Born:
Mýa Marie Harrison, Oct. 10, 1979, in Wash., D.C.
Early Life:
Mýa was born to an american-Italian mother, Theresa Harrison, and a Jamaican father, Sherman Harrison. She grew up in Maryland and studied singing and dancing as a child, at one point taking lessons in New York City from Savion Glover. She attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland. As a teenager, she appeared as a panelist on BET's Teen Summit talk show. In 1997, Mýa signed with University Records after being brought to the label by her friends in the R&B group Dru Hill.
Debut Album:
Dru Hill's four members wrote and produced half of Mýa's self-titled debut album. The first two singles, "It's All About Me" and "Movin' On," were co-written by Sisqó; the former song also featured Sisqó on guest vocals. Although the singles all had substantial airplay on urban and rhythmic radio, they failed to cross over to pop radio. In 1998, Mýa had her first big hit when she sang on the song "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)," which also featured rappers Ol' Dirty Bastard and Pras.
Pop Success:
In 2000, Mýa returned to the music scene with her second album, Fear Of Flying. Mýa's first big pop hit came with the second single, "Case Of The Ex." The song's video also made it into heavy rotation on MTV. Following the success of "Case of the Ex," Interscope re-released Fear Of Flying with a revised track order and two additional songs, including the album's third single, "Free." "Free" was even more pop-friendly than "Case Of The Ex," and was a hit on MTV and pop radio.
More Music:
In spring of 2001, Mýa joined with Lil Kim, Pink and Christina Aguilera for a remake of Patti LaBelle's "Lady Marmalade," which became a huge pop hit. Then, in 2003, her third album, Moodring, debuted at #3 in the United States, selling 113,000 copies in its first week. To date, it has sold more than 683,000 copies, despite the fact that it failed to produce a top 10 Billboard single. Mýa's fourth album - originally titled Control Freak, then changed to Liberation, was originally scheduled for a summer 2006 release, but has been pushed back numerous times for more than two years.
The Last Word:
"In middle school, when adolescence hit, I was teased all the time. I became really quiet and shy because I didn't know how else to respond, and then I got teased for that. Those are the experiences that developed my creativity." -- Mya, 2000.
