Mýa Marie Harrison (born October 10, 1979), professionally referred
to as Mýa, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer
and actress. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Harrison's eponymous
debut album with Interscope Records was released in April 1998, and
sold over one million copies in the United States, producing the gold-certified
top ten single "It's All About Me" featuring Sisqo.[1]
Her second studio album, platinum-selling Fear of Flying, was released
in 2000 and became a success stateside and worldwide, with single "Case
of the Ex" becoming Mýa's breakthrough hit, reaching
number-one on the Australian Singles Chart.[1][2] A year after, Harrison
won her first Grammy Award for the worldwide number-one hit "Lady
Marmalade", a cover version she recorded alongside Christina
Aguilera, Lil' Kim, and Pink for the soundtrack of the film Moulin
Rouge! (2001).[3]
The singer's third studio album, Moodring, was released in July
2003 stateside and certified Gold by the RIAA.[1] Following several
label changes, Mýa's often-delayed fourth studio album, Liberation
(2007), received a download-release in Japan only and led to her
2008 Japan-exclusive album Sugar & Spice.[4]
Having expanded her career to acting and product endorsement deals,
Harrison has been engaged in product endorsement deals with brands
such as Coca-Cola, Gap, Iceberg, Tommy Hilfiger, and Motorola and
has had small roles in films such as Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
(2004), Shall We Dance? (2004), and Cursed (2005). In 2002, she had
a supporting role in the film adaptation of the 1975 Broadway musical
Chicago, for which she won a Screen Actors Guild Award.[5][6]
Harrison was the runner up on the ninth season of Dancing with the
Stars.[7] Billboard named Mýa the 97th Hot 100 Artists of
2000s.
Named after writer Maya Angelou, Mýa Marie Harrison was one
of three children born to African-American Sherman, a musician and
singer, and Italian American Theresa Harrison, an accountant, in
Washington, D.C.[9] She grew up in nearby suburban Maryland with
her two younger brothers Chaz and Nijel. Her mother worked as an
accountant and her father sang with a number of bands in the area.
Mýa took violin lessons throughout her childhood, but dancing
was her primary after-school activity. She took ballet lessons from
the age of two and added jazz and tap dancing lessons to her schedule
two years later. She entered some dance competitions with her brother
as a partner, and then joined the Tappers With Attitude troop as
a ten-year-old. Her tap dancing skills led to an opportunity to study
with one of the best-known tap dancers in the country, Savion Glover
of the Dance Theater of Harlem, when he came to Washington for a
workshop. Glover later chose Mýa for a solo spot in a dance
performance at the Kennedy Center.[10]
With a black father and a mother of Italian descent, Mýa
sometimes had to endure insensitive comments about her ethnic background.
Her accomplishments as a dancer, however, helped Mýa to make
the transition into adolescence and deal with the peer pressure that
many teenagers experience. As she explained in an appearance on Canada's
Much Music television show in January 2001, "There was a time
in my life when I wasn't popular and accepted by kids in school.
I was made fun of with braces and kinky hair, and being from a multicultural
family, etcetera. ... And it really hurts when you're that age, but
later when you get something of your own or you get involved in activities
like a sport, you begin to be accepted for what you do, and your
personality and who you are, instead of your clothes and how you
look and the name designer brands you have on." As a popular
performer, Mýa would later draw on her experiences to speak
to girls' groups as part of the Secret of Self-Esteem program for
adolescents, addressing issues such as body image, peer pressure,
and gender stereotypes.
While she continued to study dance and appeared on Teen Summit on
the Black Entertainment Television network, Mýa changed her
focus to music as she entered her teens. With the help of her father,
she put together a demo tape when she was 15 and began to scout around
for a record deal while she was still in high school at Eleanor Roosevelt
High School in Greenbelt, Maryland. After an audition in the living
room of University Music Entertainment president Haqq Islam, Mýa
got herself a management deal which led to a recording contract with
University and its major-label affiliate, Interscope Records. Mýa
finished high school when she was 17 years old and subsequently took
a few classes at the University of Maryland, College Park, but the
teenager's primary focus was on the recording studio.
