Mya (album)

Mya is the self-titled debut album by Mya. The album was released on April 21, 1998 on Interscope Records.

She was signed to the label by Haaq Islam when she was 16 years old. Once Mya was signed, she began recording her album which began in 1997 and ended in 1998.

The album was recorded at the Silent Sound Studios in Atlanta, Georgia and The Record Plant in Los Angeles, California.

Album Background
Mya is an accomplished dancer who has trained with Savion Glover, Gregory Hines and the Dance Theater of Harlem. She also held a dancing gig on BET's "Teen Summit."

When she was 15 years old, Mya shifted her focus to music and although she was best known as a dancer, she was also musically inclined, learning how to sing and play the violin as a child.

When her father (a professional musician) learned that Mya could sing and was serious about a musical career, they begin to shop around the demo tapes, earning the attention of University Music Entertainment president/CEO Haaq Islam.

Impressed with Mya's audition, he signed her to Interscope Records.

Album Recording & Compositions
University Music president/CEO Haaq Islam signed 16-year-old Mya to the label. He called his "Diana Ross," saying:

"She has a vocal ability that can be heard in a room full of singers; her flow is tantamount to a rapper."

Mýa and Interscope Records spent the next two years working on her debut album, hiring an impressive list of collaborators, including Darryl Pearson, Babyface, Diane Warren, Raphael Brown, Wyclef Jean, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott and Dru Hill's Sisqo & Noko.

Mýa says that her album speaks mostly to men and that many of the songs offer variety of "messages."

She who co-wrote many of the songs on the album, including the ballad "If You Died I Wouldn't Cry Cause You Never Loved Me Anyway" where she puts a voice to the gut-wrenching pain some woman feel at the end of a relationship.

In the song, Mya sings of wanting a man to "die" because "he never loved her anyway."

She says the song is about saying things in anger, but being able to learn from mistakes.

Another ballad "My First Night with You" is about a non-sexual experience with a man, written by Babyface and produced by Daryl Simmons.

Mya said Simmons allowed her to do her own thing and put her own spin on the song.

The song "Bye Bye" (featuring Missy Elliott) was written by Mya and Daryl Pearson.

Other songs included on the album were the dance-oriented "We're Goin Make Ya Dance and "What Cha Say" a song that Mya wrote all by herself.

Islam says her songwriting is consistent with the label's philosophy. According to him:

"We want artistry and strong songs with good messages that appeal to the heart, soul and imagination."

He revealed:

"Mya's album takes us to another level; my label always want to present something positive and edgy, to reflect young people today."

Mya adds that the album is "lady-like" and done in a "tasteful" way, leaving some things to the imagination instead of trying to sound vulgar or explicit.

Album Promotion & Release
University Music president/CEO Haaq Islam held a press release for Mya’s self-titled debut studio album with Billboard magazine.

At the time of the press release, University Music revealed and shared details about Mya's project and University Music’s marketing strategy plans.

During the press conference, the label announced Mya’s album and single U.S. release dates.

Although at press time, Mya's debut album was slated for a May 5th release date, it was later changed to April 21st. However, an international release date for the album was not set.

Mýa’s first single "It’s All About Me" (featuring Dru Hill's Sisqo) was solicited to radio March 3rd and released commercially March 10th.

The video clip for "It’s All About Me" was serviced to BET and The Box on February 10th. It was serviced to MTV at a later date.

Album Marketing
From the beginning, University/Interscope used Mya's connection to label mates Dru Hill as a promotional tool.

To create a buzz for her, University Music coupled her with Dru Hill in video and television appearances using that as an outlet to create a fan base for her.

In addition to video and television appearances, she was featured on Puff Daddy’s tour which also included Dru Hill.

To continue to create an ongoing buzz for herself, Mya opened the Boyz II Men tour from April 26th to July 26th.

As a marketing plan, University Music announced and created a grass-roots campaign that hit high schools. The label distributed newsletter about Mya hitting more than 25,000 high schools nationally.

University also set up a Mya 900 number which was advertised on posters and fliers. Callers could hear samples of Mya’s music and hear the latest on her activities.

On press front, Mya covered "Right On!" and "Teen People" magazines. In late April, she appeared and performed "It’s All About Me" on VIBE. Lastly, she was featured on Interscope’s worldwide website, where she had her own page.

