SIX40TWO: FREE TIME

Free Time is Sneaky Pete's Sunday 6-10pm DJ series with legendary artists

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John Newman’s voice, songwriting and productions are already etched into the minds of millions, thanks to three UK No.1 singles, Brit Award and Ivor Novello nominations and a platinum-selling debut album. While those milestones made him a household name, they left him feeling trapped inside the brackets of fame and expectation, with little room to breathe.

SIX40TWO is the release. Newman’s new alias was born from his desire to rip a hole through those brackets and rediscover the fire that first drove him to make music - no rules, no boundaries, just energy and emotion. Named after the time his daughter was born, where his past work had focussed on fitting to the boundaries of commercial success, SIX40TWO follows the driving, danceable pulse of his creativity. “I wanted to respect this ambition for freedom inside me,” Newman says about the project. “I am now fully back in my creative element, and it is due to this project. I would class it as my saviour.”

This isn’t reinvention - it’s a homecoming. Pulling from the same deep roots that shaped Newman in the first place - soul, gospel and the darker textures of hip-hop - SIX40TWO reimagines it into something raw, physically, emotionally-charged and squarely for the club. It’s dance music that carries both the pressure and the release, the weight and the euphoria. “I’ve never changed the process,” Newman says. “I’ve just changed the sounds. My heart has always led in the same place.”

The first two singles capture the spirit of this new chapter. “Something in the Water” is a stormy, spiritual surge, built on heavy soul-esque sampled drums and crashing chords that feel like a distressed church sermon in a nightclub. Newman’s vocal sits between anguish and ecstasy as he sings, “It takes over my mind”, rising into a shimmering, sky-tearing drop. Thematically, it’s a raw confrontation with sobriety, identity and reinvention.

On the flip side, “What Would I Do”, is a bright, euphoric rush that holds onto joy with both hands, evoking golden-era French house represented with a slick, gothic atmosphere. Built around an addictive hook that feels like vintage Newman (“What would I do without your love?”), the track is propelled by uplifting and timeless synth chords that somersault through taut drums.

The journey back hasn’t been easy for Newman. In the past five years, he has stepped away from music to let the noise of fame fade so he could heal. But in that space, he reconnected with his younger self and landed back at dance music production, right where he first started. Now, he continues to create what feels good to him without any responsibility - just pure drive and curiosity.

What began as a ground-up rebuild has spread to festivals across Europe and beyond, as Newman has played landmark shows at Tomorrowland Belgium and Brazil, Creamfields Chile, Exit Festival, Electric Love Festival, Beats for Love and Saga Festival. In 2025, Newman will hit Tomorrowland’s mainstage, Ushuaïa, AIA Sound Festival, Focus Festival and the F1 Belgian Grand Prix. Throughout it all, he continues to, in his words, “burst open the barriers and open the floodgates on new music”.