[edit] Recording career
[edit] 1997–1999: Mýa (debut album)
After signing with Interscope, Mýa spent the next two years
recording and completing her debut studio album. The album featured
production and collaborations from noteworthy hitmakers such as Missy
Elliott, Babyface, Diane Warren, Dru Hill, Darryl Pearson and Silkk
Tha Shocker and spawned the massively successful singles "It's
All About Me", "Movin' On", and "My First Night
with You".[10][11] She released her debut single, "It's
All About Me" featuring fellow R&B singer Sisqó,on
February 24, 1998, which peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot
100 and number two on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart respectively.[12]
The single received a gold certification by the Recording Industry
Association of America on June 4, 1998. Her eponymous debut album
was released April 21, 1998 in the United States and reached number
twenty-nine on the Billboard 200. The album sold over 1.4 million
copies in the United States and received a platinum certification
by the Recording Industry Association of America on October 1, 1998;
denoting shipments to US retailers of over 1,000,000 units.
The album's second single "Movin' On", featured No Limit
rapper Silkk Tha Shocker and peaked at number thirty-four on the
Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart
respectively.[12] A third single, "My First Night with You" peaked
at number twenty-eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B/Hip-Hop
Songs chart.[12] In addition to her solo work, Mýa was featured
with Ol' Dirty Bastard on Pras' Grammy-nominated 1998 hit "Ghetto
Supastar" from the Bulworth soundtrack and "Take Me There" from
The Rugrats Movie soundtrack, with Blackstreet, Blinky Blink, and
Mase.
[edit] 2000–2001: Fear of Flying
Fear of Flying is a metaphor for the ups and downs of life. It's
about handling things like an adult, knowing you must have faith
to make anything happen."
—Mýa, Billboard
In 1999, Harrison began production on an album that would eventually
become Fear of Flying. The title was partially inspired by Erica
Jong 1973 novel, Fear of Flying which shared a lot of similarities
toward female sexuality and development of second-wave feminism.
The album featured contributions from Rodney Jerkins, Swizz Beatz,
Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Knobody, and Wyclef Jean. The majority
of Fear of Flying was co-written and co-produced by Harrison and
many of the album’s songs are about female empowerment. Harrison,
who did some writing on her 1998 eponymous debut album, was heavily
involved production of Fear of Flying, from writing and recording
to producing, mixing, and mastering.[13] On April 25, 2000, Fear
of Flying was released and debuted at number fifteen on the Billboard
200 chart with first week sales of 72,000 copies. Upon initial release,
the album seemed to be suffering the dreaded sophomore slump. The
album’s first single "The Best of Me", featuring
Jadakiss, under-performed on the charts, not even making it into
the pop Top 40.[14]
The album’s second single, the confrontational "Case
of the Ex" proved to be a different matter, was a dance-heavy
jam with attitude; on it. Mýa confronts her man about an old
lover who will not go away. "Case of the Ex" became Harrison’s
breakthrough hit topping the Australian Singles Chart for two consecutive
weeks. The song reached number two and three in the United States
and United Kingdom respectively and in turn solidified Fear of Flying
as a hit. With the success of "Case of the Ex", Interscope
re-released Fear of Flying on November 7, 2000 with a revised tracklisting
featuring two new songs, including the third single "Free" (which
was previously on the Bait soundtrack) and a new track titled Again
and Again. "Free" was even more pop-friendly and became
quite successful on MTV’s TRL and pop radio. Fear of Flying
earned Mýa, a Soul Train Music Award nomination for R&B/Soul
Album - Female and a UK MOBO nomination for Best Album in 2001.[15]
The album sold over a million copies in the United States and received
a platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of
America on March 28, 2001. Although Fear of Flying was received with
mixed reviews, the album was critical and commercial success;catapulting
her career into superstardom. Fear of Flying hit nearly hard as her
debut, staying on Billboard 200 for 52 consecutive weeks.
In May 2001, Mýa collaborated with Christina Aguilera, Lil'
Kim, and Pink on a remake of Labelle's 1974 hit "Lady Marmalade".
The track was produced by hip hop producers Missy Elliott and Rockwilder
and was featured in Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge!. The single sold
5.5 million copies, becoming the most successful airplay-only single
in history.[16] The song reached number one on the U.S. Billboard
Hot 100 in its eighth week, spending five weeks at the top of the
chart. The song's success was driven by its sexually suggestive video,
which featured the four singers dressed in burlesque outfits. Pink
and Mýa later described that the immodest concept almost prevented
the video from being filmed; nonetheless, the video was a huge hit
on MTV, VH1, and MTV2, and collected several MTV Video Music Awards
nominations in 2001. The song was also one of the year's biggest
at pop, rhythmic, and even adult top 40. Mýa alongside Aguilera,
Lil' Kim, and Pink not only performed at the Grammy Awards ceremony,
but walked away with the grammy for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. "Lady
Marmalade" went on to collect numerous awards including two
MTV Video Music Awards for Video of the Year and Best Video from
a Film.
