25 Years In Music: How Joy And Gratitude Have Kept Mýa Grounded Through Her Career

Posted On June 12, 2023

Samantha Colleran, June 2023

Mýa is a music industry legend. She began her career in 1998 with the release of her debut self titled album, and 25 years later the multi talented singer-songwriter is still active not only in music but in other realms of entertainment. Collaborations with some of music’s biggest names (Christina Aguleira, David Foster, Sean Paul, just to name a few), her songs have been featured in movies and video games, and she created her own independent record label, Planet 9. To celebrate the milestone of 25 years in the entertainment world, Mýa sat with º1824 to share her insight and wisdom with conference attendees. 

Behind the glitz and glam, Mýa is a compassionate human who strives to understand people. She shared that early in her life she faced a lot of bullying and how many of the comments she heard impacted her negatively. Processing all of those negative thoughts at such a young age was a challenge, but as an adult she hopes that her story can speak to people and that she can be a voice for those going through tough times. She works to bring wellness into all aspects of her life and hopes to make mental health and wellbeing the focus of some of her upcoming work. 

The biggest pieces of advice Mýa shared with attendees surrounded the ideas of joy and not rushing success. Following her joy and really putting in the work is what she believes has allowed her to remain such a powerful force in the entertainment world. Leading with love and coming to terms with the idea of life being a marathon and not a sprint has allowed Mýa to hone her craft and flourish in unimaginable ways. Returning to the things that bring her joy in moments of uncertainty and seriousness has kept her grounded through the duration of her career. 

Putting an exact label on Mýa’s music would be taking away from her true artistry. She shares that she doesn’t feel her music is specific to one genre or another, rather it’s a form of expression that comes out in different musical styles. It’s a therapeutic, universal language where she feels safe to share her feelings and emotions with others, and her music has many different sounds and influences. Mýa views creating art as a playground of freedom where artists can experiment with different ideas, sounds, and styles and find their own unique sound along the way. 

As someone who has watched the music industry change so rapidly with the development and advancement of technology, Mýa is an advocate for younger artists following their passions. She encourages these artists to use all of the resources that are readily available at the touch of a button, and to always remain a student; ask questions, become educated on everything music industry related (she recommends Donald Passman’s All You Need To Know About The Music Business, a book I was required to read for a college course and can confidently say is a must read for anyone looking to be in the industry in any capacity), and take pride in the empowerment that comes with being an educated and well informed individual so you can protect the art you’re creating and preserve your joy. She’s also proud to see artists of today sampling and revamping music of the 90s and early 2000s; it’s a way to pay homage to artists who came before them, much like artists of Mýa’s generation who sampled songs from the 70s and 80s. Mýa believes her generation can learn a lot from those who are of younger generations and that it’s important for people to step outside of their egos so they can continue to learn and grow. 

After 25 years in music, Mýa remains poised and full of gratitude for the path she’s been on. There are so many things in life that send our brains into overload and pull us in many different directions, unplugging and starting with the very basic thought of being grateful for your existence is something Mya practices every single day. She remains humble after all this time, never assuming people in music today are influenced by her or even know who she is, and has never referred to herself as a mentor. If even just one person finds comfort in her journey and resonates with her story and the path she’s walked, she’s content with that. 

Twenty five years is certainly a long time, but Mýa’s story is far from finished. Dance is an incredibly important part of Mýa’s identity, and she plans to bring more aspects of dance into her artistic expression. Releasing the deluxe version of her debut album Mýa has allowed Mýa to remind listeners what made the world fall in love with her sound in 1998; it shows her ability to be a timeless musician who still has so much to share about herself with the world. Mýa and all of the albums to follow are just small glimpses of who she was at the time of creating her work, and the result is a grounded, humble woman who is only just getting started sharing her story with the world. You can follow Mýa on Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date on all that’s to come in the next 25 years.