Inside the Song with Jesse Ruben
Jesse Ruben is known for crafting emotionally-direct, story-driven songs that center on connection, empathy, and the small moments that shape our lives. His writing leans into clear, memorable, conversational language. He blends folk, pop, and acoustic influences into songs that feel both intimate and broadly relatable.
His songs frequently, explore themes of kindness, belonging, mental health, and human resilience. Rather than relying on abstract imagery, he tends to write with specificity and sincerity, creating narratives that feel personal.
When I listen to a song, I want to feel like I’m a different person at the end than when I started. I want it to transform me. That’s what I always try to do when I write. ~ Jesse Ruben
Best known for his lyrical storytelling and engaging live shows, Jesse’s songs have been heard on more than a dozen TV shows in the US and abroad including Teen Mom, Switched at Birth, The Bachelor (Germany), and the recent Disney+ series Diary of a Future President. His single This Is Why I Need You reached the top 10 in 12 different countries, and has been streamed more than 60 million times across all platforms. He has recorded live sessions for NPR and MTV Asia, and has been featured on PBS.
Beyond his music career, he is the founder of The We Can Project, an initiative for young students designed to help them discover their passions and give back to their communities. To date, more than 800,000 young people have participated. To promote the program, he was personally invited by Hoda Kotb to perform live on The Today Show.
Ruben is highly active in other philanthropic endeavors. He has run the NYC Marathon three times for The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, the largest non-profit devoted to spinal cord injuries, and five times to raise money for Lyme disease research. He is a co-founder of Generation Lyme, a community built to empower people facing Lyme disease through sharing patient stories, and they are the world’s largest provider of online Meet-ups for anyone impacted by Tick-borne illness.