New Music & Video Release - Ruel releases breakup anthem 'Don't Say That' - 20th March 2026
Photo credit - Maria Alvarez
Artist Name - Ruel
Release Name - Don't Say That
Release Date - 20th March 2026
Genre - Pop Music, R&B, Soul Music
Label - Giant Music
Today, Australian singer-songwriter phenom Ruel returns with his long-awaited new track ‘Don’t Say That’ available now via Giant Music – Listen HERE
‘Don’t Say That’ offers a strong first glimpse of what listeners can expect from the forthcoming 10-track album Kicking & Screaming, blending the emotional weight of a Freddie Mercury penned ballad with the energy of an upbeat Gracie Abrams pre-summer pop anthem. Listeners have been counting down for this song’s arrival since it was teased as “dst (outro)”, the closing track of Ruel’s sophomore album KICKING MY FEET. Fans around the world have been demanding its release with overwhelming pressure mounting online, as the Aussie star has been teasing the song across social media for months.
Following the success of his sophomore album KICKING MY FEET, released last October, KICKING & SCREAMINGarrives with 10 entirely new songs to further expand on Ruel’s Kicking My Feet era. Featuring an all-star cast of collaborators including Julian Bunetta (Sabrina Carpenter, One Direction, Teddy Swims), John Ryan (Olivia Dean, Harry Styles, Shawn Mendes), Kenny Beats (Dominic Fike, Vince Staples, Remi Wolf), M-Phazes (Demi Lovato, Eminem, Noah Cyrus), Dan Wilson (Taylor Swift, Niall Horan, Adele) & Leroy Clampit (Lily Allen, Justin Bieber, Finneas). This 10-track addition is reflective, melodic and sonically resonant all-in-one – pre-order the album [HERE]
Co-written by industry heavyweights Joel Little (Taylor Swift, Lorde, Gracie Abrams) and Sean Douglas, (Selena Gomez, 5 Seconds of Summer, Lewis Capaldi), ‘Don’t Say That’ captures the painful truth of watching a partner drift away while realizing the relationship might be falling apart. That vulnerability sits just beneath the surface of its catchy melody and upbeat tempo, giving the song more emotional depth than you might expect on first listen. One of the standout moments comes in the bridge, where the instrumentation is stripped back and Ruel’s vocals are brought to the forefront. He lays it all out when he sings “Maybe it’s time to accept that it’s over / It’s best that you go / it’s been so nice to know you,” before pulling himself back and admitting he doesn’t want to accept that the relationship might actually be coming to an end.
Ruel has an unexpected take on the track: At the start of writing DST, I felt like it wasn’t right/ready for Kicking my Feet…but as Joel (Little), Sean (Douglas) and I continued to revisit and develop it, my brain completely switched sides and now, honestly, it’s one of my favourite songs that I’ve written. Of course, M-Phazes stepped in to add the extra bite it needed. Where we ended up with the song felt like it was the perfect way to set up the new chapter. And now here we are...releasing it as the first track off the new album!
Directed by Jackie! Zhou (Chappell Roan’s HOT TO GO! & Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl) the ‘Don’t Say That’ official music video follows Ruel in a non-descript yet customised subway station, mixing in subtle, perfectly selected moments of choreography with a cinematic aesthetic. While Ruel is visibly stuck in his emotions, Ruel’s fellow train commuters are just going about their ordinary day, occasionally joining Ruel in carefully orchestrated manoeuvres and static poses. During the bridge, Ruel ends up isolated with several bystanders surrounding him with lighters while he belts heartbreaking lyrics on his own. It’s a powerful moment and a delicate nod to the idea that life will continue to go on, despite the sorrowful feelings of parting ways with someone you love.
Ruel is currently touring South America on the Lollapalooza festival circuit in Chile, Argentina, and Brazil, and the Estero Picnic Festival in Colombia. Once finished in LATAM he will then move into the second leg of his North American Kicking My Feet Tour. Supported by emerging soul-pop singer Chelsea Jordan and rising San-Francisco native Mercer Henderson, this second part of the KMF tour will bring him to cities including Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, and more, before wrapping with a final stop on April 8th at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. See the remaining tour routing below.
RUEL 2026 TOUR DATES
# with Chelsea Jordan and Mercer Henderson
Wed Mar 25th – Denver, CO – Cervantes’ Masterpiece #
Fri Mar 27th – Salt Lake City, UT – The Union Event Center #
Sun Mar 29th – Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo #
Mon Mar 30th – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom #
Thurs Apr 2nd – Vancouver, BC – Vogue Theatre #
Sun Apr 5th – San Francisco, CA – The Warfield #
Tue Apr 7th – Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre #
Wed Apr 8th – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium #