say it over (feat. Cautious Clay)

"say it over" follows "as long as you are," and similarly arrives as yet another breathtaking moment for the enviable tour de force. Joined by Cautious Clay, "say it over" moves with a gentle serenity all its own. Ruel's neo-soul musings on a relationship on its last legs hang just above the gorgeous minimalistic soundscape. The effect is an exquisite marriage of neo-soul and pop, of reflection and moving on. In addition to being a spellbinding track, "say it over" is the latest taste of Ruel's EP "Bright Lights, Red Eyes". Read more on Last.fm.

The laid-back, soulful ease with which Ruel sings his catchy pop tunes could only be delivered by a true natural. But the British-Australian songwriter—born Ruel Vincent van Dijk in 2002—has also been working at it for a sizable chunk of his life. Ruel was on the precipice of his teenage years when his dad sent a demo of him doing a James Bay tune to producer M-Phazes (Demi Lovato, Eminem) in 2015, kickstarting his run as one of 21st-century pop’s foremost purveyors of feels. His debut EP, 2018’s Ready, proved that he was exactly that—before even becoming a legal adult, Ruel built a record packed with well-crafted, R&B-inflected, chart-ready songs. The breezy rhythm of “Dazed & Confused” is juxtaposed with the heartbreak that staccato strings set front and centre for the throbbing chorus; and “Younger”, with its sugary vocal hooks, bouncy piano and gospel singers, softens the blow of a story about friends growing apart over time. In 2020, his music continued to mature with Bright Lights, Red Eyes. Using a stream-of-consciousness writing style, Ruel’s bedroom-pop vulnerability shines through on songs like the rousing “courage”, creating a tenderness and intimacy that’s impressive for an artist of any age. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.