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.
Ultra
Skye Sweetnam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hormones I'm waiting to attack you
Those masculine femine female
I'll tell you the difference between them
Because I ultra, ultra, ultra
Goosebumps!
Cause I ultra, ultra, ultra
Cause I ultra, ultra, ultra
Straight up!
Cause I ultra, ultra, ultra
Peace out!
My river runs deep
But your quite a big fish
If you're willing to try to understand me
So dive right in, let the wires get wet
Everyone needs a little spark
Round and round and round we go
I hate you but i need you so
The lyrics to Skye Sweetnam's song "Ultra" are a playful and provocative exploration of attraction and sexual desire. The opening lines suggest that the singer is biologically programmed to be irresistible to her partner, with hormones waiting to "attack" and the ability to distinguish between masculine, feminine and female qualities. The chorus, with its repeated refrain of "I ultra" and triumphant declarations of "goosebumps," "damn straight," "straight up" and "peace out," reinforces the singer's confidence and power in the relationship.
The second verse continues the theme of attraction, with the image of a "big fish" representing the singer's partner as a significant challenge to her depth and complexity. However, the singer also extends an invitation to her partner to "dive right in" and explore her world, recognizing the importance of mutual understanding and connection in any relationship. The final line of the song, "I hate you but I need you so," is a paradoxical expression of the complicated emotions that often accompany intimate relationships.
Interestingly, the song's refrain of "ultra" is not a commonly used term in English, but rather a reference to the Ultra Music Festival, an annual electronic dance music festival that has taken place in Miami since 1999. Skye Sweetnam was not involved with the festival in any way and has never performed there, but the use of the word "ultra" in the lyrics suggests a connection to the high-energy, sometimes euphoric experience of electronic dance music.
Line by Line Meaning
Genetically programed to attract you
I am wired to be attracted to you.
Hormones I'm waiting to attack you
My hormones are ready to react upon seeing you.
Those masculine femine female
I can differentiate between different expressions of gender.
I'll tell you the difference between them
I can help you understand the nuances of gender identity.
Because I ultra, ultra, ultra
Goosebumps!
I am so excited that I am getting goosebumps.
Cause I ultra, ultra, ultra
Damn straight!
I am totally confident in my feelings.
Cause I ultra, ultra, ultra
Straight up!
I am being honest and straightforward in my emotions.
Cause I ultra, ultra, ultra
Peace out!
I am at peace with myself and my desires.
My river runs deep
I have a lot of depth to my desires and feelings.
But your quite a big fish
You have a lot of significance in my life.
If you're willing to try to understand me
I am looking for someone who will try to understand me.
So dive right in, let the wires get wet
I want to fully embrace my desires and explore them.
Everyone needs a little spark
We all need something to excite and inspire us.
Round and round and round we go
We are constantly caught up in a cycle of emotions.
I hate you but i need you so
I have conflicting emotions towards you, but I can't help but feel drawn to you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LAUREN CHRISTY, SCOTT SPOCK, SKYE SWEETNAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Lee-ox2vn
I used to listen to this song all the time 🥰
@scarlettskyeluvr
this song is so fab! luv u skye!
@keniapowa
I MISS her make up tutorials so MUCH -.-
@sad_guitarist5921
MY CHILDHOOD
@scarlettskyeluvr
i <3 this song! skye plays dress up #4 opens to this song & itz my new fave gettin-ready tune!
@CrescentGoreBlood
She needs to be more popular! No one I know knows her! I'm gunna do my best to make her more popular here, wish me luck! *determined face*
@BubblieKat
I LOVE THIS!
@Sasorilifesmine55
when i was 12 i had this cd it was soooo hard to find in canada!!!! when i got it i was happy!!! till my sister asked to borrow it....this it got this weird dusty stuff on it and then iit never worked again..... :'(
@marissarose3897
love it
@tmclove
yeah it is. i have it on my iPod.