[edit] 2002–2003: Moodring
Mýa at the 2003 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York
City
After the release and success of Fear of Flying, Mýa began
to dabble in acting with a supporting role in the 2002 Academy Award-winning
musical film, Chicago, in which she would win a Screen Actors Guild
Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance. In the following years,
she continued appearing in films such as Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
(2004), Shall We Dance? (2004), and Cursed (2005).
On July 22, 2003, after much delay, Mýa released her third
long-awaited studio album, Moodring. The album sold more than 113,000
copies in its first week and peaked at number 3 on Billboard 200,
surpassing Mýa’s previous effort first-week sales. Originally
titled Bittersweet, Moodring display an array of different emotions
exploring Mýa’s playful and sexual side. The majority
of Moodring was co-written and co-produced by Mýa and was
influenced by different subjects and music stylings including techno,
pop rock, soul, hip-hop, r&b, quiet storm, etc.
The first single, the Missy Elliott-produced My Love Is Like...Wo
became a smash hit and a summertime anthem for women. The video showcase
a more sexy and risqué side of Mýa and became popular
at MTV. The second single, the elegant-mid tempo track "Fallen" failed
to duplicate the same success but however reached the top forty on
the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Moodring stayed on the United
States chart for a mere eighteen non-consecutive weeks and went on
to be certified gold,selling 597,000 copies to date.
In 2003, Mýa posed for Maxim magazine; her pictorial is featured
on their Girls of Maxim gallery.[17] She was also a model for King
magazine. Mýa has also appeared in various print ads.
[edit] 2004–2008: Liberation and Sugar & Spice
Mýa was working on her fourth studio album on and off since
2004; she signed a six figure contract with Ford Modeling Agency
in 2005. Originally conceived as a project called Control Freak,
the album's first version was actually scheduled for a mid-2005 release
and involving main production by Scott Storch, Dr. Dre, Lil Jon,
Rockwilder and songwriter Sean Garrett.[18] Although she intended
to release a dance track called "Let It Go" at a particular
time,[19] the singer eventually decided to leave her management and
A&M Records in fall 2005 before signing a new contract with Universal
Motown.[20] Mýa began consulting a few other producers to
collaborate on the album, renamed Liberation, and in mid-2006, a
buzz track entitled "Ayo!" was released onto the internet.[21]
Due to time-consuming "litigations, court, transitioning from
label to label, teaching kids [at the Mya Art & Tech Foundation]
and building a [recording] studio" however, the song was never
picked up as a single and the album's release was pushed back again.[21]
In March 2007, the album's actual lead single "Lock U Down",
a Scott Storch-produced collaboration with Lil Wayne, was sent to
radio. After its commercial failure, a second single entitled "Ridin'" was
released, but as the song saw minor success on the Billboard Hot
R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart only,[22] Liberation was delayed once
more and eventually bumped from the U.S. schedule. As a result, the
album was never released physically anywhere but in Japan.[23]
In 2008, Mýa parted ways with Motown. Having worked on new
material since mid-2007, she contracted with Japanese R&B label
Manhattan Records (not to be confused with the American adult contemporary
label of the same name) to release new material. Her fifth studio
album Sugar & Spice received a Japan-wide release in December
2008.[24] Composed of production by less known producers, the album
produced a new version of her single "Fallen," a cover
of Diana King's hit "Shy Guy," as well as the first and
final single "Paradise."
[edit] 2009–2011: Beauty & the Streets Vol.1 & Love
Is the Answer
Almost a year later, Mýa re-released her Japan-only album
Sugar & Spice. The newer version of the album, entitled Sugar & Spice:The
Perfect Edition, was released on August 5, 2009 containing new remixes
and a new song entitled "Wish You Were Here" featuring
Malaysian artist Che'Nelle. During her downtime Mýa started
her own independent label, entitled Planet 9 and inked a deal with
J. Prince’s Young Empire Music Group. She released her first
mixtape called Beauty & The Streets Vol.1 on September 29, 2009.
