New Music & Video Release - Ruel shares new single from forthcoming album - 24th April 2026
Photo Credit - María Alvarez
Artist Name - Ruel
Release Name - Hate Myself
Release Date - 24th April 2026
Genre - Pop Music, R&B, Soul Music
Label - Recess Records/Virgin Music Group
Fresh from a surprise pop-up performance at Sydney's HUM Music on Record Store Day, Ruel today releases single ‘Hate Myself’, with the accompanying music video dropping later today - the second track from KICKING MY FEET & SCREAMING, the highly anticipated second part of his sophomore double-album, out Friday June 12 via Recess Records / Virgin Music.
Produced by Kenny Beats (Ed Sheeran, Dominic Fike, Jorja Smith) and co-written by Ruel, Kenneth Blume and Jackson Morgan, ‘Hate Myself’ marks a bold left turn from his last few singles. Significantly more raw and grittier than anything in his catalogue, the track rides a relentless kick drum and a deep, synthesised electric guitar that sits somewhere between alt-rock and dystopian pop - while Ruel's signature vocals and melodic instincts keep it unmistakably his.
The lyrics pull no punches - it's the sound of someone completely unravelling over a relationship that was never worth the wreckage, told with the kind of brutal self-awareness that only stings more because it's covered in self-deprecating humour.
Ruel shares: “I wrote this one on the day I met Kenny and Jackson, and when you meet someone for the first time, you sort of try to focus on getting to know one another. After 5-6 hours in the studio, we had basically nothing but then Kenny threw a bit of a Hail Mary, the three of us mixed ideas around, and next thing we knew, we had the whole song in about 30 mins. Since then, every session I’ve had with Kenny has flowed so well and the two of us wrote a good chunk of the album Part 2 together!”
‘Hate Myself’ follows previously released single ‘Don’t Say That’ (the painful truth of sensing a relationship end before it's over), which hit the ground running - surpassing 1 million global streams in its first week, landing cover spots on Spotify's Chill Pop and Pop N Fresh, and picking up support from The Edge and ZM, Triple J (with a premiere), BBC Radio 1, Apple Music's Breaking Pop and praise across NME, Clash, Dork, Wonderland and more. ‘Don’t Say That’ is currently #14 on the Radioscope Top 100 chart in New Zealand.
Across 10 tracks, KICKING MY FEET & SCREAMING takes the melodic warmth of Part One and drags it somewhere starker. The story continues - love, loss, and the specific misery of not being able to let go, but this time the emotional register swings wider, from the tender to the visceral, often within the same song. Featuring collaborators who've worked with the likes of Taylor Swift, Adele, Harry Styles, Sabrina Carpenter and Eminem, it's Ruel at his most zealous.
This arrives on the back of a landmark run: Lollapalooza slots across Chile, Argentina and Brazil (where Ruel surprised thousands of fans mid-set with the announcement of KICKING MY FEET & SCREAMING); an epic two-month North America headline tour; a headline show at Sydney Opera House Forecourt; and a First Prize win at the 2025 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition for ‘The Suburbs’ (from album part one - KICKING MY FEET).
Across the pond, Ruel will bring his latest record to the UK and Europe this October, embarking on a headline tour across Dublin, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam and more - with support from singer-songwriter Sadie Jean.
Since debuting in 2017 at just 14, Ruel has amassed over 3 billion global streams, headlined multiple sold-out world tours, and collected platinum and gold singles alongside RIAA, ARIA and MTV awards. KICKING MY FEET & SCREAMING arrives Friday June 12, the second half of his sophomore album era.
We promise you'll love yourself for listening. ‘Hate Myself’ is out now!