Liberation

Liberation is the fourth studio album by Mya.

The album was supposed to be her debut release with her then-new record label Universal Motown after leaving Interscope Records in 2005.

Before she left, Mya had begun working on an album for Interscope called "Control Freak" that was set for a summer release in 2005 with production by a host of other producers.

Ultimately, she decided to leave A&M and Interscope Records and her management in favor of Universal Motown.

In a three-month period, Mya had completed and submitted the album to her new record label.

The production on the album (which was classified as "energetic [and] ghetto" with a less classic R&B edge) was primarily handled by Scott Storch and J.R. Rotem with additional contributions from Bryan Michael Cox, Kwame, Carvin & Ivan, longtime contributor Tricky Stewart & a handful of others.

Guest appearances on the album included rappers Snoop Dogg, Charli Baltimore and Lil Wayne.

The album spawned two singles: the Storch-collaboration "Lock U Down" and the R&B-ballad "Ridin'".

Both singles failed to make an impact at radio and on the charts.

Due to the industry’s budget cuts, the album suffered numerous delays and pushbacks.

While delaying the album’s release again, Universal Motown accidentally leaked the album and on October 22, 2007, "Liberation" was subsequently released as a digital download in Japan only.

The album marked Mya's only release on Universal Motown label following her departure in 2008.

Album Background
Intermitted by several recording pauses, Mya had been working on her fourth studio album since 2004.

The project was originally called "Control Freak" and the main production of the album was intitially financed by A&M Records after Mya left Interscope Records due to the mediocre commercial success of her previous album "Moodring."

The album was expected to have contributions by producers and songwriters Scott Storch, Dr. Dre, Jodeci, Lil Jon, Rockwilder and songwriter Sean Garrett.

Mya (who took control of the album in her own hands by producing part of the record herself) described the album as "a combination of a Gwen Stefani because it's energetic and Lil Jon, very ghetto" with a less classic R&B edge, explaining further:

"Control Freak is basically learning how to gain control of a situation yourself, gaining control in order to be [a] free and beautiful person in life."

Although she intended to release a dance track called "Let It Go" at a particular time, Mya eventually decided to leave both her management and A&M Records in the fall of 2005 due to personal differences before signing a new contract with Universal Motown.

Album Production
During the following months, Mya began consulting a few other producers to collaborate on the album (which was renamed "Liberation") including Tim & Bob, Bryan Michael Cox, Kwamé, J. R. Rotem and Tricky Stewart.

In search of a new vibe for the album, she drew inspiration by leaving Los Angeles, California and moving back to Washington, D.C., where she spent her formative years.

In an interview with Billboard magazine, Mya said:

"I just knew that I had to get back to my roots and rediscover what had made me excited in the first place. I have all this creative energy and all these ideas but LA it was too impersonal of a place to develop a real creative family."

Back home, Mya bought a house and enlisted her brother to build a recording studio where she began experimenting, laying down rudimentary tracks and learning how to engineer.

Pushed by her newfound abilities in mixing and production, she once again intensified work on the re-worked "Control Freak" album with most of it eventually being completed in a stretch of only three months.

Comparing the making of the album with a therapy, Mya said:

"It was an easy process because I knew what I wanted to do when I went in. I've been honest with myself and have been able to admit some things and analyze myself and save myself at the end of the day [...] Liberation is a clean slate; my most expressive, vulnerable album."

Musical Content
The album opens with the Kwamé-produced "I Am," one of many uptempo recordings on the album.

"Walka Not A Talka" (the album's third track) was written and produced by J. R. Rotem and features rapper Snoop Dogg. The song was considered a single at one point by Mýa's label Motown.

In 2011, a version recorded by Lindsay Lohan appeared online. It's unknown whether Lindsay or Mya recorded the song first, but in the rap part of Lindsay's version, Snoop Dogg still refers to Mýa, instead of Lindsay.

The Scott Storch-produced song "Still A Woman" is the album's fourth track and tells the story an independent woman, but needs a man's touch at the end of the day.

On track seven, "Lights Go Off" is a mid-tempo song produced by Carvin & Ivan.

The song starts out with Mya's man leaving her a voice message and ends with another girl answering Mya's boyfriend's phone.

It the beginning of the storyline and intro to the album's second single.

