Fear of Flying | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 25, 2000 | |||
Recorded | September 1999 – March 2000 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | Hip hop soul [1] | |||
Length | 63:44 | |||
Label |
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Producer |
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Mya chronology | ||||
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Singles from Fear of Flying | ||||
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Fear of Flying is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Mya, released on April 25, 2000, by University Music Entertainment and Interscope Records. Following the success of her debut album Mya (1998), Interscope promptly allocated the singer studio time and assembled recording sessions beginning as early as September 1999 which concluded in March 2000. For this record, Mya made the conscious decision to become involved more creatively, opting to pen her own lyrics after securing a publishing deal to launch her own publishing company as well as collaborate with a wider range of established producers and songwriters on the album. Looking to embrace a more mature sound, Harrison consulted and collaborated with a bevy of producers which included Rodney Jerkins, Swizz Beatz, Wyclef Jean, Knobody, Robin Thicke, Tricky Stewart, and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.
A hip hop soul album, Mya described Fear of Flying as a metaphor for the ups and downs of life, a theme present throughout the album which includes handling things like an adult and knowing you must have faith to make anything happen. [5] Lyrically, the album's material addressed the singer's romantic relationships which symbolized her relationship with family, friends and acquaintances. [6] Noting that Fear of Flying is "a reflection of being in love for the very first time, experiencing success and the fears of fame." [7]
Upon its release, the album received mixed reviews from music critics citing some of the album's "tepid material." Commercially well received, Fear of Flying debuted with a Top 20 placement at number 15 on the Billboard 200. Initially though, the album stalled on the charts until the release of the album's second single and in turn solidified Fear of Flying a hit garnering multiplatinum success. [8] To keep the album's momentum, nearly seven months after its original release, Fear of Flying was re–released with two new additional songs on November 7, 2000. [9]
In support of the album, three singles were released – "The Best of Me", "Case of the Ex", and "Free", which attained international chart success. Due to the album's success, Fear of Flying earned Soul Train Awards and MOBO nominations.
Considered her most expressive effort to date, Fear of Flying helped established Mya as a household name in mainstream media and redefine a golden age for R&B. In April 2020, to commemorate the album's twentieth anniversary, Universal Music Group released an expanded edition featuring over 10 rare remixes and bonus tracks. [10]
Following the commercial success of her debut Mya (1998), Mya quickly re-entered the recording studio to begin work on her second album. During her two years away, she toured with several artists, and made her film debut in the thriller In Too Deep (1999). [12] Additionally, she was selected by Bongo jeans as their spokesperson and had a Tommy Hilfiger lipstick shade named after her. [13] During the development stages of the album, Mya consulted several different producers for her follow-up album, including She'kspere, Knobody, Tricky Stewart, and Robin Thicke as well as Wyclef and Swizz Beatz of Ruff Ryders. [11] A number of guest vocalists whom contributed to the project, included TLC's Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, Jordan Knight, and Beenie Man. [14] In addition, Harrison launched her own publishing company, Art of War. [15]
Mya, who did some writing on her debut album, was heavily involved in the production of Fear of Flying, commenting: "I wanted to get that hands-on experience. I was involved in every single process, from writing and recording to producing, mixing, and mastering." [5] In response to the album's material, the singer commented that many of the album's songs are about female empowerment. [5] "I'm learning that the decisions being made ultimately affect me, so I make most of them with the insight and help of other people", she explained. "I still have to focus on what feels good to me and what's going to work in the long run, instead of selling 20 million records or being controversial." [5] The album's title, came from a song Mya recorded by the same name—not from Erica Jong's 1973 novel of the same name. During an interview with Billboard , which discussed the title, Mya noted that while she had not been aware of the book, she later "started reading it and noticed a lot of similarities: "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." [5] Interscope hired photographer and director David LaChapelle to shoot the images for the album's packaging. [16] [17] While she admired the work of Dave La Chapelle, Mya revealed she cropped the original album's cover because it focused on her body, commenting, "I didn't like it. It wasn't capturing." [18]
Mya considers her first album an experiment and a learning ground. Prior to entering a recording studio, she had no vocal training and was doing improv-breathing the whole time on every song. With Fear of Flying, she acknowledged she learned things such as how she likes to work and what works right for her in the studio. On Fear of Flying, she received vocal training and noted her vocals got along better with live performances. [19] Speaking with Time , Mya revealed with Fear of Flying she took more control over her sound and image. [1] She commented that Fear of Flying was "an opportunity and a test." [1] For her second studio album, Mya wrote a lot, [13] openly admitting, "Writing helps me sort through feelings that I'm trying to figure out." [13] She noted her journal is filled with curse words and exclamation points, explaining, "It's either extreme highs or extreme lows." [13] In an interview with the New York Daily News , Mya explained that the album was "about independence." [13] She acknowledged with Fear of Flying she became "more confident", [13] while