Tracklisting

 * 1) What Cha Say (3:55) (written by Mya Harrison and Darryl Pearson; produced by Darryl Pearson)
 * 2) Movin' On (4:29) (written by Mya Harrison, Darryl Pearson & Mark Andrews; produced by Darryl Pearson)
 * 3) Baby It's Yours (4:29) (written by Alex Cantrall & Myron Davis; produced by Alex Cantrall)
 * 4) Keep On Lovin' Me (3:46) (written by Darryl Pearson, Mark Andrews, Larry "Jazz" Anthony & N. Neka; produced by Darryl Pearson)
 * 5) It's All About Me (feat. Sisqo) (4:26) (written by Darryl Pearson & Mark Andrews; produced by Darryl Pearson)
 * 6) If You Died I Wouldn't Cry Cause You Never Loved Me Anyway (5:02) (written by James "Woody" Green, R. Brown & Tamir Ruffin; produced by Nokio the N-Tity)
 * 7) We're Gonna Make Ya Dance (4:23) (written by Mya Harrison, Darryl Pearson & Tamir Ruffin; produced by Darryl Pearson)
 * 8) If You Were Mine (4:17) (written by Alex Cantrall & Davis; produced by Alex Cantrall)
 * 9) Bye Bye (feat. Missy Elliott) (4:05) (written by Mya Harrison, Darryl Pearson & Melissa Elliott; produced by Darryl Pearson)
 * 10) Anytime You Want (3:40) (written by Alex Cantrall, Joey Priolo & Carl Carr; produced by Alex Cantrall)
 * 11) Don't Be Afraid (4:46) (written by Alex Cantrall & Joey Priolo; produced by Alex Cantrall)
 * 12) My First Night With You (5:38) (written by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds & Diane Warren; produced by Daryl Simmons)
 * 13) Movin' On (Remix featuring Silkk the Shocker) (4:30) (written by Mya Harrison, Darryl Pearson, Mark Andrews and Vyshonn Miller; produced by Darryl Pearson)

Album Personnel
Musicians
 * Babyface: Songwriter
 * Diane Warren: Songwriter
 * Dru Hill: Background Vocals
 * Joey P.: Guitar (Acoustic), Strings, Guitar (Bass), Guitar (Electric)
 * Randy Bowland: Guitar
 * Ronnie Garrett: Bass
 * Silkk the Shocker: Performer
 * Missy Elliott: Performer

Production
 * A. Haqq Islam: Executive Producer
 * Daven Baptiste: Artwork & Design
 * Darryl Pearson: Producer & Vocal Arrangement
 * Daryl Simmons: Drum Programming & Keyboard Programming
 * Eldren Hughes: Artwork & Design
 * Fred: Mixing Assistant
 * Gordon Rice: Engineer
 * Ivy Skoff: Production Coordination
 * Jason Webb: Assistant Engineer & Mixing Assistant
 * Kevin Lively: Assistant Engineer

Singles
The first single from the album "It's All About Me" peaked at number six on Billboard Hot 100 and number two on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

The single was a commercial success due to heavy rotation video airplay on MTV and became Mýa's first top ten hit (solo).

It was a moderate success internationally, peaking in the top twenty in New Zealand and top forty in Canada.

The second single "Movin' On" peaked at number thirty-four on Billboard Hot 100 and number four on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

The single was a moderate success and became Mýa's second top forty hit (solo). It was a moderate success internationally, peaking in the top twenty in New Zealand.

The third and final single "My First Night With You" peaked at number twenty-eight on Billboard Hot 100 and number twenty-eight on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

The single was a moderate success and became Mya's third top forty hit (solo).

Chart Performance
The album debuted at number seventy-seven on the Billboard 200 album chart on May 9, 1998.

It later peaked at number twenty-nine on the Billboard 200 album chart and Billboard's Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart at number thirteen during the week of September 5, 1998 and July 14, 1998 due to consistent sales.

It was certified platinum by RIAA on October 1, 1998 and remained on the Billboard 200 album chart for 53 non-consecutive weeks.

The album has sold over 1.4 million copies in the United States alone, according to Nielsen Soundscan.

The album was the 87th best-selling album of 1998 and the following year the 200th best-selling album. Outside the United States, the album failed to chart internationally.

Critical Reception
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic called the album "a smooth, sultry collection of well-crafted contemporary urban soul that is actually richer than the average urban record the late '90s" citing "part of its success lies with the teenage Mýa, who has a voice that is at once innocent and knowing and many of the songs on the record are loosely about a teenager becoming a woman, which is a subject Mýa can convincingly sell, but overall it's a thoroughly promising debut."

Billboard magazine stated:

"Young artist Mya scores on her debut album by addressing issues of concern to women without spewing cuss words. Boosted by the strong presence of Sisqo of the group Dru Hill, the artist's first single, "It's All About Me" though reminiscent of Destiny's Child's "No, No, No" is a catchy, infectious tune that carries a lot of weight. What's also positive about Mya is that her songwriting skills are being displayed early in her career. Other noteworthy tracks include "Whatcha Say," "Bye Bye," "My First Night With You," "Movin' On" and "We're Gonna Make Ya Dance."

Accolades
Mya was nominated for "Best R&B\Soul or Rap New Artist" and "Best R&B\Soul Album-Female" at the 1999 Soul Train Music Awards.

She was also nominated for "Best R&B\Soul Song Of The Year" for "Movin' On" at the

Mya was nominated for the "Outstanding New Artist" award at the NAACP Image Awards in 1999.