ABOUT 
 CONNELL CRUISE

Connell Cruise is a South African singer-songwriter, recording artist, pianist, and composer whose genre-fluid sound and magnetic presence have captivated audiences across Africa, Europe, and the U.S.

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His 2013 self-titled debut album introduced Connell Cruise to the world as one of South Africa’s breakout singer-songwriters, producing three number-one radio singles—including the lead single “Not Just Friends,” which became his first number one on South African radio—and earned him three South African Music Award nominations: Best Adult Contemporary Album, Male Artist of the Year, and Record of the Year for "Not Just Friends.”

 

A fan-exclusive cover of Avicii’s “Wake Me Up” also topped South African iTunes and amplified his early breakthrough. He received international airplay in markets such as Finland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Brazil, and Mexico. His music has continued to gain traction across digital platforms, where a growing global audience engages with his catalog across streaming platforms.

 

The 2014 single “Into The Wild,” now one of Connell Cruise’s most-streamed songs, sparked viral attention and led to a landmark signing with Epic Records—a deal regarded as one of the most significant in South African music history. After relocating to New York City, Cruise released the Into The Wild EP through Island Records in 2015 and toured internationally, performing alongside The Fray, Adam Lambert, American Authors, and SafetySuit at venues including The Troubadour and festivals like Firefly and Bonnaroo.

Building on the international momentum of Into The Wild, Cruise returned to the studio with a sharpened sound and broader perspective. His second studio album, Barely Breathing (2017), debuted at number one on South Africa’s iTunes album chart and garnered Connell his fifth South African Music Award nomination for Best Pop Album. The lead single, “All Day,” became a South African radio hit and featured as the theme song for The Bachelor South Africa. 

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In 2018, Cruise expanded his public reach by winning Dancing with the Stars South Africa.

 

In 2020, Confluence—a collection of greatest hits enriched with five new songs (“All Summer Long,” “Take Me to the River”)—was released to critical acclaim as a career retrospective, representing a powerful artistic convergence.

 

Connell Cruise is currently in the studio crafting new material, with new music set to release in 2025, expanding his catalog of globally streamed singles.