Not Just a Pretty Face: Ruel Kicks off "Ready Tour" in Manila

Gelo de Vera


2018 Breakthrough artist Ruel from Australia played for an intimate and chill show for his fans in Manila last night at the Teatrino in Greenhills, San Juan. 
The said show is part of the British-born singer's "Ready" tour, which kicked off in the country. Prior to the performance, Ruel visited RX93.1 and MYXPH to promote his show during his stay in Manila.


                The show was opened by local acts Syd Hartha, who performed cover songs and an original, plus The Voice Kids alumna Heart Salvador, who also performed a couple of cover songs which prepared the audience for a night of singing and dancing.




                Fans welcomed Ruel with a loud "We love Ruel!" chant which got the singer excited and performed the opening tracks "Golden Years", "Ultralight", and hit song "Dazed & Confused".


                Aside from hyping the crowd with his performances, the entire experience was elevated with Ruel's superior boy-crush looks. He also performed "Not Thinking About You", "Weathered", "Say", a cover of "Call Out My Name", and an unreleased song titled "Real Thing" wherein he also said it's his first time to be performing the said track- the crowd responded by loud cheers in excitement.




                The last part of the show included performances of "Unsaid", wherein the singer opened up about anxiety and depression. For us, the highlight of the show definitely is this part as societal issues are important to address especially if an artist is given the platform to be heard, Ruel maximized his just the right way. He proceeded to "Who Did That To You", "Painkiller", "Bellyache", and "Don't Tell Me". As the fans cheered "We want more!", the singer ended his "Ready" show with his hit "Younger".






As typical music junkies would say, Ruel is a mixture of the sounds of Greyson Chance and Shawn Mendes. Upon seeing him live, he definitely proved he can stand out as his own name. He is not just another rising artist with a pretty face as his voice will definitely melt listeners' hearts. During the meet and greet, he took time to meet fans while taking pictures and allowing autographs. What truly got us to feel connected to the singer is how open he is with talking about mental issues-  not all artists get to be as open to their fans like Ruel. With this, he definitely proved how "Ready" he is for the industry as he embarks on his world tour and his rising career.

Photo credit: Jovelyn Bajo-Calingo