Ruth B. Explained

Ruth B.
Background:solo_singer
Birth Name:Ruth Berhe
Birth Date:2 July 1995
Birth Place:Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Genre:Alternative R&B, alternative pop[1]
Years Active:2013–present
Label:Columbia, REB Music Productions/Downtown Records

Ruth Berhe (born July 2, 1995),[2] better known by her stage name Ruth B., is a Canadian singer and songwriter from Edmonton, Alberta. She started by singing songs on Vine in early 2013. In November 2015, she released her debut extended play The Intro. On May 5, 2017, she released her debut album Safe Haven. It has gathered over 2.5 billion overall streams globally as of June 2024. Her double-platinum single "Lost Boy" has accumulated over 850 million streams on Spotify, and her YouTube channel has received a total of 750 million views .

Her song "Dandelions" from Safe Haven became a sleeper hit in 2022, when it grew in popularity due to TikTok and charted internationally, including chart debuts in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, and Germany. It has accumulated over 1.4 billion streams on Spotify alone.

Early life and education

Berhe was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta.[3] Her parents emigrated from Ethiopia in the 1980s. Berhe speaks her parents' native language Amharic fluently.[4] She spent some of her teenage years working at a local Reitmans clothing store and described herself in an interview with The Canadian Press as an "introvert".[5] She said she was "never the big party chick."[6] While working part-time she started posting videos on Vine. She says she chose the six-second video service because it took less effort to upload short clips, compared to other popular services like YouTube.

Berhe graduated from Ross Sheppard High School in 2013. She attended MacEwan University, but took time off her studies to focus on music.

Career

Berhe posted her first Vine video in May 2013, and started making singing Vines about a year later. Her singing Vines, typically six second covers of popular songs, helped her grow a following. In November 2014, she posted a Vine of herself singing a line that she had made up, which was inspired by the television series Once Upon a Time. It garnered around 84,000 likes within a week, which was unusual for her at the time. She took note of its popularity, with some of her followers commenting that she should make it into a full song.[7] It became "Lost Boy", which she shared to YouTube on January 18, 2015. The song "Superficial Love" was featured on her debut EP The Intro later that year and on her 2017 debut album Safe Haven, which also included the song "Dandelions".

Berhe was nominated for the Juno Fan Choice Award and Songwriter of the Year, and won Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the 2017 Juno Awards.[8] In June, she honoured National Arts Centre Award winner Michael Bublé at the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards gala by performing his song "Home"[9] as well as Bryan Adams' "Heaven" during Adams' induction for the Lifetime Achievement Award at the SOCAN Awards.[10] In September, she performed Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" for his induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fame.[11]

At the 2018 Juno Awards, she was nominated for three awards including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Pop Album of the Year.[12] The CBC Kids television series Addison also debuted that year, with a theme song performed by Berhe. In May, her song "Shadows" appeared in the second season of the Netflix series Dear White People.

In 2019, she released an EP called Maybe I'll Find You Again, which includes the song "Slow Fade," which she co-wrote with the British alternative group Oh Wonder.[13] [14]

In the summer of 2020, she released the song "If I Have a Son" as a response to the George Floyd Murder in Minneapolis.[15] "Dirty Nikes" was the first single released from her sophomore album, Moments In Between. On December 3, she performed a virtual concert representing the MusicCares Foundation to raise money during the COVID-19 pandemic.[16]

In 2021, her second album Moments in Between was released.[17]

In August 2022, her song "Paper Airplanes" was featured as the leading original song for the Tyler Perry Netflix film, A Jazzman's Blues soundtrack.[18]

Discography

Studio albums

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsCertifications
CAN
[19]
Safe Haven 17
Moments in Between

EPs

TitleExtended play detailsPeak chart positionsCertifications
CAN
US
[22]
The Intro
  • Released: November 27, 2015
  • Label: Columbia
  • Formats: CD, digital download
20 52
  • MC: Gold
Maybe I'll Find You Again[23]
  • Released: March 22, 2019
  • Label: Columbia
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles

As lead artist

TitleYearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum
CAN
[24]
DEN
[25]
IRE
[26]
NLD
[27]
SWE
[28]
UK
[29]
US
[30]
"Lost Boy"201514 14 89 41 19 97 24 The Intro and Safe Haven
"Superficial Love"2017
  • MC: Gold
  • RIAA: Gold
"Rare"[36] 2018Maybe I'll Find You Again
"Slow Fade"2019
"Dirty Nikes"2020Moments in Between
"Situation"2021
"28"
(with Dean Lewis)[37]
2023

Promotional singles

TitleYearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum
CAN
AUS
[38]
IRE
MYS
[39]
NLD
SGP
[40]
SWI
[41]
UK
US
Bub.

[42]
WW
[43]
"In My Dreams"2016Safe Haven
"If This Is Love"2017
"Dandelions"58 53 80
[44]
10 100 9 90 42 9 51
  • BPI: Platinum
  • RIAA: 2× Platinum
"Crave"2018Maybe I'll Find You Again
"If I Have a Son"2020
"Die Fast"2021Moments in Between

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResult
2016Shorty AwardsBest Vine MusicianHerselfrowspan="5"
iHeartRadio Much Music Video AwardsFan Fave Vine Musician
Teen Choice AwardsNext Big Thing
BET AwardsBET FANdemonium Award
2017Juno AwardsJuno Fan Choice Award
Breakthrough Artist of the Year
Songwriter of the YearHerself —
•"Lost Boy"
•"Superficial Love"
•"2 Poor Kids"
Canadian Radio Music AwardsBest New Group or Solo Artist: Hot AC"Lost Boy"
Best New Group or Solo Artist: Mainstream AC
Best New Group or Solo Artist: CHR
Western Canadian Music AwardsPop Artist of the YearHerselfrowspan="4"
2018Juno AwardsArtist of the Year
Album of the YearSafe Haven
Pop Album of the Year
2023Black Reel AwardsOutstanding Original Song"Paper Airplanes"

Artistry

Berhe has listed Lauryn Hill, The Beatles, Carole King, Grouplove, Adele, Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran as some of her musical influences. She said that "the one thing all my favourite artists have in common is they are all storytellers. Something that I try to incorporate in my music", in an interview with Idolator.[45]