The mixtape’s first single, Show Me Somethin' featured Houston-based
rapper Bun B and was service to radio in August.[25] Mýa was
invited to be a featured guest vocalist on We Are the World 25 for
Haiti.
Variety reported Mýa currently has already completed 10 tracks
for her next studio effort with producer Junior Sanchez. No release
date has been set yet but think a electro-dance-rock vibe. Mýa
says, "Working with Junior Sanchez is an incredibly creative
experience - he and his team are true musicians, and we have been
having so much fun in the studio - the sound is brand new and completely
ferosh." The songstress is also gearing up for the launch of
a brand new single "Love Is the Answer," with Cedric Gervais.
The track is scheduled for release late 2010 and is slated to appear
on Gervais' forthcoming album "Miamication" via (Ultra
Records).[26] In search of a production company to shoot her latest
music video-a dance-friendly collaboration with superstar DJ Cedric
Gervais-she and label Ultra Records quickly zeroed-in on the District's
own 8112 Studios. Founded in 2008 by Nicholas Cambata and Douglas
Sonders, the 8112 team has quickly become one of the city's most
sought after production companies, with a client list that includes
Apple, National Geographic, and Universal."Love Is the Answer",
Mýa's latest video follows her and Gervais as they heat things
up at a swanky VIP club throughout the night. Naturally, with every
club setting comes a matching set of beautiful people. A casting
call was conducted by 8112 on Sunday afternoon at The Reserve on
L Street. With a bevy of talented women and men in attendance, Nicholas
and Douglas meticulously interviewed each candidate, focusing specifically
on elements of style and individuality. "Love Is the Answer" will
be shot on-location in D.C. on December 21 and 22, with post production
to be completed locally by 8112 soon thereafter.[27][28] Early 2011,
E! Online gave an exclusive first-listen preview of Love Is the Answer.
The track is now scheduled for a February 8 release via Itunes.Mýa
is in the studio working on her 7th and 8th studio albums.[29] She
released a new track called Fabulous Life in Japan on January 19.
It is the first single from her upcoming second studio album in Japan.[30]
[edit] Artistry
[edit] Voice
Harrison is a mezzo-soprano with a four-octave range.[31] Stephen
Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic commented that Mýa has a voice
that is at once "innocent and knowing", while Billboard
complimented her voice for having a "smooth, angelic tone" to
it who oozes with the confidence and stylistic flair of an artist
twice her age.[32][33][34] Other critics often call her voice weak
and thin. In reviewing for her second studio album Fear of Flying,
Jon Azpiri of AllMusic commented that "she is a promising young
talent, but still has yet to develop the chops necessary to rank
among the best of R&B divas."[35] Rolling Stone stated "The
signature quiver in Mýa's voice does give her some sonic identity,
but otherwise this could be the music of Destiny's Child, Aaliyah
or any of the countless interchangeable hip-hop/R&B divas."[36]
During an interview with Billy Johnson Jr of Yahoo! Music in 2003,
Mýa stated "I like to sing loud, I like to sing soft,
I just like to feel good, period. It's not that serious." She
also commented on the fact there are a lot of misconceptions about
singing: "I'm just happy to be here. I think being a young artist,
just starting out of high school, what kids listen to is club music.
We don't necessarily get too deep or sing like Aretha Franklin. That's
not even what music is truly about today. It's sad, but I want to
give a little bit of sex, being fabulous or sassy. I definitely want
to be able to sing and back that up, and being a dancer first has
sort of given me a complex that I have to be able to sing, period,
with a band. If I break my leg, I'd like to give a show without pyrotechnics
and choreography every five seconds.[37] "
[edit] Songwriting and producing
Since the beginning of her career, Mýa has always been artistically
involved in her career. Harrison writes the majority of her own material
for her studio albums. In an interview she stated, she writes 99.9%
of her albums and when songs are submitted to her, if she feels the
song is something that feels like something she can perform well
and hits close to home, then she feels comfortable doing it.[38]
She is known for writing sexually driven lyrics and female empowerment
compositions with a bit of an edge to them through her love for free
spirited word play and incorporates a wide genre of music such as
pop, dance, jazz, soul, hip-hop, techno, rock, reggae, and quiet
storm.[39][40] Most of her songs are helmed from personal experiences
in her life as well as friends' experiences.[37][41]
Harrison has co-produced most of her records since 2000. She is
heavily involved in the production of her music and every single
process, from writing and recording to producing, mixing, and mastering.
