BREAK DOWN THE 4TH WALL

The album that healed my heartbreak - 4TH WALL by Ruel

There are many remedies for curing a broken heart after a breakup. Spending time with family, going out with your friends, going on a run, hitting the gym, anything to help heal the ache. But in my opinion, one of the best ways to overcome a breakup is listening to music. 

Music has a unique way of soothing the soul during heartbreak, acting as both a comforting companion and an emotional release. In the midst of a breakup, songs often become an outlet for feelings too complex to articulate, providing solace through shared experiences and lyrical empathy between the listener and the artist. For some, a prescribed listening to Taylor Swift’s entire discography is the cure. A good cry to “All Too Well (10-minute version)” can do the trick. Or you could be really going through it and bawl your eyes out to The Cure or Radiohead for hours on end. But for me, my heartbreak album was released a month after a breakup I went through last year. It was almost as if it was made for me and the universe sent it to me as a sign. 

As a young freshman in college going through my second breakup ever, I was an absolute mess. The relationship started at the beginning of my senior year in high school and lasted for about a year and a half, a big difference compared to my first relationship which only lasted 6 months during my sophomore year. Things seemed good during the relationship until it came to an unexpected end just two days before Valentine’s Day…brutal. As if the timing couldn’t be any worse, we broke up on Super Bowl Sunday right before Rhianna’s halftime show performance…tragic. I remember pulling up to my friend’s house after the breakup to watch the halftime show with tears in my eyes, a Klondike bar in my hand, and a broken heart. 

I thought I was never going to get over this one. The weeks that followed were full of tears, spending lots of time with friends, ice cream, hugs, and many rom-com movies. Then one day, I was shuffling a playlist that was made for me by Spotify as a part of their cool AI feature that makes playlists specifically for you (Spotify if you’re reading this, I’ll send you my resume). One of the songs on the playlist was titled “SITTING IN TRAFFIC,” a song off of an album I hadn’t heard before, but would soon praise.

The album is titled 4TH WALL by the young, Australian R&B-pop artist Ruel (pronounced “rule”). I first discovered his music during high school and was captivated by his soulful sound and heartfelt lyrics. However, after his hiatus during the Covid-19 pandemic, I had almost forgotten about him. 4TH WALL marks his powerful return to the music scene, showcasing not only his growth as an artist but also a more mature, refined sound. His voice carries a true depth of emotion that goes into every note, making each song resonate with raw vulnerability. Ruel’s ability to blend pop with touches of soul and R&B creates a soundscape that feels both fresh and familiar, drawing listeners into his world. This album quite literally shows Ruel breaking the fourth wall, allowing his audience into his mind and baring his most inner and vulnerable thoughts. 

The song “SITTING IN TRAFFIC” immediately became one of my favorites off of the album. The song explores the blur of new love, and the haze that conceals any doubts or anxieties about the future. In the song, Ruel is pleading to his partner to not harbour feelings of hatred should their relationship ever come to an end, with lyrics like, “We were just laughing, sitting in traffic // Said we’d never let bad things happen to us,” and “All of the memories will turn to resentment // And where will I be when you forget the past?” Those lyrics still trigger a light ache in my heart each time I hear them with the swelling violin melodies in the background. 

Intrigued and blown away, I decided to listen to the entire album in one sitting so that I could let my emotions soak up this new music. Eventually after immersing myself in each note and lyric of the album, I found myself relating so deeply to an unraveling story I never knew I needed to hear. 

Another song on the album titled “SOMEONE ELSE’S PROBLEM” details about Ruel leaving behind a toxic relationship and feeling resolute in his regret-free decision. The lyrics “It’s scary letting go // It’s hard to be alone // But I know I’ll find a way to cope” evoked a sense of vulnerability within me. As I was confronted with the reality of losing someone I once leaned on, I found a glimmer of hope embedded in the lyrics, offering reassurance that while the pain is overwhelming now, the strength to move forward and heal will eventually come. 

I think it’s important to note that a majority of the songs that are set in the middle of the album are slow-paced ballads with subtle 90’s influences built upon layers of strumming guitars, electric soundscapes, and emotional piano melodies. While these songs are great to listen to when you want to cry your broken heart out, the album also switches to more fast-paced and peppy pop songs that are perfect for when you need to wipe your tears and get yourself back out there feeling confident!

The songs “GO ON WITHOUT ME” and “I DON’T WANNA BE LIKE YOU” are two of my favorite peppy bops off the album. The songs are upbeat with engaging soundscapes that are juxtaposed by an introspective lyricism that reflects on Ruel’s behavior following the collapse of a relationship while also providing a bubbling confidence to the tracks. 

In “GO ON WITHOUT ME,” the lyrics “You need someone else // Someone you can rely on,” and “You need something else // A shoulder that you can cry on,” spoke to me personally as if he was telling me that I deserved better in order to help me build my confidence back. 

“GROWING UP IS ___” is another song that I resonated with, as it finds Ruel questioning his purpose, something I was pondering myself when it came to the end of the relationship. What was my purpose in the end? It also had me reflecting on my journey of growing up, and how this lesson of overcoming heartbreak is something I had to go through in order to grow as an individual. 

The album ends with “MUST BE NICE” and “END SCENE,” the two saddest songs on the album. Ruel verbalizes the lingering emotions of a breakup and the feelings of being unable to move on whilst your former partner has a new life. The lyrics, “Oh, tell me, how the hell are you alright? // It’s not alright // You make it look so easy // Tell me what it’s like // To sleep well every night // Not fake it when you smile // To move on with your life,” quite literally had me biting my fist while I was on the bus going through campus one day. A beautifully written song reflecting on the past, with melodies of somber piano notes filling the background, closing the chapter for good.

As I look back to how far I’ve come from what I thought was my lowest point, I realize that even though breakups can be painful, some things break your heart but fix your vision. You never walk out of a breakup empty-handed. For me, I walked away with a new album. 

This album is a whirlwind of emotions. I have dissected, repeated, and absorbed this entire album to the core, still feeling those nostalgic memories of my friends pulling my headphones off my head and dragging me outside to touch grass after weeks of moping. I’m not one that gatekeeps music, so if you or someone you know is going through a rough breakup, I prescribe 4TH WALL. You can thank me and Ruel later.

<—— Me with my girls Molly and Ellie,

my Klondike bar, and Rhianna :)