"Painkiller" is a song recorded by Australian singer-songwriter Ruel. The song was released on 1 May 2019 as the lead single from his second extended play, Free Time. The song sees Ruel reunite with producer M-Phazes and Sarah Aarons (whom he had both collaborated with on his 2017 EP Ready), and collaborate with songwriter Hiren Mor for the first time.
In May 2020, a remix featuring American rapper Denzel Curry was released, alongside the announcement of a forthcoming remix EP. The Painkiller remix EP was released on 12 June 2020.
The song placed third at the 2020 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition.
Music video The music video for "Painkiller" was released on 1 May 2019.
Critical reception Sose Fuamoli from Triple J said the song is "marked by bold bass and melodic work", saying "'Painkiller' is a track that sees Ruel step into a more mature songwriting space, leaning more into rich R&B notes and letting his natural cadence and rhythmic notes flourish. His soul and jazz influences bleed through on this single too, finding and connecting with that bass groove with ease."
Alissa Arunarsirakul from Ones to Watch said "'Painkiller' is drenched with warm violins, groovy bass lines, and luscious vocals".
Track listing
Charts Weekly charts Chart (2019–2020) Peakposition Australian Artist Singles (ARIA) 5 South Korea (Gaon) 52
Year-end charts Chart (2019) Position Australian Artist (ARIA) 16 Chart (2020) Position Australian Artist (ARIA) 33 Chart (2021) Position South Korea (Gaon) 185
Certifications
Release history Country Date Format Version Label Australia 1 May 2019 Digital download, streaming Original RCA, Sony Music Australia Australia 27 May 2020 Digital download, streaming Denzel Curry remix RCA, Sony Music Australia Australia April 2021 7" single Sony Music Australia Original & instrumental
References