Formulating the beat, creating the concept, and coming up with the
melodies.[13][40][42]
[edit] Influences
Mýa's musical influences include Sade Adu, Janet Jackson,
Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Prince, Chaka Khan,
Minnie Riperton, Patti Labelle and Madonna. Mýa praises Steve
Wonder for his ability to hear music and play music and feel it and
get other people to feel it, and Madonna for her boldness and courage.
Mýa calls Minnie Riperton her favorite female singer and Prince
her musical hero, stating, "He's someone who takes risks. He's
an all-around entertainer, hell of a performer. He's a genius."[43][44][45]
Mýa's dance influences include Gregory Hines, Michael Jackson,
Janet Jackson, Savion Glover, Jimmy Slyde, Electric Boogaloos, Rock
Steady Crew, Cyd Charisse, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire and Sammy Davis,
Jr.[44]
She cites Lena Horne and Liza Minnelli as role models.[45]
[edit] Acting career
Mýa made her acting debut in the 1999 film In Too Deep starring
LL Cool J and Omar Epps. In the movie, she played a young woman named
Loretta.
In late 2002, Mýa co-starred in the broadway musical Chicago
alongside Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, and
Renee Zellweger. In the film, she portrayed a murderess named Mona
in the Cell Block Tango dance number. The film was a box office hit
grossing $306,776,732 worldwide and earned Mýa a Screen Actors
Guild Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance.[6][46] In 2004,
she had two small roles in the films Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
and Shall We Dance?. In the films, she played a latina lounge singer
named Lola Martinez and Vern's Fiancee. Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
tanked at the box office grossing $14,161,590 in the United States
and $27,685,016 worldwide while Shall We Dance? became a box office
hit grossing $57,890,460 in the United States alone and $170,128,460
worldwide.[47][48]
In early 2005, Mýa had a supporting role in the Wes Craven
horror film Cursed. The film starred Christina Ricci, Joshua Jackson,
Judy Greer, and Shannon Elizabeth. In the film, Mýa played
a young victim by the name of Jenny Tate. Although Cursed tanked
at the box office grossing $19,297,522 in the United States and $29,621,722
worldwide, the film earned Mýa a nomination at the 2005 MTV
Movie Awards for Best Frightened Performance.[49][50] Her next film,
the Bill Duke-directed Cover, Mýa portrayed an AIDS victim
named Cynda. The film opened at selective theaters and grossed $79,436
in the United States.[51] The film dealt with the subject of men
who are on the down-low in society.[52] In 2008, Mýa had a
starring role in the direct-to-dvd romantic comedy film Love For
Sale. Mýa played a college student named Kiely in a bad relationship.
The film was released to DVD on October 21, 2008.
In early 2011, Mýa returned to the silver screen and co-star
in the romantic comedy film The Heart Specialist alongside Wood Harris,
Zoe Saldana, and Brian J. White.
[edit] Dancing With the Stars
Harrison was announced she would participate in Dancing with the
Stars' ninth season with Dmitry Chaplin. The two first danced a Viennese
Waltz and a Cha-Cha-Cha. For her Viennese Waltz, she was scored 8's
from judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli but a shocking 5 from
judge Len Goodman. Her Cha-Cha-Cha however was scored first place
receiving 10 points. The following week, Baz Luhrman who directed "Moulin
Rouge!" in which Harrison sang in guest judged for Goodman.
