Skye Alexandra Sweetnam (born May 5, 1988) is a Canadian singer/songwriter,… Read Full Bio ↴Skye Alexandra Sweetnam (born May 5, 1988) is a Canadian singer/songwriter, actress and lead vocalist of Sumo Cyco. Skye first entered the mainstream in 2003 with the release of her debut single "Billy S." Over a year later, her debut album, Noise from the Basement, was released including the singles "Tangled Up in Me" and "Number One". Sweetnam is also known for singing theme songs and contributing to Disney albums. In 2006, she was nominated for a Juno Award for New Artist of the Year. Her second album was released on October 30, 2007 entitled Sound Soldier.

Biography

Skye was born on May 5, 1988, to Deirdre and Greg Sweetnam. She was named after the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Along with her sister, Aurora, and her brother, Cameron, Sweetnam was born and raised in the small town of Bolton, Ontario, where she studied dancing and singing from a young age. She began singing at the age of 5, performing for family members and friends only. By her early teens she had moved on to songwriting, and recorded a demo with the help of a local Bolton music school. Sweetnam was also a full-time Regional Arts Program student at Mayfield Secondary School in Caledon, Ontario, majoring in drama.

Noise from the Basement (2004–2005)

She worked with local producer and instrumentalist, James Robertson. Together, Robertson and Sweetnam worked on what would later become Noise from the Basement, her Capitol Records/EMI debut. The single "Billy S." appeared in July 2003 on the soundtrack to the movie How to Deal, and quickly took off in Canada. Two more singles were released from her debut and fared moderately on the charts. In 2004, Sweetnam went on tour over Europe and North America, as the opening act for Britney Spears on her Onyx Hotel Tour, although her performances were cut due to Spears' knee injury. In early 2005, the album was re-released with a DVD.

Various Soundtracks (2005–2007)

Skye eventually gained a bigger following with a younger crowd by doing theme songs for various television shows for children and teenagers, such as The Buzz On Maggie, Wayside, and Radio Free Roscoe, the latter of which she also guest starred on for one episode. Sweetnam then took part in five compilation albums for Disney: Radio Disney Jingle Jams, Radio Disney Jams, Vol. 8, DisneyMania 3, and DisneyRemixMania.

In 2006, Skye acted as the singing voice for Barbie in The Barbie Diaries. In 2006, she recorded the song "Boyhunter" in Simlish for the October 2006 release of The Sims 2: Pets. "Sugar Guitar" was featured in a Zellers commercial for the 2007 back to school season. It was also the 9th track featured in the Love For Nana - Only 1 Tribute CD for the Japanese comic Nana. Tim Armstrong and Sweetnam released the single "Into Action" in March 2007.

Sound Soldier (2007–2008)

On August 30, 2007, Sweetnam performed at the CD release party for dodger, her first live performance since her August 2005 Sea World gig, and her first live performance with her new band. She performed brand new material including "Boyhunter", her version of "Into Action", "Makeout Song", "Ghosts", and "Music Is My Boyfriend". All of the songs are included on her second album, Sound Soldier, which she describes as "Nine Inch Nails meets Britney Spears". The album was originally set for a spring release, but Capitol Records pushed the album back, partially due to re-structuring from its merger with Virgin Records. Their parent company EMI released the album on October 30, 2007 in Canada only, with the leading single "Human." Sweetnam was the opening act for Canadian Idol winner Kalan Porter on his 2007 tour. She then toured as part of the School Rocks Canada tour and then co-headlined a tour with Faber Drive from October - November 2007.

The album was released in Japan on February 14, 2008 as stated on her MySpace page, which also featured the bonus track "Girl Like Me".

In a recent video she posted on her Youtube page, "Skye Plays Dress Up 2.- Princess Purple", she showed previews of two new unreleased songs entitled "Heartbreak" and "Boomerang".

The music video for "Human" was nominated for a 2008 MuchMusic Video Award for Best Cinematography, but lost to Hedley's "She's So Sorry".

On April 25, 2009 Skye posted on her personal Twitter that she was at the studio. Previous to this, Skye also announced that she would be in the studio working on a new album. An unreleased song "Love Sugar Sweet" was featured in a video she posted on Youtube. On August 26, 2009 Skye posted on her twitter that she is recording vocals for a new single that will be released in Japan.

Skye provided vocals for the song "Where I Want To Be", a song on Jun Senoue's new album, The Works.

Sweetnam also recorded "Where I want to be" for Jun Senoue's album, The Works, and directed a music video for Leah Daniels' song "Northern Señorita" as well as for Ashes' song "Explode (Makes My Head)". Sweetnam also co-wrote two songs for Ashes.

2009–present: Sumo Cyco

Sweetnam began working on new music in 2009 and formed a new band, Sumo Cyco, a four-piece heavy metal and punk rock band that opened for Hollywood Undead in Toronto in April 2011. Sweetnam now went by the name Sever, which was her current alter-ego.

As of July 2012, Sumo Cyco has released six singles: "Mercy", "Limp", "Interceptor", "Danger", "Loose Cannon", and a cover of Oingo Boingo's "Who Do You Want To Be?". With each new song, Sumo Cyco would direct and put together their own music videos for their YouTube channel which, as of July 2022, has received over seven million views.

Sweetnam's song "(Let's Get Movin') Into Action" was also used in an episode of the Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation, in one deleted scene from Bandslam, and in the films Balls Out: Gary the Tennis Coach, Hotel for Dogs, and the 2010 popular film Ramona and Beezus (starring Joey King and Selena Gomez). It was also included in the soundtrack for Music from Degrassi: The Next Generation.

