Sleek, chic, and honest – a voice in a million describes Ruth B., who captured the world’s attention with “Lost Boy”,and is now back with her latest single, “Dirty Nikes”. Available on Downtown Records/The Orchard on August 28, this intimate, alluring track also signals a captivating shift in her musical style.
Fueled by chilled beats, smoldering soulful rhythms, and Ruth’s quietly compelling vocals, “Dirty Nikes” explores the emotional act of letting go of an ex-love – even the minuscule reminders like dirty Nike shoes. The accompanying video evocatively portrays the shadowy, sometimes unpredictable, moods involved with leaving an old love behind.
Ruth says she selected “Dirty Nikes” to be her next single because “it does the best job at capturing my evolvement and how I’ve grown.” Her sound now leans more into R&B and soul – styles of music that Ruth has long loved. Her new music showcases the 25-year-old Canadian/Ethiopian singer-songwriter as an accomplished pianist and a uniquely gifted storyteller who writes all of her own songs. Influencing Ruth’s musical growth was her recent trip to New York a year ago. “New York is such an inspiring place,” she explains, “being there has definitely shot its way into my art.”
Earlier this summer, Ruth released “If I Have A Son”, a Black Lives Matter-inspired song she describes as “an honest reflection of how I have been feeling.” All proceeds from the release went to multiple BLM organizations. No stranger to social and cultural involvement, Ruth (born Ruth Berhe) has also participated in Ethiopian and Eritrean Student organization events for the past several years.
Ruth began this journey with the delicate, emotionally resonant “Lost Boy”, which went viral over Vine, racking up over 700 million streams to date. Since that global success, Ruth has racked up over 1.5 billion total streams. Her debut EP “The Intro” was certified Gold, and her first LP “Safe Haven”garnered over 500,000 album streams and racked of critical accolades (like a Juno award for Breakthrough Artist of the Year) and attracted a passionate global fan base. Additionally, Ruth’s YouTube channel has received a total of 260 million views.
