Ruel Sets Sights on U.S. With Tour Dates, Label Deal

Ruel will take a swing at the United States this year with a new EP, headline performances on both coasts, spots on the Lollapalooza bill, and a new label deal.

Announced today (July 1), the Australian heart-throb is preparing the Aug. 1 release of Adaptations, a covers EP.

The collection is led-off by a cover of Sixpence None The Richer’s ‘90s cult classic, “Kiss Me,” which is accompanied with a music video shot in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Mexico City, the same church that appears in Baz Luhrman’s vibrant 1996 feature film Romeo + Juliet.

Adaptations will arrive in Australia via Recess Records, and in North America through Giant Music, the record label launched in 2022 under The Azoff Company banner, according to Billboard. Standing at 6'5", Ruel is something of a giant himself.

At Giant Music, the singer and songwriter is said to be the first signing for Nate Albert, who joined the company as president in January.

“Ruel is truly a singular talent,” comments Albert, and we are thrilled to be part of his next chapter.” Ruel is managed by Nate Flagrant at Flagrant Artist Management.

The 21-year-old Sydneysider will strut hit stuff at Chicago’s Lollapalooza Festival on Aug. 1 and 2, then makes his way to New York and Los Angeles for headline shows at The Gramercy Theatre and Roxy Theatre, respectively.

The EP announcement follows the 2023 release of Ruel’s debut studio album, 4TH WALL, which opened at No. 3 on the ARIA Chart.

"When the idea floated around of an EP, I immediately made a playlist of hundreds of songs that were either underrated gems or my fav hits and then paired up with M-Phazes to bring them to life,” he explains in a statement. “I’m so happy with what we came up with and I’m hyped to see what you guys think."

M-Phazes worked the desk on Ruel’s official 2017 debut single “Golden Years,” which helped establish the youngster as a talent to watch.

At the age of 16, he became the youngest artist ever to win breakthrough artist (now the Michael Gudinski breakthrough artist) at the ARIA Awards, and he’s said to be the youngest artist to sell out Sydney Opera House, doing so twice. Global streams top 3 billion, according to reps.