This year, Freya Skye embarked on her sold-out “Stars Align” tour, a shining constellation of shows that included Boston’s House of Blues.
The night opened with Adrian Lyles, known for his role as Jet in Disney’s “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.” Joined by a guitarist, Lyles’ set included original songs from his album “These Are My Favorite Songs I’ve Made So Far,” along with a Billie Eilish cover. From his performance, it was abundantly clear that these songs were made with his fans in mind with Lyles staying close to the edge of the stage, connecting with the audience, even collecting a few friendship bracelets and a bejeweled fedora, which he proudly wore on stage. His energy and intentional fan connection set the tone for Skye’s shimmering performance.
The crowd erupted as Skye descended down glossy white stairs into her opening number, “Can’t Fake It.” The song wasn’t just an opener, it was the defining mantra of the night. Skye managed to deliver a fully realized pop production while maintaining a sense of authenticity and vulnerability that felt far beyond her years.
At just 16, the British artist has already had a stellar career: competing in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, signing with Hollywood Records, and starring as Nova Brightin in Disney’s “Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires.” Now, with her debut EP “Stardust” and the “Stars Align” tour underway, her star continues to rise.
Before performing her song “Maybe” against a a curtain of delicate strands of light, dripping from the ceiling like falling stars, she shared how pivotal this song was to the project, “I remember calling up everyone and being like, ‘we need to change the EP. This song, I need this to go on this EP,” she told the crowd, “It felt so special to me immediately … my gut was telling me, you have to put this on here. And I’m so glad I did because it’s becoming one of the ones that I feel like is the most close to my heart.”
Of its subject, she said “I was ranting about this one person…and in that conversation I said something along the lines of ‘boys will just do what they do.’ And I remember everyone was like, well, maybe we just put this in the song and then like, if we need to change it later, because cause it’s like too whatever, we can just change it. And I was like, okay, sure. So we put it in the song and kind of built it from that. And that was kind of like the centerpiece of the song.”
She also shared how this song, which could feel “quite sad,” felt “empowering” when sung with a room full of her fans, whose voices echoed through the venue. Skye revealed how moments like these were a realization of a childhood dream. She reminisced about clearing her grandmother’s fireplace “with no remorse” to use it as a stage. “I was really just performing to my parents,” she said, “but I didn’t see it as my living room. I saw a massive crowd, people dressed up with stars in their hair, with signs, with so much energy and passion.”
Gazing out at the sold-out room, she continued, “The fact that now I stand on this stage and I actually see this… it’s really hard to comprehend. But I still feel like that 6-year-old girl dancing around with her favorite people on stage and the people she loves so much off stage.”
That appreciation was mutual and on full display during “London,” a song about feeling homesick for life’s smallest comforts. In a coordinated surprise, the crowd held up heart-shaped signs that read, “You’re My Home.” Skye appeared visibly moved by the gesture, pausing to take in the sea of hearts.
Following performances of “Silent Treatment” and “Golden Boy,” the night came full circle with an emotional encore. A voiceover reflected on the dreamlike nature of the tour before Skye returned to the stage for “Gold’s God,” closing the evening on a triumphant note.
On Friday night, Skye’s star burned just as brightly as it once did atop her grandmother’s fireplace, only now, an entire city got to share in the light.
For tickets to the tour, visit https://freyaskye.com/tour
Amelia Cordischi, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Juice Box Press, is an accomplished digital marketing professional with over a decade of experience in media and communications. Her work has been featured in notable publications, including The Boston Globe. A communications graduate of Simmons University in Boston, Amelia served as manager of Simmons College Radio (“The Shark”), where she also launched and co-hosted her radio show, The Find.
In addition to her editorial work, Amelia is an established freelance photographer, with bylines in Blended Magazine and CelebMix, capturing artists and cultural moments across the music and media landscape. Her career began at WCVB-TV’s Chronicle, the ABC affiliate in Boston, where she gained firsthand experience in broadcast journalism and storytelling.
When she’s not taking photos from the photo pit, interviewing emerging artists, or crafting the next Juice Box Press feature, Amelia can be found thrifting and exploring the world of sustainable fashion.