Ruti Olajugbagbe, known professionally as Ruti, won the seventh series of The Voice UK in 2018 as a member of Tom Jones’s team. Raised in Thurrock, Essex, they grew up around local open mics and festivals, which they said gave young musicians opportunities to perform. Their winner’s single, “Dreams,” was a cover of a Cranberries song and reached number 14 on the UK Singles Chart. Ruti released music through Polydor after the win, then put out the EP Racing Cars in 2019. A single of the same name also appeared through Polydor that year.
During lockdown, Ruti used the time to develop their production skills and connect with musicians remotely. They later signed with PMR Records, releasing the EPs MixTea_MilkTape! and Lungs through the label. Ruti described MixTea_MilkTape! as an opportunity to explore different sounds without feeling tied to one genre. For Lungs, they worked with co-writers Emily Philips and Wayne Wilkins and described the project as being about heartbreak. Ruti later released the single “Break My Own Heart” after Lungs.
Ruti featured on Girls of the Internet’s track “Shaken to My Soul,” released as a single in 2024 through Classic Music Company. They also featured on Show Dem Camp’s “Train” with The Cavemen. and Nsikak David, and on “ORATORES” by Apashe and Vladimir Cauchemar. Ruti’s 2025 single “WHEN YOU START” featured Khushi and was released through Khushi. That year, Ruti released The Perch Cover Sessions through PMR Records.
In 2026, Ruti released “FLOWERS - Choir Version” through Big Family Music Limited. Ruti is an English singer-songwriter, born on September 20, 1999. Their mother is from Essex and their father is from Nigeria. After winning The Voice UK, Ruti signed a recording contract with Polydor Records.