In April and May 2014, Sumo Cyco toured Ireland and the UK after their performances at Indie Week Ireland. Then, on June 10, 2014, they released their debut album, Lost in Cyco City, in Canada.

On March 10, 2015, Sumo Cyco announced that they had signed with TKO (The Kirby Organization) Booking Agency, known for its representation of hard rock and metal acts, for worldwide representation.

Sumo Cyco released their second album Opus Mar in 2017.

In January 2020, the band announced that they had signed a deal with Napalm Records. They released their third album Initiation through Napalm Records in 2021.

Ghosts
Skye Sweetnam Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Chorus:]
I don't believe in ghosts but I'm afraid of 'em
I don't believe in ghosts but I'm afraid of 'em

Some wanna sleep
And some wanna rise
Some wait their whole life to hide
I'm goin' go out like Bonnie & Clyde

Cause I'm a wild one
and I don't give a damn, no
I made a bet with myself
I'm gonna make it
Something that I want, I'm gonna take it
Small town mold, I'm gonna break it
And get out of here
And make my dreams come true
Na na na na na
Na na na na na
na na na

[Chorus]

There are some things you're gonna miss
Growing up in a small town like this
Big city, big problems
But it's me and you boy against the world now
I met a man named hate
I met a lady named malice
We met on the avenue and not in a palace
And everyone we meet is so damn ruthless
So boy don't ever leave me

[Chorus]

Lost kids in a lost world livin'
No one's gonna back down, no one's gonna give in
You think I'm dumb, no you just mistaken
Can't be broke, and we can't be shaken

[Chorus: x2]

Overall Meaning

The chorus of Skye Sweetnam's song "Ghosts" alludes to the idea of fear of the unknown, even if one does not necessarily believe in it. Sweetnam admits to being afraid of ghosts, despite not believing in their existence. This can be interpreted as a more significant concept of the fear of the unknown, where one can be scared of something simply because they do not fully understand it. In the second verse, Sweetnam sings about her desire for the "something" that she wants and is willing to take it. This can be seen as a metaphor for chasing after dreams and taking control of one's life instead of hiding away in fear. The line "Small town mold, I'm gonna break it" shows Sweetnam's discontent for the life she has in her small town and her desire to leave and chase after her dreams. The chorus is repeated twice, emphasizing the idea that fear of something doesn't necessarily equate to believing in it.

The second verse of the song continues Sweetnam's message of chasing after one's dreams and not allowing obstacles to stand in the way. Sweetnam is encouraging her partner in the song to stay with her, and they can face the obstacles together. She meets two characters, Hate and Malice, which can be seen as symbolizing the negative aspects of society that Sweetnam and her partner must encounter on their journey. These characters are met on the avenue instead of in a palace, representing the harsh reality of the outside world. In the last verse, Sweetnam sings about living in a lost world and not succumbing to defeat. "Can't be broke, and we can't be shaken" shows resilience in the face of adversity.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't believe in ghosts but I'm afraid of 'em
Although I don't think they exist, I still harbor a fear of ghosts.

Some wanna sleep
Some people want to rest and take it easy.

And some wanna rise
While others want to make something of themselves and become successful.

Some wait their whole life to hide
Certain folks spend their entire existence avoiding risks and opportunities for growth.

I'm goin' go out like Bonnie & Clyde
I plan to live my life as an outlaw like the notorious couple Bonnie and Clyde did.

Cause I'm a wild one
I'm a free spirit who doesn't follow societal norms.

and I don't give a damn, no
I don't care what people think of me and my choices.

I made a bet with myself
I've made a promise to myself to achieve my desires.

I'm gonna make it
I'm determined to succeed in my life goals.

Something that I want, I'm gonna take it
I'll take what I want in life with no apologies or hesitation.

Small town mold, I'm gonna break it
I'll break free from the limitations and expectations set by living in a small town.

And get out of here
I want to leave this small town and find new opportunities elsewhere.

And make my dreams come true
I'm determined to make my aspirations a reality.

Na na na na na
Vocals as part of the chorus.

There are some things you're gonna miss
Growing up in a small town, there are certain things one will miss.

Big city, big problems
Living in a big city comes with significant challenges.

But it's me and you boy against the world now
We'll tackle these challenges together as a united team.

I met a man named hate
I encountered a person who harbors a lot of anger and negativity in life.

I met a lady named malice
I met a woman who is very vengeful and cruel in nature.

We met on the avenue and not in a palace
We met each other in an everyday setting rather than some grand location.

And everyone we meet is so damn ruthless
Many individuals we come across are aggressive and unforgiving in their behavior.

So boy don't ever leave me
I rely on your support and companionship to navigate through these tough situations.

Lost kids in a lost world livin'
We feel lost and adrift in a world that's confusing and uncertain.

No one's gonna back down, no one's gonna give in
We're ready to stand up for our beliefs and refuse to be pushed around.

You think I'm dumb, no you just mistaken
Others might perceive me as foolish, but they are incorrect in their assumptions.

Can't be broke, and we can't be shaken
Despite challenging circumstances, we won't lose our resolve or determination.

I don't believe in ghosts but I'm afraid of 'em
Repeating the chorus, although I may not believe in ghosts, I still fear them.

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Daniel Jack Armstrong, Michael B. Nelson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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