The group was formed in 1998 with original members Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan & Siobhán Donaghy, who were introduced to each other by manager Ron Tom. After some initial success, Donaghy departed and the introduction of Heidi Range (formerly of Atomic Kitten) in 2001 was met with the commercial breakthrough of the group's first number-one single "Freak Like Me" and parent album Angels with Dirty Faces in 2002. The group survived a second line-up change in 2005, when Mutya Buena left and was replaced by Amelle Berrabah. In September 2009, it was announced that after eleven years in the Sugababes, Keisha Buchanan was no longer a part of the group and had been replaced by Jade Ewen.
Sugababes have released twenty five singles, six of which have reached number-one in the UK and twenty have reached the top 20 in the UK, seven studio albums that have reached top 40 charts worldwide with success around Europe and Asia having number-one singles in fifteen countries. With seventeen of their twenty five single releases achieving top ten chart success in the UK, Brit Award winners, the trio have been named the UK's most successful female act of the 21st century. Upon the release of "About You Now" (2007), the Sugababes became the only female act to have topped the single, album, and download charts simultaneously twice, having previously achieved the same feat in 2005 with "Push the Button". They have attained at least platinum certification for five of their albums in the UK.
Their most recent release 'Sweet 7' saw them scoring yet another 3 Top 10 hits in the UK charts, with also being Sugababes' first studio album to be recorded with new member Jade Ewen. In September 2013, Ewen stated that the Sugababes officially split in 2011. Ewen claimed that the band "fizzled out" two years ago and are "pretty much done", saying: "I don't feel comfortable lying", but Berrabah claimed afterwards that they will all be "getting back together at the end of next year". Meanwhile, the three original band members got back together and went on to form Mutya Keisha Siobhan, releasing one single, 'Flatline', in 2013. A full album was recorded but never released, with the majority of tracks recorded leaking from Christmas 2016.
In July 2019, the original line-up of the band confirmed they were back in the studio making music - with a cover of Sweet Female Attitude's 'Flowers' set to appear on the compilation album 'DJ Spoony Presents Garage Classical'. In September 2019, the pre-order for the compilation album confirmed the original trio had regained the name Sugababes.
Ugly
Sugababes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They said I was strange
I noticed that my eyes and hair weren't the same
I asked my parents if I was OK
They said you're more beautiful
And that's the way they show they wish
They had your smile
So my confidence was up for a while
I knew that they were only jealous 'cause
People are all the same
And we only get judged by what we do
My personality reflects me
And if I'm ugly then
So are you
So are you
There was a time when I felt like I cared
That I was shorter than everyone there
People made me feel like life was unfair
And I did things that made me ashamed
'Cause I didn't know my body would change
I grew taller than them in more ways
But there will always be the one who will say
Something bad to make them feel great
People are all the same
And we only get judged by what we do
My personality reflects name
And if I'm ugly then
So are you
So are you
People are all the same
And we only get judged by what we do
My personality reflects me
And if I'm ugly then
So are you
So are you
Everybody talks bad about somebody
And never realizes how it affects somebody
And you bet it won't be forgotten
Envy is the only thing it could be
'Cause people are all the same
(The same, the same)
And we only get judged by what we do
(What we do, yeah, yeah)
My personality reflects me
And if I'm ugly then
(Yeah, you)
So are you
So are you
People are all the same
(Oh, oh, oh)
And we only get judged by what we do
(What we do, yeah)
My personality reflects me
And if I'm ugly then
(Yeah, so are you)
So are you
So are you
The lyrics to Sugababes's "Ugly" are a powerful message about the impact of judgements, stereotypes, and societal expectations on one's self-worth and confidence. The song is about the experiences of growing up and feeling different, and the need to embrace uniqueness and individuality in one's own way.
The song starts with the singer recalling a time when she was considered "strange" as a child. She remembers feeling self-conscious about her appearance, but her parents assured her that she was beautiful, even if she didn't look like everyone else. This boosted her confidence and helped her develop her own sense of style. She realizes that people are all the same and are judged by their actions, not their looks. She challenges the idea of what it means to be "ugly" and suggests that it's more to do with one's character and treatment of others.
In the second verse, the singer recounts a time in her life when she felt ashamed of her body and did things that she regretted. She struggled with feeling left out and inferior, but ultimately grew to be confident in her own skin. She acknowledges that there will always be people who try to put others down to make themselves feel better. She emphasizes that people's actions reflect their own personalities and that calling someone "ugly" can say more about the accuser than the accused.
