"Loud, raw, and strikingly honest: Pop singer Skye Newman has won BBC Radio 1's Sound of 2026. The award caps a 12-month period in which Ed Sheeran and Lewis Capaldi personally invited the 22-year-old on tour. Sir Elton John is also on board, calling Newman "incredibly talented" and "something else". Newman is the 24th winner of the BBC's annual poll, typically a bellwether of pop music success - previous winners include Adele, PinkPanthress, The Last Dinner Party and Haim."
"Born in south-east London, Newman exploded onto the scene last year when her debut single, Hairdresser, went straight into the top 20. The follow-up, Family Matters, reached number five in June. It was the first time a female artist had made the top 20 with their first two singles since Ella Henderson in 2014. Play her music and you'll instantly hear why."
"Newman's songs crackle with barely-contained emotion, as her ragged (and extraordinarily expressive) voice tears through lyrics of betrayal, loss and disorder. "It's literally the story of my life," she says. "It's my way of letting out any trauma and pain that I couldn't speak." On Family Matters, she describes growing up hungry in a council estate home where drug abuse and police attention were a constant presence."
"It was only later that Newman realised she "comes from a broken background". "There's a lot more of it than people realise," she says, reflecting on her experiences of violence, arguments and addiction. "I think a lot of people have children not really understanding how big [a responsibility] it is. "They don't have love elsewhere in their life, so they think they can get it from a child - but then you're just passing your pain and trauma on to"
Skye Newman, aged 22, won BBC Radio 1's Sound of 2026 after touring with Ed Sheeran and Lewis Capaldi and receiving praise from Elton John. Her first single "Hairdresser" entered the top 20 and the follow-up "Family Matters" reached number five. Her songs are marked by raw emotion and a ragged, expressive voice that confronts betrayal, loss and disorder. Newman describes her music as a way to release trauma and pain she could not speak about. "Family Matters" recounts growing up hungry on a council estate amid drug abuse and police attention. She reflects on violence, arguments, addiction and the cycles of trauma passed to children.
Read at www.bbc.com
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