"Ridin'", the album's second single and eighth track was co-written by Jevon Sims, Ester Dean & Traci Hale and produced by Tricky Stewart.

The song is inspired by a relationship Mya was in at one point.

The song became a minor success on the charts, reaching number fifty-eight on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and the album's final release.

The Carvin & Ivan-produced "Switch It Up" is the album's ninth track and was a favorite among music critics.

"Give A Chick A Hand" is a Crunk&B-inspired song and tells the story of a woman giving kudos to the next woman who stole her man.

"All In The Name Of Love," the album's eleventh track was produced by J. R. Rotem and incorporates the theme music from the movie "Halloween."

"Life's Too Short," is the album's second ballad and twelfth track.

"Nothin' At All" is the album's final track. It was produced by Tricky Stewart and written by Mya herself.

The song itself tells the story of Mya's career in the music industry and the ups and downs that comes with the price of fame.

Tracklisting

 * 1) Liberation (Intro) (0:18) (written by Mya Harrison)
 * 2) I Am (feat. Charli Balitmore) (3:49) (written by Mya Harrison, Kwame Holland, Alan Gibb, Leroy Randolph & Charisse Rose; produced by Kwame)
 * 3) Walka Not a Talka (feat. Snoop Dogg) (3:35) (written by Mya Harrison, Lyrica Anderson, Calvin Broadus and J.R. Rotem; produced by J.R. Rotem)
 * 4) Still A Woman (3:57) (written by Mya Harrison & Scott Storch; produced by Scott Storch)
 * 5) No Touchin' (4:04) (written by Mya Harrison & Noel Fisher; produced by Noel "Detail" Fisher)
 * 6) Lock U Down (feat. Lil Wayne) (3:37) (written by Mya Harrison, Scott Storch & Dwayne Carter; produced by Scott Storch)
 * 7) Lights Go Off (6:23) (written by Mya Harrison, Ivan "Orthodox" Barias, Carvin "Ransum" Haggins, Ezekiel Lewis & Thabiso Nkhereanye; produced by Carvin & Ivan)
 * 8) Ridin' (4:18) (written by Ester Dean, Traci Hale, Mya Harrison, Jevon Sims and Christopher "Tricky" Stewart; produced by Christopher Stewart)
 * 9) Switch It Up (4:43) (written by Mya Harrison, Ivan Barian & Carvin Haggins; produced by Carvin & Ivan)
 * 10) Give a Chick a Hand (4:13) (written by Mya Harrison & Paula Pete; produced by Paula Pete)
 * 11) All in the Name of Love (3:31) (written by Mya Harrison & J.R. Rotem; produced by J.R. Rotem)
 * 12) Life's Too Short (4:02) (written by Mya Harrison, Bryan Michael Cox & Kendrick Dean; produced by Bryan Michael Cox & Wyldcard)
 * 13) Nothin' At All (4:43) (written by Mya Harrison & Christopher "Tricky" Stewart; produced by Christopher "Tricky" Stewart)

Album Release
Even though a release date for the album was announced numerous times since 2004, more than two years passed until "Liberation" was eventually brought on the music market in 2007.

It was originally expected to drop under a different title in 2005, the album was repeatedly bumped from the U.S. schedule, lastly in September of 2007 (at the time when Mya had already started working on her follow-up album "Sugar & Spice").

While Mya appointed the delay to "litigations, court, transitioning from label to label, teaching kids [at the Mya Art & Tech Foundation] and building a studio" at first, the delays were actually caused by "business related" differences.

Mya explained:

"It's just business you know. The music industry is suffering so record companies have to scrap for money. Plus I would rather wait for them to get it right before I do an album."

As a result, "Liberation" received a limited digital release in Japan only on October 22, 2007.

Album Reception
Reviewed by a few American critics only, "Liberation" garnered a generally mixed reception.

Dorian Lynskey of ±Blender" magazine gave the album two and a half stars out of five, stating:

"A decade into her career, two songs raise the 27-year-old’s game — the insidious snake-charmer melody of “'Walka Not a Talka' and the bracing blast of betrayed-housewife rage of 'All in the Name of Love.' Elsewhere, boilerplate slow jams and generic sass paint Mya, her claims to the contrary, as a talka not a walka."