Rising pop sensation Skye Newman has achieved a milestone that few artists can claim: a five-night residency at London's iconic Brixton Academy. The 23-year-old singer kicked off the run on Thursday, marking the most headline shows by a British female solo artist at the venue. The previous record was held by rapper Little Simz, who performed three nights in 2021.

A Historic Achievement

Newman, who was recently named BBC Radio 1's Sound of 2026 winner and is nominated for a Brit Award, expressed her disbelief at the feat. "It's crazy. My jaw drops all the time. I feel honoured to be the first woman, and I don't take it lightly," she told BBC News. The news comes after a whirlwind few years for the south-east London native, who performed at Radio 1's Big Weekend in Sunderland last month.

Born and raised in south-east London, Newman burst onto the music scene last year with her debut single, "Hairdresser," which soared into the top 20. Her follow-up, "Family Matters," reached number five in June, making her the first female artist to achieve top 20 hits with her first two singles since Ella Henderson in 2014. With her husky, soulful voice, Newman has already supported Ed Sheeran and Lewis Capaldi on tour and earned praise from Sir Elton John, who called her "incredibly talented" and "something else."

Breaking Barriers

While Brixton Academy has hosted residencies by international stars like Debbie Harry, Phoebe Bridgers, and Chappell Roan, Newman's five-night stand sets a new benchmark for UK female solo artists. She is also committed to using her platform to empower women, insisting on an all-female band on stage. "Women are the centre of my world," she said. "They're the people that built me. They allowed me space to grow and find myself. So, I definitely had to take that out on stage with me."

Newman's advocacy extends beyond her band. She recently paid tribute to the late Amy Winehouse, another soulful London singer who performed at Brixton Academy, with a rendition of "Addicted" during a BBC special marking the anniversary of "Back to Black." "The thing with Amy's music is it's so incredible that you don't want to touch it," she admitted. "No one would ever do it like Amy, and I think it was definitely scary for all of us... that feeling of, you've got to live up to that expectation. You've got to fill her shoes, and they're big shoes to fill. But I think we all smashed it, and I think it was honestly the most beautiful, inspirational day I've had in a very long time."

Looking Ahead

Next month, Newman will head to Australia to support Harry Styles on his tour, a prospect she describes as "surreal." A childhood One Direction fan, she recalls telling her team, "Whatever I've got, cancel it," when she heard the news. "It felt like a dream because I was the age of One Direction [fans], so that was around when I was a child and obviously I loved them and Harry and Zane were my favourites. So then now to go and support Harry Styles is just mental."

With her record-breaking Brixton run and a growing list of accolades, Skye Newman is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. As she continues to break barriers and champion women in music, her star is only set to rise higher.