Ruel carried himself like a seasoned headliner at New York’s Terminal 5 for his “Kicking My Feet” Tour, delivering a captivating show in support of his sophomore album.
The 23-year-old Aussie opened with the punchy “Only Ever,” striding onstage in a blazer and leather pants through a glowing on-stage door. He immediately lured the crowd into a sing-along with an ease that came from nearly a decade in the spotlight.
From the jump, his vocal control and stage presence was undeniable. Ruel glided through vocal runs, seamlessly hit falsettos, and moved smoothly between guitar and piano. The set mirrored the sonic range of his latest record, transitioning between love ballads and pop/indie-rock infused hits.
Early highlights like “Not What’s Going On” and “Wild Guess” kept the energy buoyant. The mega-hit from 2018 “Dazed & Confused” drew one of the night’s first full-crowd singalongs. He also performed “Destroyer,” his favorite track from the new album, on electric guitar before the tone softened for one of the evening’s most intimate stretches.
Seated alone at the piano, Ruel delivered “No News is Good News,” a tender reflection about his mother, followed by a slowed-down version of “Even Angels Won’t.”
Momentum surged back with joyful love songs like “The Suburbs,” “Free Time,” and “Want U Around,” leading into a playful surprise during “I Can Die Now,” when opener Arthur Hill burst from the stage door to join Ruel. The dynamic pair returned for an acoustic “Cats On The Ceiling,” performed at the edge of the stage as a special treat that felt unscripted.
Before the final stretch of the show, Ruel took a reflective pause. He recalled playing his first New York show at Baby’s All Right at age 15, thanking fans who had grown alongside him. It was a brief but grounding moment that underscored how long he had been building toward rooms this size.
The closing run—“YOU AGAINST YOURSELF,” “GROWING UP IS ___,” and unreleased track “Don’t Say That”—kept the crowd fully engaged before he launched into “Painkiller,” the breakout hit that the entire venue roared to, recognizing immediately with the first few notes of the instrumental introduction.
For the encore, Ruel returned loose and sincere, yet playful. He weaved a snippet of the iconic “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” into his set while performing “JAPANESE WHISKEY,” finally followed by the ballad title track “Kicking My Feet.”
The New York concert proved Ruel has grown into a confident, sincere artist since he was launched into the spotlight at a young age, evolving in real time alongside his fans. He’ll be kicking his feet around the world on his second global headlining tour though April 8.
Latest posts by Katherine Hui (see all)