Ruby was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley and has been making music over
the past five years. Taking a dedicated plunge into pursuing a music career, the singer, songwriter, rapper, and producer has a passion for the art of music. Expressing himself through mainly R&B and Alternative R&B tracks we can occasionally hear Ruby get his thoughts out with the genre of Hip-hop.
The recent release of his debut album 'This Love Story,' contains enough soul to power an era. Through ten tracks that follow one another in the storylines they offer, we not only get to hear the divine artistry of Ruby’s music in English but also the Spanish roots that string back to his Latin culture.
Dipping into the tantalizing sounds of the opening number on the album, we get served up a piece of “That’s All She Wrote.” The minimalistic instrumentation pushes a sophisticated structure for Ruby to cascade his melodic hues over. Indulging listeners in a vulnerable showcase rich in a narrative of straying from the apple of his eye due to personal reasons, he reiterates the importance of venturing off on his own for the sake of both of them. Commencing the album with such a passion-forward essence has us anticipating what’s next to come in this sequence of harmonious events.
Bringing forth the warm invitation of opulent guitar chords fervently performing, the buoyant spirit of “The Love We Will Find,” has us hanging on to every word performed by Ruby. The sparse drum patterns in this piece allow for the emphasis to solely hone in on Ruby’s emotive reflections as he reminisces on meeting someone special at a house party but the stars just aren't aligning in their favor. There is an inviting aura to his vocal presence that has us accepting his offer to share the soothing moments radiated in his tone that acts as a therapeutic framework.
“Stuck in Summer,” coats us in rays of the feel-good summertime vibrations that come from an effervescent showcase of flings, good times, and the memories created when the warmer weather touches down. Ruby’s buttery cadences glide with the musical elements in a way that has us floating up to cloud nine as we take in the mid-tempo bop. The manner in which his luxurious timbres present in a way that enhances the tempo have us completely absorbed in the utter positivity springing from “Stuck in Summer.” With a lyrical motif such as "Can we live life like we're stuck in the summer? We can ride all night until the dusk to dawn," how could you not want to bask in the heated verses flowing.
As we take the vibes down a notch and get latched into the delicately flowing love ballad of “Will You Be Mine,?” we admire the full-on love letter that Ruby professes to the one who has caught his attention. Lyrically, the striking words just lather over the instrumentation in a romantic communication of soul-infused croons that captivate our emotions in an overflow of adoration. Seeping into our soundwaves with the intention of putting us under his spellbinding trance, we submit ourselves to the picturesque vivacity that sends waves of dopamine to our very being.
“False Hope,” tiptoes into the new wave of Hip-hop meets Contemporary R&B. The bass-heavy components create a colossal resilience that lays into the elusive subjects of betrayal in the starry-eyed dimensions of affection. Ruby addresses the beat in a blatant fashion that embodies a melodic panache of modern adroitness. We proudly deem this track the stand-out moment as Ruby provides listeners with the traits that they know and love all while emphasizing his alternative talents in the genre of Hip-hop. Serving up his virtuoso on a silver platter, the miscellany of techniques flowing from 'This Love Story,' has us on the hook.
Paying homage to his Latin roots, “Necesito Olvidarte,” erupts with Spanish guitar riffs paving the way for a soothing vocal presentation bared by Ruby. Illuminating with a thought-provoking spirit that transports listeners to the depths of love and its sweet and sour moments, the euphonious bliss has us unraveling emotive tenors robust with tenderness. Entrancing us in a medley of our inner thinking intensified, we’ll happily put this record on repeat as it strikes up numerous sentiments that are waiting to be discovered.
Enlisting the talents of Ruggo on the seventh single showcased on the album, “Tell Me Why,” flexes an array of rhyme schemes while encapsulating the R&B meets the Hip-hop quintessence of Ruby once again. We must admit that we love the fusion of these two worlds colliding; especially when Ruby features it so well. Swimming in a sea of charisma that both of these artists effortlessly produce, the way that they feed off of one another’s energy fashions a colossal impact on the song's structure. With a mesmerizing hook that sways in with "you and I know this is more than a friendship. I can see how you feeling I can sense it," we’re lost in this timeless piece of mind-altering hues.
