Ruel — Terminal 5 in New York, NY — June 16, 2023

The 4th wall has been broken by the popular Australian singer-songwriter Ruel Vincent van Dijk, known as Ruel, as he made his way to Terminal 5 in New York, New York where he took on his biggest show he’s ever done in the US yet; with just a little over 3,000 people in attendance. The stage was set with beautiful floral and faux plants and a long-widescreen that played visuals from the opening to the end (these visuals were made by RuelVision; an artistic team consisting of Ruel’s day to day vision team and Ruel himself). Out comes the six foot-five heartthrob in full swing starting off the night with “GO ON WITHOUT ME’ the first song on his debut album 4TH WALL, the crowd is ecstatic; joyful tears and chants can be heard from above and below at this three story venue.

Going straight into the second song of the night “GROWING UP IS _____,” Ruel begins to dance and jump his way closer to the edge of the stage. Enticed fans began to jump along with him, singing, and smiles as wide as you can imagine filled Ruel up with much triumph. And the third song of the night (one of my personal favorites), was “YOU AGAINST YOURSELF” another single that made its way to the debut record; elevated everyone in the room and was a huge crowd pleaser. Ruel set the tone for the rest of the night with a powerful opening, it was magical, lively, and unforgettable. He aimed to please (and did exactly that), but he was also making his mark in the US as this world tour is allowing him to showcase not only his debut album but his skills and passion as a performer. At only 20 years old, Ruel is turning heads in numerous countries and this is only the beginning of a long-successful journey.

Words & Photography: Isaiah Pate