References

  1. Web site: Ruth B / Canadian-Ethiopian Singer-Songwriter Plans To Write & Produce Her Own Album. September 28, 2020. December 17, 2021. Flaunt Magazine. March 25, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230325181200/https://flaunt.com/content/ruth-b-canadian-ethiopian-singer-songwriter-plans-to-write-amp-produce-her-own-album/. dead.
  2. Web site: Edmonton singer Ruth B launches career in an instant. December 1, 2015. December 6, 2015. CBC News.
  3. Web site: Who is Edmonton's Ruth B? The latest online star to get a record deal. November 25, 2015. December 6, 2015. Edmonton Journal. Sperounes. Sandra.
  4. Inside Ruth B'sDebut. Kohn. Daniel. 2016-08-31. Rolling Stone. en-US. 2019-10-27.
  5. Web site: Edmonton singer Ruth B on life after Vine: 'I write full songs now, not just 6 seconds'. Friend. David. November 15, 2016. Global News. Global News/The Canadian Press. November 16, 2016.
  6. Web site: Edmonton singer Ruth B on life after Vine: 'I write full songs now, not just 6 seconds' - Edmonton | Globalnews.ca .
  7. Web site: Ruth B Talks Vine, The Intro & Getting Inspired By 'Once Upon A Time'. November 30, 2015. December 6, 2015. ANDPOP. Khan. Sarah. May 3, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160503144232/http://www.andpop.com/2015/11/30/ruth-b-talks-vine-the-intro-getting-inspired-by-once-upon-a-time/. dead.
  8. Web site: Edmonton's Ruth B wins Juno Award for Breakthrough Artist of the Year . . 15 December 2022 . April 3, 2017.
  9. Web site: Michael J. Fox, Michael Bublé honoured at Performing Arts gala — with a little help from Joan Jett . CBC News . 15 December 2022 . June 29, 2017.
  10. Web site: SOCAN Awards Shine Bright Lights on Canada's Music Creators and Publishers . Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada. 15 December 2022 . June 19, 2017.
  11. Web site: Here's what you missed at the 2017 Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. CBC News . 15 December 2022 . September 24, 2017.
  12. Web site: Pop singer Ruth B, Nickelback and pianist Jan Lisiecki among 10 Alberta acts to watch at 2018 Juno Awards . CBC News . 15 December 2022 . March 23, 2018.
  13. Web site: Magnocavallo . Fabio . Ruth B. — Situation . Euphoria. . 15 December 2022 . April 18, 2021.
  14. Web site: Newman-Bremang . Kathleen . Suggested Song Pairing: Ruth B's "Slow Fade" & An Overdue Breakup . 2023-05-08 . www.refinery29.com . en-CA.
  15. Web site: Ruth B. Balances Hope and Fear on "If I Have a Son" Re-Release . 2023-05-08 . Complex . en.
  16. Web site: Ruth B. Livestream Performance Brought in $160K For Musicares . 15 December 2022 . December 8, 2020.
  17. Web site: ALBUM REVIEW: RUTH B. – MOMENTS IN BETWEEN . . 15 December 2022 . June 15, 2021.
  18. Web site: Ruth B.'s Original Song 'Paper Airplanes' from Tyler Perry's 'A Jazzman's Blues' Released. 2022-09-29 . en-US.
  19. Ruth B Chart History: Canadian Albums. Billboard. March 22, 2019.
  20. United States. Ruth B.. October 30, 2022.
  21. Web site: Moments in Between by Ruth B. on Apple Music. Apple Music. April 16, 2021. April 17, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210417010207/https://music.apple.com/us/album/moments-in-between/1560432389. dead.
  22. Ruth B Chart History: Billboard 200. Billboard. March 22, 2019.
  23. Web site: Maybe I'll Find You Again / Ruth B.. Tidal. March 22, 2019.
  24. Ruth B Chart History: Canadian Hot 100. Billboard. March 22, 2019.
  25. http://hitlisten.nu/default.asp?list=t40 Hit Listen Top 40
  26. Web site: Discography Ruth B. irishcharts.com. September 19, 2016.
  27. http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Ruth+B&titel=Lost+Boy&cat=s Dutch Charts
  28. http://www.sverigetopplistan.se/ Sverigetopplistan
  29. Web site: RUTH B full Official Chart history. Official Charts Company. February 1, 2022.
  30. Ruth B Chart History: Billboard Hot 100. Billboard. March 22, 2019.
  31. Canada. Ruth B.. June 13, 2022.
  32. United Kingdom. Ruth B. April 12, 2023.
  33. Denmark. Ruth B.. Lost Boy. 8888. June 13, 2022.
  34. Sweden. Ruth B.. June 13, 2022.
  35. Netherlands. Ruth B. June 11, 2023.
  36. Web site: RuthBVEVO. Ruth B. - Rare (Official Video). YouTube. 2018-09-21. 2018-09-22.
  37. Web site: Ruth B. Teams Up with Dean Lewis for New Single. PM Studio. November 10, 2023. November 11, 2023.
  38. The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 11 July 2022. The ARIA Report. Australian Recording Industry Association. 1688. 4. July 11, 2022.
  39. Peak chart positions on RIM's Top 20 most streamed international & domestic songs in Malaysia:
    • Web site: January 7–13, 2022. Dandelions. January 22, 2022. Facebook.
  40. Web site: RIAS Top Charts Week 9. Recording Industry Association (Singapore). https://web.archive.org/web/20220308141625/https://www.rias.org.sg/rias-top-charts/. March 8, 2022.
  41. Discography - singles peaks in the Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade):
  42. Ruth B Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100). Billboard. February 23, 2022.
  43. Ruth B Chart History (Global 200). Billboard. April 5, 2022.
  44. Web site: IRMA – Irish Charts. Irish Recorded Music Association. May 7, 2022.
  45. Web site: Popping Up: Ruth B. November 25, 2015. December 11, 2015. Idolator. Wass. Mike.

External links