Though she hasn't received the levels of Lil' Kim or Aaliyah, Mya has become a mini-sexpot that isn't afraid to show a little flesh tone to prove that she's moved beyond an innocent teenager. Though she's very sexy, we think it might be a little out of character for someone with such a sweet voice.
Though her recent song "Case Of The Ex", was a succesful hit, and "Ghetto Supastar" put her on the map, Mya hasn't even come close to the kind of success fellow teeny boppers Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera had. In fact, during the height of her "Supastar" fame, she faded from public view missing out on a golden opportunity.
Mya Marie Harrison was born October 10, 1979, in Washington, D.C, and is the daughter of an African-American father and Italian mother. Her father performed in R&B bands, and must have passed his musical tendency to young Mya. Although she always knew that she would work in the music industry, she started out as a dancer.
Her love of dance shone through when a 2-year-old Mya danced in the pool between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. She began to take dance lessons soon after, specializing mostly in ballet, jazz and tap. While she lost interest in dance at the age of 8, she still showed passion for music with violin lessons in the fourth grade.
Mya took a brief hiatus from dance, but she returned to her hobby in 1992, piqued by her watching videos of herself dancing. She them studied tapes of Savion Glover, known for his work in the Broadway sensation Bring In Da Noise, Bring In Da Funk. With the help of Glover's tapes and practice on Mya's part, she eventually joined the group T.W.A. (Tappers With Attitude).
Mya then headed for New York to study with Glover himself, at the legendary Dance Theater of Harlem. Thanks to her fantastic ability to improvise, not to mention the fact that Glover was impressed with her tapping talent, Glover gave Mya a solo spot at a Kennedy Center performance. Almost giving back what she learned from the incomparable Savion Glover, Mya has been teaching children dance ever since the age of 14.
But it was when Mya's father heard her sing that he became dedicated to helping her pursue a career as a singer. Under his guidance, Mya recorded some demo tapes and perfected her vocals. He brought her demo tapes to a club where he was performing, where as luck would have it, the President and CEO of University Music, Haqq Islam was present.
Islam came to the Harrison residence to see if Mya's voice was as good in person as it was in her demos, and after a living room audition, where Mya performed songs from En Vogue, she was signed to a record deal. Thanks to a strict upbringing emphasizing the importance of education, Mya had already finished high school by the time she had a record contract.
The budding starlet intended on studying speech communications at the University of Maryland, but the intense schedule associated with working on a debut album were too stringent and Mya opted to focus on her true passions. So, she ventured into communication of another sort; singing to millions of fans.
Mya's self-entitled debut album was released in 1998, and featured collaborations with such R&B hard hitters as Babyface, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott and Dru Hill. The critically acclaimed album went platinum and spawned hits such as "It's All About Me" (a duet with Sisqo) and "Movin' On".
While her album was becoming a commercial success, Mya's collaboration with Pras and Ol' Dirty Bastard for "Ghetto Supastar" (off the Bulworth soundtrack) and her work with Blackstreet for "Take Me There" (off the Rugrats soundtrack) only spread her fame and success even thicker. Mya also contributed a track to the Life soundtrack.
Mya's latest release, Fear of Flying, includes the producing efforts of Wyclef Jean and Jerry Duplessis, and features the collaborations of She'kspere & Kandi and Soulshock & Karlin. The album, which also highlights Mya's songwriting abilities, emphasizes her professional and personal growth, but still may not differentiate her from fellow R&B young divas such as Aaliyah, Brandy or Monica.
Known for her moves, voice and presence while performing on her popular tours, Mya also lent her vocals on the Lilith Fair, sharing the bill with artists such as Jewel, Lisa Loeb, and Sarah McLachlan. With her eye on producing, Mya also designs clothes, is a former spokesperson for Bongo jeans, and is involved in the Secret to Self Esteem program, focusing on teen issues.
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