It can be tough for Growing Up pop star Ruel to have the right words when a fan shares one of his songs saved their life.
The 20-year-old singer songwriter from Sydney’s northern beaches could never have imagined the profound meaning his fans would find in his music when he launched his career at 14.
“I meet fans at shows and they will tell me some very confronting things. When someone says a song that I’ve made has saved their life or something like that, it’s a really hectic thing,” he said.
“You want to say thank you, but that doesn’t feel right. And you can’t say ‘You’re welcome’ because that’s weird.
“So you listen and give them a hug and tell them that it’s OK and thank them for sharing.”
As a young pop superstar acutely aware of music’s power to help those suffering a mental health crisis, he has partnered with Lifeline to release a new song on World Suicide Prevention Day.
The Weight will only be available via The Release Line, a new fundraising platform to raise $1 million to assist the crisis support service continue their work as they mark their 60th birthday.
Ruel, who is currently on a world tour through South America and Europe, has a commanding platform to connect with his generation. His songs have close to one billion streams and he has a social media following in the millions.
“That music can speak to people like that is a really special thing. That’s kind of what makes it really worth it; you really feel like you’re actually doing good instead of just singing songs and moving your hips on stage like an idiot,” he said.
The Weight was written during the sessions for his debut album 4th Wall, released in March, but didn’t make the cut.
When Lifeline approached him to partner on The Release Line, he pulled the song out of his vault and rewrote it for the campaign, focusing on the message to “Take the weight off of your shoulders and put it on mine.”
“The song is purely a reminder it’s OK to vent or rant or break down to someone you feel safe with,” he said.
“The main way I’ve been taught to deal with mental health is to talk to someone, no matter how confronting that can be.
“I’m very lucky that I feel like I’ve been brought up in a household, and with a generation of my friends, who are very comfortable speaking about it and I’ve been educated to know that that’s okay, that it’s not a weak thing to do.”
Lifeline has answered more than 23 million calls since opening the phone line in March 1963 and its volunteers now respond to 4,000 phone and online contacts a day.
You can listen to The Weight for a donation as small as $2 from today on 1300 004 002, or via lifeline.org.au/releaseline
If you or someone you know needs help, you can speak to a Crisis Supporter on 13 11 14, text 0477 131 114 or chat to Lifeline online at www.lifeline.org.au at any time.
Originally published as Pop superstar Ruel partners with Lifeline to launch new single for World Suicide Prevention Day