commenting, "I'm a lot more straightforward. Things I didn't know how to say or when to say, I'm saying now." [13] During the recording process, Mya explained she clicked more with producers that like to start from scratch, commenting, "It allowed me to be involved in the process. They were interested in what I had to say which made me feel good about myself." One producer Mya gelled with was Wyclef Jean. Speaking on working with him, she commented, "He was interested in what I had to say. My ideas—what I had to bring to the table. He wasn't afraid to go back into the studio and change things." Robin Thicke, a then-up-and-coming producer, was another Mya meshed well with. Of his contribution to Fear of Flying Mya commented, "he is a true talent and I enjoyed working with him." [19] While reviewing Fear of Flying, in an article, Time noted on her debut effort, Mya was a "lovestruck teen" while on Fear of Flying, "she's a woman coming face to face with romantic entanglements." [1] With 18 tracks featured on the album, Time applauded the album to manage that rare thing: to combine captivating beats with hummable melodies. [1] Commenting on the finished product, Time wrote, "This is hip-hop soul with plenty of pop appeal." [1]
Musically, Fear of Flying has been described as a "smooth, catchy, personalized mixture of street-spice soul." [20] According to multiple critics, the album is more focused on themes than coherency of musical style. [15] Sonically, the album's sound veers from quiet storm tracks to hard-edged Timbaland homages to cheerleader romps. [15] The album's focal theme is "proper behavior on the dangerous grounds of courtship" and ranges from uptempo tracks to inspirational ballads. [15] Several of the album's 18 tracks were co-written by Mya, with Vibe magazine noting in an article that "Mýa tackles difficult melodic and rhythmic twists without ditching a nice conversational tone." [15] Fear of Flying opens with an intro courtesy of Swizz Beatz. Titled, "Turn It Up" it features a stop-start beat and samples of a cooing baby. [21] Next up, "Case of the Ex," a song structured around producer Tricky Stewart's "driving, Beethoven-meets-Timbaland" chord changes, where Mýa expresses distrust in her lover. [15] It is built around a catchy yet fairly complicated chorus and clever lyrics. [22] It is followed by the "dramatic" "Ride & Shake", which was compared to the work of Whitney Houston. [15] The mildy racy Rodney Jerkins-produced "That's Why I Wanna Fight" is a sensuous midtempo and served as the album's fourth track. Structured, similarly to Marvin Gaye's 70s material, Harrison adopts Gaye's double singing technique. [21] [22] Track five, the dance-oriented imaginative "Pussycats" is a nursery rhyme-influenced song produced by Wyclef Jean and Jerry Duplessis. A frisky jam, it samples the sound of mewing cats. [5] [21] [23]
The album's "combative" sixth track, "The Best of Me", was produced by Swizz Beatz, and features Jadakiss. [15] Described as "edgy" and "street savvy," Mya commented on the message behind the song, suggesting, "It's about setting standards for yourself, about following them through and not allowing the temptations of a heat of the moment situation to lure you into something that you may regret later in life." [23] Described as "mildy structure," the album's seventh track "Lie Detector," is another midtempo which finds Mya refusing advances. [22] The TLC-sounding "How You Gonna Tell Me" courtesy of She'kspere and Kandi has Mya telling her girlfriend to spare her bad advice. Lyrically and conceptually, Mya opted to add her thoughts to the song, explaining, "I wanted the song to be about people preaching to me what they don't practice. About how these specific people speak to me on the way I should live and my reaction to them and their twisted lives." [15] [23] While the "dance-floor-ready" "Takin' Me Over," produced by Robin Thicke featuring Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, begins with Mya acting like the women she has expressed dislike for, while holed up in her bathroom with hair products. [15] A catchy slice of retro soul, "Takin' Me Over" is '60s Motown meets early '00s and shows Mya in a playful coy mood. Mya dubs it her "don't give a damn song." [23] [22]
The lush title track, "Fear of Flying" is a folk-ish quasi ballad produced by Knobody and uses the idea of being afraid to fly as a metaphor for other issues. [23] [22] The Soulshock and Karlin production, "Can't Believe", and remake of Michael Jackson's "The Lady In My Life", titled "Man In My Life", are standard fare A/C broken-hearted emotional ballads, [22] while on a romantic note, the ballad "No Tears On My Pillow" written by Mya and the song's producer Robin Thicke served as the album's fifteenth track. [15] [23] Followed by "For the First Time": a "sexual surrender cut" produced by Swing Mob member Darryl Pearson, a key collaborator on Harrison's debut album. [22] The album's closing track, an outro, "Get Over" is a spoken word "thank you" midtempo with calypso tinge. [22]
Initially set for a late 1999 release, Fear of Flying was later scheduled for a February 2000 release, [11] before Interscope settled on an April 25, 2000, release date. [24] In Germany, it was released June 19, 2000, [25] while in the United Kingdom, the album was released on July 24, 2000. [26] Interscope hoped that the album would attract both pop and R&B/hip-hop audiences, [5] with Steve Stoute, president of black music and executive VP for Interscope-Geffen-A&M, commenting that all marketing surrounding the album's release would "be paying attention to the street audiences with this album." He added, "We're also looking to build upon her previous success. She gained a large pop audience through 'Ghetto Supastar' and 'Take Me There.' She's also grown as an artist and her music reflects that." [5] On November 7, 2000, Fear of Flying was re-released with a revised track listing which featured the single "Free" and a new track titled "Again & Again". [27] The repackaged edition of the album was released on February 19, 2001, in the United Kingdom and on May 8, 2001, in Germany. [28] [29] The UK reissue contains the track "Whatever Chick", a song that would later be featured on her third studio album, Moodring (2003), appearing there in a reworked and explicit version, retitled "Whatever Bitch".
