Mya (singer)

This article is about the R&B singer Mya. For other uses, see Mya (disambiguation).

Mya Marie Harrison (born October 10, 1979 in Washington, DC) is an American R&B singer who debuted in early 1998 as a teenager. The daughter of an African-American father and Italian American mother, she is usually credited only as Mya, however has also been credited as Mya Harrison.

Her debut album featured the singles "It's All About Me", which featured Dru Hill member Sisqo; "Movin' On," which featured rapper Silkk Tha Shocker; and the love ballad, "My First Night With You". Although the singles all had substantial airplay on urban and rhythmic radio, they all also failed to cross over onto pop radio. Nevertheless, the videos for all three songs were MTV staples through 1998.

Although Mya's own singles failed to become pop hits, Mya was a featured artist (she sang the chorus), with Ol' Dirty Bastard, on Pras' smash summer 1998 hit, "Ghetto Supastar". During the fall of the same year, she also scored a pop hit as a featured vocalist on Blackstreet's "Take Me There", which also featured guest raps from Ma$e and Blinky Blink.

In 2000, Mya returned to the music scene with her second album, Fear Of Flying. Its first single, "Best Of Me," was an urban R&B song that featured rapper Jadakiss and had an even more urban hip-hop remix, which featured Jay-Z. Once again, the song and its remix were huge on urban radio, but did not have any pop success. Mya's first big pop hit came with Fear Of Flying's second single, "Case Of The Ex". The song's video was also huge on MTV's TRL. The next single, "Free" was even more pop-friendly and also became quite successful on MTV, TRL, and pop radio.

In spring of 2001, Mya joined forces with Lil Kim, Pink, and Christina Aguilera, on a remake of LaBelle's "Lady Marmalade". The track was produced by hot hip-hop producers Missy Elliott and Rockwilder and was featured in Baz Luhrman's Moulin Rouge. The song's video was memorable because it featured the four singers dressed in very skimpy clothes and heavy makeup, like women who appear at the "Moulin Rogue" would typically be dressed. The video was a huge hit on MTV, VH1, and MTV2, and won a few MTV Video Music Awards in 2001. The song was also one of the year's biggest at pop, rhythmic, and adult top 40 radio, becoming all four women's most successful single and video before or since.

Mya has also dabbled in acting, appearing in a supporting role in the 2002 musical film, Chicago, and most recently in 2005's Cursed.

In the summer of 2003, Mya released the video for "My Love Is Like... Wo," the lead single from her third album, Moodring. The song was a Top 20 hit in the US; its follow-up single was "Fallen".

She has recently collaborated with Australian R&B singer Guy Sebastian, performing a duet with him on an album track on his sophomore album, Beauiful Life .

Discography

Albums

1998: Mya (US #29)
2000: Fear of Flying (US #15)
2003: Moodring (US #3)

Singles

1998: "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)" (Pras featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard introducing Mya) (US #15, UK #2)
1998: "It's All About Me" (featuring Sisqó of Dru Hill) (US #6)
1998: "Movin' On" (featuring Silkk Tha Shocker) (US #34)
1998: "Take Me There" (Blackstreet & Mya feautring Ma$e & Blinky Blink) (US #14, UK #7)
1999: "My First Night with You" (US #28)
2000: "The Best of Me" (featuring Jadakiss) (US #50)
2001: "The Best of Me [Holla Main Mix]" (featuring Jay-Z)
2001: "Case of the Ex" (US #2, UK #3)
2001: "Girls Dem Sugar" (Beenie Man feat. Mya) (UK #13)
2001: "Free" (US #42, UK #11)
2001: "Lady Marmalade" (with Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim & Pink) (US #1, UK #1)
2003: "My Love is Like... Wo" (US #13, UK #33)
2004: "Fallen" (US #51)