RUE [@beingRUE]: a true artist with an eye for visuals

An artist that has talent in abundance and needs some more spotlight is RUE.

RUE is special. She is actually not a newcomer to the scene, she’s been making music since 2016. But it wasn’t until late 2018 that she started to up the ante, and showed that beyond great music she has vision. Many artists are good at the music side, some of those do a relatively good job on helping with their visuals but most defer visuals and direction to the their team or the director/videographer. Then there are those that have the gift to package great music together and take creative control on the visuals as well – RUE is one of those.

RUE‘s music sits between R&B and poetry, she either blends the two styles or leans all the way into one style on her tracks – typically more the R&B side. Her voice has real range and can go from the softer tones she most commonly uses up to a more traditional R&B songstresses stronger feel. On top of this she definitely knows how to write extremely well. Her songs are sonically appealing before the lyrics connect, but the fact that they do and her songs aren’t empty showcases of her voice are what take her up a level.

Her ability to write extends beyond just the music though. She applies her clearly gifted pen to her video treatments and has come up with a novel approach to videos. Rather than just releasing videos for her singles she writes short films that she then pairs with a few tracks. Or in the case of IVY’S KID she paired a short film in with a whole EP. This approach automatically stands out, but beyond showing that she’s got a keen eye and ability to write it shows she has vision that goes well beyond what’s typically expected.

Think about it, how many artists have released short films to coincide with their music? Kanye West, Giggs, Nines and beyond that I’d really have to think about it. But even with those examples those are short films that are 20 minutes plus with a strong emphasis on acting and telling separate narratives with the exception of Kanye. Take a look at those names again. Those names all have big budgets, existing fanbases, and experience in making shorter pieces. RUE doesn’t have that same level of budget or experience under her belt but she has made the format work for her.

She doesn’t go as far as to produce 20 minute plus films, her shorts are more concise. They do away with a lot of the acting and focus more on aesthetics and movement to tell a story, and the story being told usually ties into the music she’s pairing it with. RUE is an artist’s artist.

Hopefully, we will see more from RUE and she will get the attention she deserves. In the meantime, you can stream her debut EP IVY’S KID and her other tracks here.