Singer Mya reflects on 25 years in the music industry

When Mya stepped onto the R&B scene in 1998, it seemed as if she earned her classification as a triple threat — singer/songwriter, dancer and actress — right away.

Now, after 25 years in hip-hop and pop, she’s reflecting on the “beautiful journey” that is her music career. 

In an interview with Billboard, she spoke of her debut self-titled album and its chart-topping lead single, “All About Me,” revealing that the Chinese-inspired red outfit worn in the music video is a favorite look of hers. 

“I sketched that outfit on paper, drew the designs that I wanted and I saw it come to life,” she said, adding, “This is something that I’ve been doing for years.”

She explained, “I have this whole sketchbook of outfits that I wanted to create before I signed my first deal. And so, that was one of them. The seamstress brought it to life, and that was an amazing experience for me as a brand new artist.”

She recently recreated another iconic look — the UNC jersey dress from her video “Best of Me (Part 2)” featuring Jay-Z. The ode to the 2000s gained much attention on social media and was even featured as part of Victoria Monét‘s recently viral video “On My Mama.”

Mya said she often enjoyed collaborating with reggae artists, like Beenie Man on “Girls Dem Sugar” or “Things Come & Go” with Sean Paul. She joined forces with and traveled to the native land of Jamaican artist Bounty Killer for their pop-dancehall track and music video, “Whine.”

“It was important for me to be in Kingston, in the heart of Jamaica, to capture the essence of the good vibes and the music, the culture and the people and the dance,” she said.

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