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\nNewman has been deliberate about surrounding herself with women<\/p>\n
At just 22, London singer-songwriter Skye Newman carries herself with a poise beyond her years.<\/p>\n
In the past 12 months, she has rapidly built her profile, being named BBC Radio 1’s Sound of 2026, following in the footsteps of last year’s winner Chappell Roan.<\/p>\n
She also secured nominations at both the BRIT Awards (Song of the Year for Family Matters and Breakthrough Artist) and the MOBO Awards (Best Newcomer).<\/p>\n
Her first two singles, Hairdresser and Family Matters, made chart history, making her the first British female solo artist in more than a decade to land her first two singles in the UK Top 20.<\/p>\n
Yet, she remains completely unassuming.<\/p>\n
Fresh from two sold-out nights at Dublin\u2019s Olympia Theatre, Newman is still “buzzing” from the experience.<\/p>\n
Speaking to RT\u00c9 Entertainment, she describes the atmosphere as nothing short of electric, and says the Irish crowd gave her as much energy as she gave them.<\/p>\n
“I will always put on a show and give everything that I have,” she says, “but naturally, the more that they give back to you, it just pumps you up even more. Ireland really showed up.”<\/p>\n
From the moment she arrived on stage, the connection was immediate. “As soon as I stepped out, you could feel it. I\u2019m a huge person on energy, and there was so much passion in that room. It was insane.”<\/p>\n
Redefining the room<\/p>\n
That sense of awareness runs through everything Newman does, including how she\u2019s built her team. In an industry still grappling with imbalance, she\u2019s been deliberate about surrounding herself with women.<\/p>\n
“I knew coming into this world there was going to be so much lacking for women, that\u2019s just the reality,” she says. “Not just in music, but everywhere. I was really intentional about making sure – no offence to the fellas – that I had women in my space.”<\/p>\n
For Newman, it\u2019s about more than optics. “They\u2019ve got the best intentions for me. They\u2019re thinking about my health and my wealth in terms of my mental, not just the money. I\u2019ve got a great team of women around me, both in my work and in my personal life. Even the label I chose, I walked in and saw so many women at the table. That mattered.”<\/p>\n
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Representation, especially for young women coming from backgrounds like her own – a message clearly reflected in her new single Woman I Am – is never far from her mind.<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s everything,” she says. “When you\u2019re a young girl, you follow what you see. So if someone can look at me and think, ‘She\u2019s doing it, so I can too,\u2019 that means the world.”<\/p>\n
Growing up in an area where opportunities can feel limited has only sharpened that drive.<\/p>\n
“I come from somewhere people don\u2019t really get to do things like this. So, the fact I\u2019ve come from less, it might make someone else feel like they can do more.”<\/p>\n
\nNewman has been deliberate about surrounding herself with women<\/p>\n
She\u2019s quick to point out the inequality of that journey. “There are men from my area who\u2019ve made something of themselves, but it\u2019s not the same connection. They\u2019ve got an upper hand, it\u2019s a different ball game entirely. That\u2019s why I\u2019ve been so firm about supporting the women around me.”<\/p>\n
As the youngest of six, she learned early how to hold her own, an inheritance she describes as both a gift and a burden.<\/p>\n
“I got to watch mistakes play out before I ever made them myself,” she says. “In that sense, I\u2019ve been lucky. But when you come from council estates, when you grow up with less, there\u2019s no choice but to toughen up. You grow up quick. You learn to stand on your own two feet because half the time everything around you feels like it\u2019s falling apart.”<\/p>\n
Turning experience into purpose<\/p>\n
That pressure has left its mark, keeping her perpetually switched on. “I\u2019ve always had to be on it, mentally and emotionally. It\u2019s helped me, definitely, but there\u2019s a flip side. There were times I just wanted to be a kid and couldn\u2019t. Even when I tried not to care, I couldn\u2019t switch it off. I\u2019ve always felt older than I was.”<\/p>\n
Still, Newman doesn\u2019t linger in the weight of it. “It is a blessing as well,” she adds. “Because now I can write music that might help someone else not feel like that. If I can give people the chance to just be young, to actually have their childhood, then that means everything.”<\/p>\n
Newman admits she’s still catching herself in the moment, pausing almost in disbelief at just how quickly everything has shifted.<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s honestly been the most incredible year of my life,” she says. “And the fact we\u2019re only three months in is absolutely mental to me. I do feel like I\u2019m going to wake up one day and it\u2019ll all be over, like it\u2019s just been a dream.<\/p>\n
“Any great moment I had growing up, it never lasted long. Happiness was a minute or so, if that.”<\/p>\n
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\nNewman’s new EP, SE9 Part 2, is out on 29 May<\/p>\n
Now, she\u2019s learning to sit with something altogether unfamiliar: consistency. “To suddenly have a life where it\u2019s constant – where it stretches into months – it just feels surreal. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll ever get used to it.”<\/p>\n
She pauses, then adds, “I count my lucky stars every single day.”<\/p>\n
The sky really is the limit<\/p>\n
Newman is set to return to Ireland this August for a second outing at Electric Picnic, and she admits she’s “buzzing” to be heading back to Stradbally.<\/p>\n
“Festival season is the best – it\u2019s my favourite,” she says. “Last year was just incredible. Honestly, wow. Everyone showed up for me in such a big way. I haven\u2019t been let down by a crowd yet. I feel really blessed. I hope everyone\u2019s ready for it.”<\/p>\n
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\nNewman is set to return to Ireland this August for a second outing at Electric Picnic<\/p>\n
Newman’s new EP, SE9 Part 2, which expands on the themes of identity, growth and self-understanding that have become central to her writing, will be released on 29 May.<\/p>\n
Both SE9 Part 1 and SE9 Part 2 will be available on CD and vinyl, with the CD released at retail and the vinyl offered as a D2C exclusive, featuring the exclusive track Blood and an acoustic version of Too Far South.<\/p>\n
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As for what comes next, Newman is keeping things open-ended. “It\u2019s funny, even though there\u2019s so much I want to do, I don\u2019t have fixed milestones in mind,” she explains. “Of course, every artist has certain venues or moments they dream about, but for me, it\u2019s more about building a solid group of people who genuinely connect with my music. That\u2019s what matters most.<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s easy to get lost chasing milestones, and I think that\u2019s where people go wrong. You\u2019ve got to enjoy the ride. There will always be ups and downs, things won\u2019t always go to plan, but as long as I love who I am and the music I\u2019m making, then I know I\u2019m succeeding.”<\/p>\n
With that mindset, it\u2019s hard not to feel that the sky really is the limit.<\/p>\n