"Ugly" is a bold and empowering anthem that urges listeners to embrace their individuality and reject negative judgments about appearance. It encourages compassion and kindness towards others and emphasizes the importance of judging people by their actions, not their looks.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was seven
At the age of seven, I had already been labelled as odd.
They said I was strange
Others' perception of me was that I was peculiar.
I noticed that my eyes and hair weren't the same
I began to understand that my features were different from those around me.
I asked my parents if I was OK
I sought validation from my parents about whether I was normal.
They said you're more beautiful
My parents reassured me that I was beautiful.
And that's the way they show they wish
They had your smile
Their words conveyed that they wished they had certain features of mine.
So my confidence was up for a while
I got real comfortable with my own style
Their words boosted my self-esteem and I became comfortable with my unique style.
I knew that they were only jealous 'cause
I recognized that when people criticize, it is usually a reflection of their own insecurity and jealousy.
People are all the same
And we only get judged by what we do
Ultimately, people hold a common denominator, and their judgement of us is usually based on our actions.
My personality reflects me
And if I'm ugly then
So are you
So are you
One's personality is a reflection of their inner self. If someone perceives me as ugly, then they are likely projecting their own ugliness onto me.
There was a time when I felt like I cared
That I was shorter than everyone there
There was a period in my life where I felt insecure about my physical stature compared to others.
People made me feel like life was unfair
And I did things that made me ashamed
Due to others' harsh treatment of me, I made decisions that caused me to feel ashamed.
Cause I didn't know my body would change
I grew taller than them in more ways
But there will always be the one who will say
Something bad to make them feel great
I didn't understand that my body would undergo changes, and I eventually surpassed those who previously made me feel inferior. Despite this, there will always be those who tear you down in order to make themselves feel superior.
Everybody talks bad about somebody
And never realizes how it affects somebody
And you bet it won't be forgotten
Envy is the only thing it could be
People often gossip negatively about others without realizing the harm it can cause. These actions do not go unnoticed and stem from jealousy rather than genuine dislike.
So are you
So are you
So are you
Yeah, you
So are you
So are you
The chorus reiterates that if people perceive me as ugly, then they are likely projecting their own faults and insecurities onto me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DALLAS AUSTIN, DALLAS L AUSTIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Ayzela
"Ugly"
When I was 7
They said I was strange
I noticed that my eyes and hair weren't the same
I asked my parents if I was OK
They said you're more beautiful
And that's the way they show that they wish
That they had your smile
So my confidence was up for a while
I got real comfortable with my own style
I knew that they were only jealous cos
People are all the same
And we only get judged by what we do
Personality reflects name
And if I'm ugly then
So are you
So are you
There was a time when I felt like I cared
That I was shorter than everyone there
People made me feel like life was unfair
And I did things that made me ashamed
Cos I didn't know my body would change
I grew taller than them in more ways
But there will always be the one who will say
Something bad to make them feel great
People are all the same
And we only get judged by what we do
Personality reflects name
And if I'm ugly then
So are you
So are you
People are all the same
And we only get judged by what we do
Personality reflects name
And if I'm ugly then
So are you
So are you
Everybody talks bad about somebody
And never realises how it affects somebody
And you bet it won't be forgotten
Envy is the only thing it could be
Cos people are all the same
(The same, the same)
And we only get judged by what we do
(What we do, yeah, yeah)
Personality reflects name
And if I'm ugly then
(Yeah, you)
So are you
So are you
People are all the same
(Oh, oh, oh)
And we only get judged by what we do
(What we do, yeah)
Personality reflects name
And if I'm ugly then
(Yeah, so are you)
So are you
So are you
@martharose6049
Anyone else on a sugababes album binge???
@icemendes
Yeah we are 🔥🔥🔥
@JENWAHDYAMEAN
Rn 🤣
@exphion
☝️yep 😂
@mrnqdn
Me 2023
@cfsKunckel
Always ;-) !
@marianlauro4159
I forgot we used to make uplifting music like this back in the day.
How refreshing..
@1881Gordon
I Gotta agree too!! 👍👍👍
@reillydon
TLC UNPRETTY
@AWhileHanlin
They still do if you look past the shitty charts