ruel explains that this spotlight, which arrived very early, had a considerable effect on the launch of his career. Even almost ten years later, he says he still finds it so unreal when he is reminded of it.
James Morrison, the first musical shock
When Waxx asks him what his first musical crush was, Ruel immediately cites James Morrison. He says that his father played his songs on repeat in the car, on the way to school, but also at home. It was this voice, this way of singing and this intensity that made him want to do the same thing. He explains that he wanted to sing like him, play guitar like him, and that it was precisely this music that pushed him to start singing. In his story, the role of his father is central: a passionate music lover, he supported him very early on, enrolled him in singing and guitar lessons, and accompanied him in his first steps.
Amy Winehouse and the musical legacy passed down by her parents
Ruel then mentions Amy Winehouseanother essential artist in its construction. Again, he links this influence to his parents, who made him listen to a lot of music during his childhood. He says he has difficulty explaining this link precisely, but he emphasizes how much this music accompanied him at the time when he himself began to enter the profession. Having started very young, around 13 or 14 years old, gives him today the feeling of already having a long experience of the industry. Amy Winehouse is one of those artists who nourished her imagination and her sensitivity to a decisive period.
2016, his personal golden age
For Ruel, the golden age of music is around 2016. He cites several major albums from this period, notably those of Frank Ocean, Solange, Rihanna et Beyoncé. What he remembers from those years is the freedom of tone and the mixture of genres. Soul, pop, R’n’B, electro, folk: in his eyes, everything comes together to produce richer, more open, more daring music. He explains that this period also corresponds to the moment when he himself began to release music, which further strengthens his attachment to this era. For him, this golden age is the one where artists began to blur the boundaries with real musical ambition.
Music as an emotional outlet
Waxx also questions him about his relationship with tears and emotion. Ruel responds frankly that he sometimes tries to make himself cry, especially when he is on tour, anxious or under tension. He sees this as a way of releasing pressure, of starting from scratch, of relieving negative energy. He admits that he doesn’t cry easily, but some songs do. He cites in particular I Couldn’t Say It to Your Face d’Arthur Russella track he describes as devastating. He underlines its intimate significance, linked to the personal history of its author, while recalling that the song can also be heard in a more universal way, as a separation or a farewell.
“Don’t Say That†, a song born in the movement
When talking about his own music, Ruel stops on Don’t Say Thatwhich he then performed acoustically with Waxx. He writes very instinctively, almost in a stream of consciousness, with his collaborators in Los Angeles. He explains that they played a lot with chords, tempos, tonal changes, in a search for musicality more complex than that of a simple linear pop song. Basically, he describes a piece centered on denial: that of someone who refuses to hear that the other wants to leave. This emotional tension, associated with a moving musical construction, gives, according to him, all its strength to the title.
The taste for bridges and pop construction
In the process, Waxx questions him about bridges, these bridges in songs that Sting told him he saw disappearing little by little in contemporary pop. Ruel responds that he considers them very important in most songs, even if they are not always necessary. For Don’t Say Thathe even believes that the bridge constitutes almost the heart of the title, even its main hook. He also talks about the particular pleasure that there is in writing this part at the end of the session, after having heard the same chords and the same refrains all day long. For him, the bridge brings a new breath of life. And he does not believe at all in its disappearance, citing Olivia Rodrigo as one of the artists who best masters the art today.
Songs that give energy
When it comes this time to talking about the songs that boost him, Ruel distinguishes two situations: the gym and the pre-concert. In these moments, he says he listens a lot to Robert Palmer, and in particular Some Guys Have All the Luck. He likes the attack of the song, the punch of the piece, its immediate energy and its playful side. He also admires the productions of this period, which he considers abundant, daring, almost without restraint. This discussion naturally leads Waxx to discuss the 80s, which Ruel also considers to be a decade queen for songs made for dancing. Even though he says he is not a great dancer, he believes that many of the most effective pieces in this register come from there.
The song that defines him best
To the question of which title from his own catalog defines him best, Ruel answers Wild Guess. He explains that, from the moment of writing, he felt that this song summed up both his record and where he was musically. He insists on the ease with which it was born, almost as if it were obvious. He also says that, from the first rehearsal with his musicians, the piece worked perfectly, with no adjustments needed to be made for live performance. For him, this is a rare sign. On stage, he says he noticed that this song provoked a particularly strong reaction from the public, including in unexpected contexts, even though it is neither a massive anthem nor a very fast piece.
Blue Nile, Natalie Imbruglia and Australia as anchor point
At the end of the show, Ruel takes advantage of his carte blanche to highlight Downtown Lights by Blue Nile, a song that he considers underestimated by his generation. However, he sees a direct influence on better-known contemporary artists. Then comes the moment of the final recovery: he chooses Torn by Natalie Imbruglia, to represent Australia. A choice which allows Waxx to question him about his relationship to this country. Born in London, arriving in Australia at the age of 3, Ruel explains that he feels deeply at home there. He grew up there, went to school there, built his friendships and his identity there. Despite his English and Dutch origins, he says he feels above all Australian. This, he says, is where his home is.
