Ruel is continuing the DIY exploration into who he is as an artist with the exciting next chapter in his journey which is powered by his third EP ‘Bright Lights, Red Eyes’. Coinciding with the announcement that the EP will be released on October 23, he has also dropped the enticing lead single, ‘As Long As You Care’.
This time capsule of a song captures the intensity that drove his 2019 with the amount of touring and travelling he was doing. Dedicated to the loved ones in his life, and the various types of relationships and friendships he was trying to sustain, he comments on how important their love is to him and how they’re the ones who kept him charged and pushing on during the moments he felt lost and uninspired.
“I’m sorry if I’m low on confidence, I left at midnight. I’m sorry, but my brain is fried. I haven’t seen your face in miles and miles. Always on a different continent, don’t forget me now” he sings during the first verse.
While this may not be a current depiction of his life with touring and travelling on hold because of the global COVID-19 pandemic, it’s a strong insight to what last year looked and felt like for him. It’s a situation that you’re probably never going to fully understand until you’re in it yourself, but he does manage to capture the essence of the emotions through his delivery quite beautifully.
Keeping his low-key sonical vision in tact, ‘As Long As You Care’ doesn’t over complicate anything. It just allows his smooth vocals to take centre stage with his reflective emotions pouring through the lyrics. This is yet again another strong moment for Ruel that captures his continuous evolution and growth as an artist, which is expected to unravel even further with this forthcoming EP.