Ruth Koleva and the power of "Moving On"
Born in Bulgaria but based out of the Big Apple, Ruth Koleva's career is one that *is* and will continue to be defined by reinvention and "Moving on".
in the early 90s, Bulgaria was going through a lot. The socio-economic chaos of post-communism was strong in the Eastern European nation. A savage financial crisis swept the country and Ruth's father -an Olympian and twice World weightlifting champion- Saw it fit that his daughter should have better opportunities afforded to her.
Separated from her mother and her twin brother, the young Ruth found herself immersed in a cultural thrill ride across The Kingdom of Bahrain, India, and Thailand that -I venture to say- must have put the entire world in a perspective for the future musician.
She wouldn't stay away from her Bulgarian roots for long though, Her debut album "RUTH " would go on to get the top prize at the Bulgarian Radio Awards, and her connationals would easily be swayed to her camp, allowing her to become a mainstay of the nation's airwaves and a seriously huge figure across Eastern Europe.
Knowing once what it was like to begin again, Ruth set her sights on the American Music industry, knowing full well it was the platform where she could make the jump to the world stage, she moved to New York in 2019 to tackle the enormous challenge to start basically from scratch.
The move proved to be the right one. once Ruth was able to return to the studio she's been on a roll. Fiery track after Fiery Track, her alternative pop sound enamored thousands with her versatility. Her smokey vocals put blinders on your consciousness, locking you into her equally enthralling lyricism- Exactly what happens with this new track of hers "Moving on"
"Moving on" is a song for summer love, yes, but it is also a song about an aspect of emotional maturity that can be quite difficult to figure out.
This song is rather unique in the grand scope of Ruth's catalog. It's textured and presented in an unmistakable tropical tapestry, presenting us with both a Calypso steelpan and a lo-fi rhythmic section that's not shy at all about its classic reggaeton roots.
Ruth's summer proposal is dynamic and playful, yes, but it does come with its own hint of sour here and there; lyrically, this track pulls no punches when it comes to being frank about heartbreak - something that most other "flirty summer songs" tend to treat muchy more playfully. Ruth's high energy doesn't get in the way of saying something real, she's not one for mincing words, and right near the end she drops this lyrical powerbomb on us:
"You vanish, you run, you pull out a gun
Go blame yourself, go hate yourself – I wont
Cause we got good memories babe, I’m keeping them safe
A frame on my shelf, a frame on my shelf"
Ultimately, the song is not about moping or exorcising romantic grudges, it's a song about recognizing that the price of living great moments can often be the low points. Moving on is the only alternative. Moving on is the only answer.
The song comes together with a music video directed by fellow Bulgarian Martin Petrov and featuring Gueorgui Linev (AKA, Kan Wakan) The video's a rather lo-fi Cinematic experience featuring old home-movies-type footage that plays upon the themes of memories that run throughout the song.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Samuel Aponte is Venezuelan-born raised and based.
I joined Rival Magazine after a few years of doing PR work for independent musicians of all stripes; understanding their struggles to be heard in a sea of constant ADHD noise and paywalled access to platforms, I now bring a willingness to always appreciate and encourage the effort and creativity that artists put into their work . Can also find some of my writings on LADYGUNN and We Found New Music.