She danced a Jive that scored 27/30. She tied first place with Aaron
Carter and Karina Smirnoff's Quickstep and received the encore of
the week. When Goodman returned as regular judge the following week,
Harrison danced a Rumba which scored yet another 27 however she received
the first ever 10's from Inaba and Tonioli but a shocking 7 from
Goodman. A similar incident happened the following week when her
Lambada scored 28 being scored 10's from Inaba and Tonioli and an
8 from Goodman tying in first place with Melissa Joan Hart and Mark
Ballas's Charleston. That following week, Harrison and Chaplin danced
an Argentine Tango which scored yet another 27 however she did not
receive 1st place and instead, future winners Donny Osmond and Kym
Johnson did receiving the highest score of the season to date of
29 until she beat that score later on. Following that week, the two
decided to dance a Jitterbug themed diner characters. Goodman remarked
that "it was good, I just wanted a bit more" and scored
a 24. They then danced a Mambo against every other couple and received
9 points losing to future fourth place finalists Joanna Krupa and
Derek Hough, both of whom were tough competition for them. The next
week, the two danced a Foxtrot and a Paso Doble with Michael Irvin,
Mark Dacascos and Aaron Carter (Decascos and Irvin whom got eliminated
that week). For her Foxtrot, the two received 25 getting 9's from
Tonioli and Inaba and a 7 from Goodman. Following that week, she
danced a Quickstep which tied for Osmond and Johnson's Argentine
Tango of 29. They then danced a 1970's-themed Samba which she was
awarded the first 30 of the season. The next week, she was asked
to dance three dances (a Waltz, a Salsa and a Cha-Cha-Cha) only receiving
9's and 10's and receiving the second 30. For the finals week, she
danced a Paso Doble and was dubbed by Carrie Ann Inaba as the "Queen
of the Paso Doble" and was granted the third 30. Then she dance
the Megamix dance along with Kelly Osbourne and Donny Osmond and
was granted another 30. For her final dance before the public vote,
Harrison and Chaplin danced a Hairspray-themed Freestyle dance which
was remarked by the judges that "it was good but needed more" and
received a 27. The final dance was a repeat of her Jive from Week
2 and received 28 finishing in second place.
[edit] Performances
Week Dance/Song Carrie Ann's
Score Len's/Baz's
Score Bruno's
Score Result
1 Viennese Waltz/"Vision of Love" 8 5 8 Safe
1 Cha-Cha-Cha Relay/"Centerfold" Awarded 10 Points Safe
2 Jive/"Would You...?" 9 9 9 Safe
3 Rumba/"Underneath Your Clothes" 10 7 10 Safe
4 Lambada/"Ain't It Funny" 10 8 10 Safe
5 Argentine Tango/"They" 9 9 9 Safe
5 Hustle Group Dance/"Do the Hustle" N/A N/A N/A N/A
6 Jitterbug/"C'mon Everybody" 8 7 9 Safe
6 Mambo Marathon/"Ran Kan Kan" Awarded 9 Points Safe
7 Foxtrot/"Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby" 9 7 9 Safe
7 Team Paso Doble/"I Hate Myself for Loving You" 8 8 8
Safe
8 Quickstep/"Baby Wants a Diamond Ring" 9 10 10 Safe
8 70's Samba/"Bad Girls" 10 10 10 Safe
9 Waltz/"Amore e Musica" 9 9 10 Safe
9 Salsa/"La Isla Bonita" 10 10 10 Safe
9 Cha-Cha-Cha/"Fire Burning" 9 10 10 Safe
10 Paso Doble/"We Will Rock You" 10 10 10 Runner-Up
10 Megamix/"You and Me", "Whenever, Wherever", "Maniac" Awarded
30 Points Runner-Up
10 Freestyle/"You Can't Stop the Beat" 9 9 9 Runner-Up
10 Jive/"Would You...?" Awarded 28 Points Runner-Up
[edit] Endorsements
At the age of 18, Harrison served as a ad print spokeswoman for
Bongo Jeans and had a Tommy Hilfiger lipstick shade named after her.[53]
In the following years to come, she continued to receive endorsements
deals. In 2001, she became a spokesperson for Iceberg jeans and featured
in ad prints in magazines. Harrison signed an endorsement deal with
Coca-Cola in 2002, which included appearances on TV commercials.
