“A lot of the subjects I talk about, many people don’t want to face,” begins rising star Skye Newman, whose strikingly raw songwriting and soulful tone have made her the UK’s most exciting new voice.
The London-based musician – who swerves romance and break-ups to explore generational trauma – has not only gone viral on multiple occasions, but broken a record, too. Earlier this year, Newman became the first UK female solo artist in over a decade to reach the Top 20 with her first two singles: her belting debut ‘Hairdresser’, which chronicles a one-sided female friendship, and ‘Family Matters’, her searing dissection of drug addiction and grief that climbed to number five in the chart earlier this year.
“I feel blessed to be in a generation where there’s awareness of how things in your past affect you going into adult life,” she shares. “There is definitely more light being shed on it now, but people are sometimes scared to open up about things…”
Centring such gut-wrenching honesty in her music has always come naturally to Newman, however. “Growing up, I was drawn to people who were very open in what they said,” she reflects, citing Amy Winehouse, Adele, Bob Marley and her aunt, a jazz and blues musician, among her biggest influences. “Coming from a loud, chaotic life, it was a huge thing as a child to see someone so vulnerable as Amy.”
Exposure to such authentic lyricists shaped the artist she is today: a storyteller who turns real, lived experiences into deep pop perfection. Whether it’s her empowering anthem ‘FU & UF’, the poetic grit of ‘My Addiction’, or the emotive, piano-led ‘Smoke Rings’, her approach is refreshingly stripped-back, especially in an era that tends to favour flashy productions.
It’s easy to see why, then, Newman already counts some of the biggest names in pop among her fans. She joined Ed Sheeran at his homecoming gig in Ipswich (after a personal invitation landed in her Instagram DMs), supported Lewis Capaldi on his recent UK and Ireland tour, and was interviewed by Elton John on his Rocket Hour podcast.
Now, with her first project out in the world – the lyrically unflinching ‘SE9 Part 1’, which was named after the postcode of her childhood home in southeast London – Skye Newman tells NME about her journey so far, how writing songs helped her escape a chaotic home life, and how she’s been adjusting to fame.
What was your journey into music, and how did it shape you as an artist?
“From when I could talk, I could sing. I found love and passion for it through my auntie, who is a singer-songwriter; watching her create music in the studio when I was so young was magical. I started writing when I was 11 and got into studios when I was 13. That progressed, and I came out of them aged 15, and didn’t do much with the songs because I was busy in school, [living] my own life and being a kid.
“I got back into it again through a video that blew up on social media. I got an email from someone at Sony and was then put into sessions. I was writing, writing, writing, then two years in, I found my people that I felt so comfortable with. After spending time finding my sound, what I wanted to say and what worked for me, I got there… but it’s still always evolving and getting better.”
Songwriting was your way to escape when you were growing up. What did you want to get away from?
“Just carnage, really. I don’t like to go too much into things because it’s not just my life, it’s my five siblings’ lives as well, and there are many emotions involved… I was aware of things that should never have been brought to light. Things that I hope no one ever has to see or go through – definitely not at the age I did. A lot of trauma, I’ll just say that.”
Do you think this vulnerable approach is why your songs have resonated so much?
“It’s a very strange feeling. I get met with such sadness, but so many good feelings too. It breaks my heart that people relate, but also kind of heals me at the same time because, at the end of the day, I’m just a little girl trying to get through life – and she’s still there. Knowing there are people that understand how I feel makes it easier, but it’s also unsettling that so many people have been through the same stuff.”
You now count Elton John, Lewis Capaldi and Ed Sheeran among your fans. How have you found the past year?
“It’s been crazy and surreal. I don’t think it’s something I’ll ever get over. Even having conversations and getting advice from these people is mental. I honestly feel like I was born to do this job. I feel really cocky when I say that, but I don’t mean it like ‘I should be here’, more that I feel so at home and peaceful when I’m on stage. That’s always been my way of getting out of the real world, so to be able to do this full-time feels surreal, and that’s down to the people that listen to me. I can’t thank the people around me enough.”
Have you felt pressure following viral success?
“I haven’t felt pressure on myself. People can try to put it on you, but it’s only what you allow to affect you. I try not to allow other opinions to put pressure on me… I just love music and making it is my outlet, so I will keep doing what I love, and if people don’t like that and it doesn’t align anymore, then that’s fine. I don’t do it for the sake of that. I would still do it if it wasn’t my job.”
What’s the story of your first project, and why did you call it ‘SE9 Part 1’?
“I think these songs best represent how I’ve got to where I am. Because a lot of them were written two years ago, they are about my journey leading up to this point. They explain the events that made me me. It’s an insight into the first part of my life.”
“Knowing there are people that understand how I feel makes it easier, but it’s unsettling that so many people have been through the same stuff”
Is ‘Part 2’ already in the works?
“Yes, there is more stuff that I have written for part two. It’s still stories about my lead up to here, but the songs I have written recently are about my journey now, how I am in myself and what’s coming next. It’s more about my growth and me going into adulthood.”
Who are your dream collaborators?
“Anyone that can really tell a story. Dave – he’s an insane writer and someone I would draw a lot of inspiration from. J. Cole is another rapper who I have always loved. Ed [Sheeran] too, I would love to be in a studio with him.”
Do you have any advice for someone who wants to get into music?
“Just do you. In this industry, there’s a lot of trying to live up to expectations and trying to be a new version of someone that’s come before. But I don’t think trying to replicate something ever works.”
What is your main goal as an artist?
“To have a long career in this and know that I always have music there as my outlet and support would be priceless.”
Skye Newman’s ‘SE9 Part 1’ is out now via Columbia Records. She tours the UK and Europe in April 2026.