Over the past several years, Mýa has been living — and singing — to the beat of her own drum, creating and experiencing life at a pace that reflects the freedom she fought to earn. Now, as the Grammy-winning veteran prepares to release her long-awaited new studio album, Retrospect (May 15) — her first full-length project since 2018’s TKO — she finds herself reflecting on the winding road that transformed a focused teenage hopeful from Maryland into one of R&B’s defining voices of her generation.
For more than three decades, Mýa has moved through the music industry on her own terms — evolving not only as a singer and songwriter, but as a businesswoman determined to protect her artistry at every turn.Throughout the songstress’s conversation with VIBE in late April, weeks prior to the release of Retrospect, Mýa speaks candidly about growth, gratitude, and the hard-earned independence that came with founding her own label, Planet 9 — a move that granted her ownership, creative license, and the ability to build a career outside of industry expectations. Looking back on that transformation from her beginnings in the industry, the 46-year-old is grateful for the road traveled.
“I was just a newbie,” she reminisces. “Just trying to make it and do this thing that I dreamt of and see how it went with full commitment, of course, and discipline. But I didn’t know if it would technically work, what would need to happen to make it work. I didn’t understand the actual business of entertainment just yet. I was a young girl, a student trying things out and staying focused, honestly. And it just so happened to work out. I was grateful for the opportunity, of course, but it was brand new territory for me. And I knew if I had the opportunity, that I would do everything it took to win and make things great. So I think it turned out pretty well.”