Her and then label mate Common recorded a cover version of Ed Harris'
Real Compared To What. The commercial made its debut in 2003 at the
American Music Awards and featured Mýa in a 90 second commercial
singing a jazzy cover version of the song alongside Chi-town rapper
Common .[54][55] In early 2003, Mýa recorded an updated version
of Simon & Garfunkel classic hit Feeling Groovy for the new spring
GAP television ads. The music for the spot was produced by Jimmy
Jam & Terry Lewis. The new GAP commercials were produced by longtime
GAP creative agency Laird & Partners and aired everywhere throughout
March and April.[56][57] In 2004, Mýa performed the original
theme song, "Everything or Nothing", for the latest video
game in the Bond franchise - James Bond: Everything Or Nothing. Mýa
also appears in the game as the NSA agent sultry Bond girl "Mya
Starling". Mýa co-wrote and co-produced the song with
Randy Bugnitz and A&M president Ron Fair, and three variations
of the theme appeared in the game.[11][58]
In 2005, Motorola signed Mýa and eight other artists from
every generation to appear in TV commercial; promoting its first
iPod music phone; the Motorola rokr. The commercial starred pop icons
Madonna and Iggy Pop alongside with Little Richard, Bootsy Collins,
Amerie, Alanis Morissette and look-a-likes of Beethoven, Jimi Hendrix,
and Notorious B.I.G.[59]
On March 1, 2010, Escada announced that actress, model, and multi-platinum
recording artist Mýa will host the celebration to introduce
Escada's newest scent Marine Groove on March 13 in Miami Beach.The
two-day event included a VIP party at South Beach's hottest nightclub,
LIV. Select guests joined Mýa for an exclusive evening of
dancing and libations. On Sunday afternoon the celebration continued
on the Venetian Lady Yacht in downtown Miami with a three-hour chartered
yacht party.[60][61]
[edit] Philanthropy
As a philanthropist, Mýa continues to devote her time and
resources to various causes. From 1998 to 2001, she became the spokesperson
for Secret to Self Esteem. In 2005, Mýa founded TMATF: The
Mya Arts & Tech Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated
to providing disadvantaged youth growth and opportunity through arts & technology
education, where she serves as both executive director and teacher.
Mýa is also an advocate of breast cancer as her mother is
a 12 year survivor. In 2006 & 2007 she collaborated with the
Lifetime Television Network in the Stop Breast Cancer for Life campaign,
recording "My Bra" a song sold on iTunes donating 100%
of proceeds to breast cancer research. In 2007, Mýa was also
the internationally featured artist in Heatherette’s Fashion
Show for Lifeball in Vienna, Austria to fight Global AIDS, hosted
a fundraiser for Skool’d to aid homeless LGBT youth, and advocated
gay rights by opening the Out 100 Awards. In 2009 Mýa continued
her philanthropic efforts by chairing the 2009 Operation Smile Event,
participating in the literary project, “If I’d Known
Then: Women in Their 20's and 30's Write Letters to their Younger
Selves”, by Ellen Spraggins, and accepting an honoree award
for her work with the NSAL and continued support of animal welfare.
Mýa will continue her social efforts in 2010 by partnering
with Cyndi Lauper’s TRUE COLORS: Give A Damn PSA, NOH8 campaign,
NSAL 2010, and assisting in various HAITI relief efforts, among other
philanthropic initiatives.[11][62]
[edit] Discography
Main article: Mýa discography
* Mýa (1998)
* Fear of Flying (2000)
* Moodring (2003)
* Liberation (2007)
* Sugar & Spice (2008)
[edit] Tours
* 1998: Smokin' Groove Tour
* 1999: Lilith Fair
* 2000: MTV European Tour
* 2001: House of Blues Tour
* 2003: House of Blues Tour
* 2007: Seagrams Live Tour
* 2007: BET Black College Tour
[edit] Filmography
Film
Year Film Role Notes
1999 In Too Deep Loretta
2002 Chicago Mona Cell Block Tango
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in
a Motion Picture
Nominated–Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast
Nominated–Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
2004 Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights Lola Martinez
Shall We Dance? Vern's Fiancee
2005 Cursed Jenny Tate Nominated–MTV Movie Award for Best Frightened
Performance
2006 Swap Meet Katrina
2007 The Meterosexual Jessica
2009 Bottleworld Bree
2011 Sunset Strip (Documentary) Herself
The Heart Specialist Valerie
Television Films
Year Title Role Notes
2001 Volcano High Yu Cha-i MTV English Dub
2006 Yo Gabba Gabba Herself TV Movie
Straight-to-DVD
Year Title Role Notes
2008 Cover Cynda
Love For Sale Kiely Leading actress
2010 The Penthouse Mitra
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1999 Sister, Sister Herself FreakNik Episode #115
2002 Haunted Voodoo Priestess Abby Seaon 1 Episode#4
2003 Punk'd Herself Season 2 Episode#3
2004 1-800-Missing Kira Pop Star Season 2 Episode#10
2005 NCIS Samantha 'Jade' King Pop Life Season 2 Episode#16
2006 Love Monkey Herself Coming Out (uncredited) Season 1 Episode#8
2007 Yo Gabba Gabba Herself Friends Season 1 Episode#7
2008 Secret Talents of the Stars Herself/contestant Pilot Season
1 Episode#1
2009 Dancing with the Stars Herself/contestant 2nd Place