Promotion for Fear of Flying began in January 2000 when Mya was featured in the February issue of Vibe . [30] In early April 2000, Billboard reported that Mya was set to attend MTV's annual Spring Break special in Cancun. [31] Additionally, that article mentioned that Mya was due to tape an episode of Total Request Live . [31] On May 6, 2000, Mya performed at the Revlon Run/Walk for Women event. [32] On May 17, 2000, she performed "The Best of Me" with Jadakiss on House of Style . [33] In May, she joined and performed on the MTV European Tour. [34] On May 26, 2000, ABC aired their "25 Hottest Stars Under 25" special, which Mya was a part of. [35] On May 29, 2000, she performed "The Best of Me" at the 2000 World Music Awards. [36] In June 2000, Mya joined the Southern California leg of Nickelodeon's All That! Music and More Festival . [37] [38] In July 2000, Mya appeared on the shows CBS Morning Show, CNN's Show Biz, and Farmclub.com; her appearances and performance aired on July 8–10, 2000, on USA Network. [39] [40] [41] In mid-2000, Mya opened for Montell Jordan on his European tour; during a Vibe interview it mentioned that she was heading to Germany to begin the tour. [20] In September 2000, she performed "Case of the Ex" on BET's 106 & Park . [42] On October 23, 2000, she performed "Case of the Ex" on Total Request Live . [43] The following month, November 6 and 11, she performed "Case of the Ex" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and the former and "Free" on Soul Train . [44] [45] On December 6, 2000, Mya made an appearance on Live with Regis and Kelly . [46] The following day, December 7, 2000, she performed "Case of the Ex" and "Free" on MTV's Fashionably Loud. On December 15, 2000, Mya performed "Case of the Ex" on The Queen Latifah Show . [47] [48]
In February 2001, during All Star weekend Mya performed at the fifth annual NBA Team Up Celebration, which was held at Constitution Hall. [49] On February 20, Mýa made an appearance on The Rosie O'Donnell Show . [50] The following day after she was invited as a presenter at the 43rd Grammy Awards ceremony. [51] Mya co-hosted and performed at the 2001 Soul Train Music Awards, which were held on February 28, 2001, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. [52] [53] In March 2001, Mya was a part of Janet Jackson's MTV Icon special, during which she performed in the dance tribute. [54] After serving as an opening act on other featured tours, Mýa branched out on her own and embarked on her first headlining tour. Entitled, the Fear of Flying Tour, the outing was an eleven-day city tour that began on March 21, 2001, and concluded April 1, 2001. [55] [56] On April 17, 2001, Mya performed on The Queen Latifah Show . [57] On June 15, 2001, she made an appearance on Live! with Regis and Kelly ; [58] Seven days later Mya went on The Daily Show . [59] On July 4, 2001, it was announced that she was added to the performer lineup at the York State Fair. [60] On July 14, Mya performed in concert at Six Flags St. Louis. [61] On August 9, she performed at the Wisconsin State Fair; [62] the following day Mya performed at the Ohio State Fair. [63] [64] On September 7, 2001, Mya performed at Michael Jackson's 30th anniversary concert, which was televised. [65] To continue promoting the album, Mya appeared on MTV's Music in High Places, a music and travelogue series where recording artists travel to exotic sites for a series of acoustic concerts. [66] [67] She performed acoustic renditions of her songs while in Sicily, Italy, performing a set comprising her songs "Free", "Ghetto Superstar", "I'll Be There", "Movin' On", "Sweet Thing", and "The Best of Me", among others. Her episode aired on December 20, 2001. [67]
In support of the album, Interscope Records released three singles from Fear of Flying. Initially, before "The Best of Me" was chosen as the album's lead single, the song "Lie Detector" was a potential contender. The instrumental for "The Best of Me" was originally expected to be used and recorded by rapper DMX in a Miami recording session with Swizz. However, the instrumental of the song was left unused until the producer returned to New York City to start work on Mya's album at The Hit Factory. [68] Upon accidentally pushing a button in the studio, Mya's management reportedly "jumped up and said 'That's it, that's it'" when they heard the song's instrumental. [68] The record was among the last tracks recorded for the album. [5] Jadakiss, then a member of the Ruff Ryders Entertainment's group The LOX, was chosen as the featured artist on the song as a result of label connections with Interscope Records. [5] Released on March 6, 2000, "The Best of Me" peaked at number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 14 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Internationally, the single found modest chart success, peaking at number 26 in Germany, while charting moderately in the Netherlands and Switzerland.
