We were giggling and Kicking Our Feet at Ruel’s final show at The Hollywood Palladium

After two months on the road, Ruel brought the Kicking My Feet Tour to an ecstatic end on a warm night in LA, taking over the iconic Hollywood Palladium on April 8^th. It was the perfect ending for a tour that has taken our favorite Australian pop star across continents, from North to South America, including some stops at Lollapalooza Chile, Lollapalooza Argentina and Lollapalooza Brasil. 

Since we last saw him at the Roxy back in August 2024, Ruel has continued to evolve in his artistry. His sophomore album Kicking My Feet released in October, showcases a dynamic range of sounds, with 11 tracks, and each one of them with their own personality. It’s an album built for the stage.

Opening with an electric performance of “Only Ever”, it was the perfect way to immediately set the tone for the night. He seamlessly blended new songs with some old fan favorites like “Dazed & Confused” and “Younger”creating a set list both nostalgic and forward-looking. 

A standout moment was when Ruel welcomed his tour openers on stage. Chelsea Jordan and Mercer Henderson delivered a stripped back version of “Suburbs”. While Arthur Hill injected a burst of energy with “Cats on the Ceiling”. It was one of these moments that adds a sense of community and spontaneity to the night. 

Ruel has a very special talented of taping into raw emotions, it’s like a superpower. The atmosphere shifted when he paid tribute to his mom, with an angelic performance of “No News Is Good News” on acoustic guitar and “Even Angels Won’t” on the piano.

Longtime fans were also treated with a sense of nostalgia, with “Free Time” and “Want you Around” transporting the audience back to Ruel’s earlier era. Yet even in these throwback little moments, his growth as a performer was very evident. 

During the tour, Ruel released a new single called “Don’t Say That”, a track that evolved from an album outro into a fully realized song with contributions from Joel Little, Sean Douglas and producer M-Phazes, and the song turned out to be one of his favorites he has ever written. He also has been teasing what’s next: Kicking My Feet & Screaming, an expanded version of his sophomore album featuring 10 brand new tracks. The live performance of the unreleased single “Hate Myself” only heightened the anticipation for the album release on June 12^th.  

Beyond the music, it was the personal touches that made the night unforgettable. From a little Spanish intro to “Wild Guess”, to playful onstage theatrics involving a prop door for outfit and instrument changes, Ruel balanced with brilliance and authenticity. One particularly moment came when he rejected a prop bag of ice with a blunt, politically pointed remark, saying “F*ck ICE”, drawing a very loud support from the Los Angeles crowd. And I have to say, Ruel’s mom didn’t make him a Latina, but he is one at heart! 

As the night ended, Ruel elevated the emotional intensity even further. A reimagined version of “Painkiller” showcased his vocal versatility, while the encore delivered a soft landing with “Japanese Whisky”, an acoustic cover of “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”, and finally, “Kicking My Feet” as a celebratory send-off. 

For those 90 minutes, the Hollywood Palladium felt like it stopped in time. At every corner in that room, everyone was dancing, singing along, and completely immersed in the moment. And Ruel matched that energy so incredibly. 

Ruel left the stage closing the prop door as if closing another beautiful chapter in his career. We will miss him and this tour, but we will also be counting down the days until June 12^th and will be waiting until we meet again on a future tour, on a future chapter.

Words and Photos by Sthefany N.