“The Ride,” pumps liveliness into our state of mind as the comforting atmosphere of intimacy has us immersed in infectious grooves. Ruby switches the tempo through his vocal performance as he picks up the pace, just to slow it back down in what we call a sonic tease. Fitting of the nature of the song, he plays upon his unapologetic persona in a way that has us serenaded at each note he emits. Saturated with an effervescent jolt offered up by the spacious percussion, it’s hard not to fall into each winding turn of this anthem.
Delicate with the smooth vocalization that overflows from Ruby, “The Girl of My Dreams,” possesses an arrangement of exquisite lyrics that in fact hype up the girl of his dreams. Painting a vivid illustration that dips into the canvas of our minds, we’re navigated towards the enthralling resonance that surges from the deluxe vocal harmonies striking in unanimity as the compulsive hook repeats seamlessly in our head. Gushing with the fascinating core of the musical elements, our senses elevate to a newfound height that has Ruby under an illuminating spotlight.
Coming to the piano forward, the final piece of 'This Love Story,' Ruby slows the tempo right down to represent poetic words in “She My Light.” The irrefutable timbres dance under glimmers of authenticity that vigorously sweep us into the melismatic flexibility that Ruby knows how to portray in a certified manner. Rebelling against the genre boxes most would check him into, Ruby’s expansive ambiances have him standing in a unique lane of his own as he shares the cherished view to his emotion-filled looking glass. 'This Love Story,' has us ready for whatever Ruby swings our way next.
Hello Ruby, welcome to BuzzMusic, and congratulations on the release of 'This Love Story.' The album tells such a winding story through the various avenues of love and we admire the narratives shared! What inspired the concept behind this album?
First, I would like to say thank you so much for having me and taking the time to review this album. Honestly, "This Love Story" came together on its own. I actually never intended on making an album until later on in my career because I just wanted to stay focused on dropping singles and quality content. But one night in November 2020, I was up around 3 am just listening back on all of the songs I recorded throughout the year; at this moment, I realized that a handful of these songs created a story. My music is a reflection of my life and emotions, so basically my songbook is my journal, and that is exactly what this album is. It is a journal of the love story that I was living.
With Ruggo being the only feature heard on this album, what was it like working with one another to create “Tell Me Why?"
Since this album was pretty specific and personal, I wasn't really open to trusting in anyone to deliver it the way I imagined. However, Ruggo is somebody who I know has a passion for the realness of music and that's why I trusted him. I also feel that every time he and I collaborate we make something special and he's truly a great dude to learn from and work with. Shoutout to Ruggo and to all the local artists in the San Fernando Valley. The world is going to know us all soon.
You mentioned that although you’re a producer, you’ve never produced any of your own bodies of work. What’s the reasoning behind this? Can we expect to hear something that is a full Ruby composition any time soon?
I actually produced two out of the ten songs on the album: "That's All She Wrote" and "Girl of My Dreams". What I meant to say, is that from now on my goal is to fully compose all of my records, not just some of them. I've been in the lab lately working on my craft and already have a stack of records produced by myself almost ready to go. However, I am always down to collaborate and work with other producers, especially from the valley.
Is there a track on 'This Love Story,' that speaks to you more than the other songs featured on this project?
I would say that the songs that speak to me the most are "Will You Be Mine?" or "Girl of My Dreams". Every song on this project means the world to me but these two just hit a little differently. "Will You Be Mine?" has been in the making for almost 2 years. It's always been one of my favorites but the timing was never right and I always felt I could make it a little better. And "Girl of My Dreams" is important to me because it was the first record on the album that I produced, it feels like a genuine representation of my work.
What are you hoping your audience takes away from this project's meaning?
Honestly, I just hope that my music can impact someone in any way. Whether one of the songs makes someone happy, sad, grateful, or even angry because this album is an emotional rollercoaster. I believe that it's like that because it is real and genuine. This album shows all of the emotions that we may feel when we find ourselves falling in love, even the ones that may scare us. This is why I find making music so beautiful. The fact that we as artists can share our vulnerabilities and emotions into the world, knowing the someone out there is probably feeling the same thing.