The second single, "Case of the Ex", was released commercially on August 28, 2000. Originally a rap song, producer Tricky Stewart heavily rearranged the track to make it fit Mya's persona. [69] The song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Globally, "Case of the Ex" experienced similar success, peaking at number one in Australia for two weeks and earned a platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association. [70] In the United Kingdom the song charted within the top 10 and earned a silver certification from the British Phonographic Industry. [71] Elsewhere in Europe the song peaked within the Top 40 in The Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Scotland, France and Germany.
The third and final single released from the album, "Free", originally appeared on the original soundtrack to the crime comedy film Bait (2000) starring Jamie Foxx. [72] The track was written and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. "Free" reached number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 52 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Internationally, "Free" performed even better, peaking within the top 10 in Australia. The song received a platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association. [70] Elsewhere, the song charted within the top 20 in the United Kingdom and Poland, and within the top 40 in Ireland and Scotland.
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [73] |
Entertainment Weekly | C [74] |
Q | [75] |
Rolling Stone | [76] |
Uncut | [75] |
Voir | [77] |
People named Fear of Flying their "Album of the Week" and called it an "unexpected treat", though commenting that while "Mya offers no bold new sonic innovations, she does breathe life and sass into a genre too long held hostage by formula." [78] In another positive review, The Source wrote: "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." [75] Uncut called the album a "crafted, coffee-rich affair blending soul and swing [...] it's a grower which oozes class." [75] Billboard found that Fear of Flying "lets the songstress spread her wings and express herself freely. On the set, crafted as a coming-of-age album, Mya handles issues that every young woman faces." [79] Vibe stated that "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." [75]
Q magazine rated the album 3 stars out of 5 and wrote: "Mya demonstrates enough sass to suggest a sunny future." [75] In his review for AllMusic, Jon Azpiri wrote that "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." He felt that "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." [73] Josh Tyrangiel of Entertainment Weekly gave the album a C rating. He found that "Mýa can sing well enough; now she needs to find something to sing about." [74] Rolling Stone magazine writer Ernest Hardy gave the album 2 stars out of 5 and wrote: "The signature quiver in Mya'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." [76] Richard Lafrance, writing for Voir , noted: "The fifteen-song album ends with three ballads which say a lot about the intentions of Mya's team, which seems to be more towards the fan clubs of Brandy and Michel'le than the disciples of the Ruff Ryders." [77]
Year | Ceremony | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | Washington Area Music Awards | Urban Contemporary Recording | Won | [80] |
Album of the Year | Nominated | |||
2001 | MOBO | Best Album | Nominated | [81] |
Soul Train Music Awards | Best R&B/Soul Album - Female | Nominated | [52] |
Year | Publication | List | Position | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | The Guardian | 1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die | – |
In the United States, Fear of Flying debuted and peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 and at number seven on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart with first-week sales of 72,000 copies sold. [83] In its second and third week, the album sold an estimated 42,784 and 33,907 copies, respectively. [84] [85] Thirteen weeks after its release, the album sat at number 109 on the Billboard 200. [86] During its chart run, Fear of Flying remained on the Billboard 200 for a total of 52 consecutive weeks. [87] Towards the end of 2000, Billboard ranked the album as the 144th best-selling album in the US, while at the end of 2001 it was ranked as the 178th best-selling album. [88] [89] On June 8, 2000, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) denoting shipments in excess of 500,000 copies. [86] While on March 28, 2001, the album was certified platinum by the RIAA. [90] By May 2003, the album had sold 1.2 million copies in the United States alone, according to Nielsen SoundScan. [91]
