Fear of Flying [Bonus Tracks]

Performer: Mya
Artist: Jordan Knight; Jadakiss; Swizz Beatz; Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopez; Beenie Man
Engineer: Brian "B-Luv" Thomas; Damon Elliot; Kieran Wagner; Arthnor; Adam Holmstead; Ricco Lumpkins; Doug Woulson; Darrel Thorpe; Michael Sherman; Harvey Mason, Jr.; Keith Cohen; Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs; Kevin Crouse; Andy Grassi; Rob Brill; Steve Hodge; Tal Herzberg; Brad Gilderman
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel includes: Mya, Jadakiss, Left Eye, Jordan Knight. Producers include: Swizz Beatz, Wyclef Jean, Jerry Wonder, Knobody, C. Tricky Stewart. Recorded at Studio 56 and American Studios, Hollywood, California. Personnel: Scott Schwertfeger (guitar, keyboards); Marlon Williams (guitar); Joe Davi (acoustic guitar); Rick Davies, Robert Aaron (horns); Chris "Tricky" Stewart (keyboards, programming); Dahoud Darien, Michael Cain (keyboards); Sean Hurley (bass guitar); Norman Hedman (percussion); Livio Harris, Doc Little, Anthony Dent, Kevin "Shekspere" Briggs, Pro-Jay, Thicke (programming); Traci Hale, Mya Harrison (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Manny Marroquin; Glen Marchese; Arthnor; Dylan Vaughan; Andy Grassi; Soulshock; Steve Hodge; Tony Maserati. Recording information: American Studios, North Hollywood, CA; Avatar Studios, New York, NY; Blue Jay Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Chung King Studios, NY, NY; Doppler Studio, Atlanta, GA; Flyte Tyme Studios, Edna, MN; Murlyn Studios, Stockholm, Sweden; Pacifique Studios, North Hollywood, CA; Sound On Sound Recording, NY, NY; Studio 56, Hollywood, CA; The Hit Factory, NY, NY; Triangle Sound, Atlanta, GA; Westlake Audio, Los Angeles, CA. Unknown Contributor Role: Florian Ammon. Arrangers: Karlin; Soulshock. With her follow-up to her commercially successful debut album, Mya has taken a small step towards shedding her squeaky-clean image and embracing a more mature sound. Many of the best moments on Fear of Flying come with the help of other artists such as Jadakiss of the Lox and Left-Eye from TLC. With producer Swizz Beatz behind the soundboard for her and rapper Jadakiss making his presence felt on "Best of Me," the single is the album's highlight. "Takin' Me Over" featuring Left-Eye shows that when pushed Mya can hold her weight among R&B heavyweights. Without the energy of collaborators in the mix, many of her solo tracks wander into predictability. The album relies too heavily on tepid ballads such as the title track and "Man of My Life." Yet songs like "Can't Believe," "For the First Time," and "Lie Detector" show an emotional depth that lacked in her debut. Mya's sophomore effort proves 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. ~ Jon Azpiri In late 2000, pop songbird Mya's second album, Fear of Flying, was re-released with two different tracks, "Free" and "Again & Again." The tracks which were replaced were "For the First Time" and "No Tears on My Pillow." The final result is a much improved album. The two discarded songs were forgettable, tepid ballads, thankfully replaced with infinitely superior up-tempo numbers. Upon initial release, the album seemed to be suffering from the dreaded sophomore slump. The first single, "The Best of Me," arguably the best song on the album and one of the better pop songs of 2000, under-performed on the charts, not even making it into the pop Top 40. The follow-up, "Case of the Ex," proved to be a different matter. The label intelligently issued a commercial single for the song, which helped propel it to number two, and in turn solidified the album as a hit. As that song was riding high on the charts, the album was reissued with the different tracks. While the first version of the album was heavily weighted with tepid ballads, the second version is much livelier, and, in essence, much better. "Free" is a Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis composition, in a similar vein to Control-era Janet Jackson, and the album's third single, "Again & Again," is a rock-tinged song, adding much needed muscle to the album. The song order was changed, to much better results, because the ballads were saved for the first version's bitter end, leaving the listener lost and bored. So consumers and Mya fans beware -- to avoid unnecessary disappointment be sure to buy the second version of Fear of Flying. ~ Jose F. Promis

Q (10/00, p.124) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Mya demonstrates enough sass to suggest a sunny future..." Uncut (10/00, p.86) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Her debut is a crafted, coffee-rich affair blending soul and swing....It's a grower which oozes class..." Vibe (4/00, pp.173-4) - "...the starlet has decided to show off her range...as if she and her top-notch producers attempted to wipe out the competition by transforming Mya into each of her rivals in turn....a grand tour through the ever-changing moods of female adolescence..." The Source (5/00, p.231) - "...Reaching out to hip-hop heads....Mya proves she can hold her own in this competitive game of young female musicians....She's well on her way [to] the class of elite divas..."

A dancer turned singer, Mya unleashed her self-titled debut at the ripe old age of 18 in 1998. That attention-grabbing debut album contained collaborations with some of the top '90s urban artists, including Babyface, Dru Hill, Missy Misdemeanor Elliot, and Wyclef Jean.

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