In Canada the album debuted at number 51 on RPM' s Top Albums/CDs chart, during the week of May 15, 2000. [92] In its second week on the chart it rose 12 spots to its peak position of number 39, during the week ending on May 22, 2000. [93] In total Fear of Flying spent nine consecutive weeks on the Top Albums/CDs chart. [94] On January 15, 2001, the album was certified gold by Music Canada for denoting shipments of 50,000 copies. [95] In Germany, the album debuted at number 52 on July 3, 2000, where it stayed at its peak position for a total of two weeks; in total it has spent 16 consecutive weeks on the German Albums Chart. [96]
In Australia it debuted at number 54 on the Australian Albums Chart and reached number 28 in its 18th non-consecutive week. [97] [98] It spent a total of 25 non-consecutive weeks on the chart [99] and was eventually certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) in September 2001. [100] In Switzerland, the album debuted at number 84 on July 16, 2000. [101] It reached its peak at number 33, 6 weeks later on August 20, 2000. [101] Overall, the album has spent a total of 16 consecutive weeks on the Swiss Albums Chart. [101] For the week of February 25, 2001 - March 3, 2001 the album debuted and peaked at number 81 on the UK Albums Chart. [102] In its 12th week on the UK R&B Albums chart it peaked at number 17, during the week of June 10, 2001 - June 16, 2001. [103] By May 18, 2001, worldwide sales for Fear of Flying (2000) stood at six million copies sold combined with sales from Mya's debut album. [104]
Mya have been credited with popularizing Y2K R&B. [105] Erika Brooks Adickman of Idolator commented her music "epitomized everything that was great about turn-of-the millennium R&B." [106] Described as sultry and futuristic, Alex Frank of Vogue applauded Harrison capabilities to "elbowed out the crunchy catchiness of Britney Spears and aggression of Kid Rock" with interesting, seductive music. [105] With the dominant sounds of R&B production at the time, he also commended the singer for "creating something preppy and poppy and radio-friendly that kept pace with the Britneys and the N'Syncs without sacrificing experimentation." [105] While, all in all, he characterized Mya's brand of R&B as "neo-R&B—an innovative take on a beloved genre that promised a way forward." [105] He finished with Mya is "proof of a kind of inevitability of influence, with her sound now palpable in the music of a whole new generation of musicians who grew up on her hits." [105]
Following its release, Fear of Flying cemented Mya place at the forefront of the genre's stars. [107] American author Stacy-Deanne noted Fear of Flying took Mya to "new heights" and established her as a household name in mainstream media. Deanne recognized with Fear of Flying it exemplified why fans truly appreciated her music and saluted the sophomore effort as "poetic," "sexy," "passionate," and "honest sensitivity." Consequently, she expressed, Fear of Flying had succeeded in a way that the first album had not...it had "crossover appeal." In the midst of her success, Deanne opined Harrison proved herself a well rounded-performer with flexible abilities who was consistently a "source of attraction" on television and on tour. Essentially, Deanne dubbed Fear of Flying as Harrison's most expressive effort. [108] Similarly, The Guardian lauded Fear of Flying as "a new golden age for R&B," while emphasizing Mya's "lightly melismatic vocals suited these rhythmically tricksy tales, capturing perfectly the highly charged sadness of a dead affair." [82] In honor of their "2000 week," Billboard highlighted and included "How You Gonna Tell Me" on their 40 Best Deep Cuts of 2000 list, suggesting,"Tell Me" would've made a much likelier hit than the tepid "Best of Me." [109]
Several recording artists have covered, sampled, or inspired by the singles from Fear of Flying such as Father, [110] Tory Lanez, [111] Jack Back, [112] Giant Claw, [113] Harloe, [114] Sir Babygirl, [115] and Normani. [116]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Turn It Up (Intro)" (featuring Swizz Beatz) | 1:22 | ||
2. | "Case of the Ex" | Christopher "Tricky" Stewart | 3:56 | |
3. | "Ride & Shake" | Dent | 4:00 | |
4. | "That's Why I Wanna Fight" |
| 4:35 | |
5. | "Pussycats" | 4:21 | ||
6. | "The Best of Me" (featuring Jadakiss) |
| 4:12 | |
7. | "Lie Detector" (featuring Beenie Man) |
|
| 4:21 |
8. | "How You Gonna Tell Me" |
|
| 3:35 |
9. | "Grandma Says (Skit)" | Carl "Chucky" Thompson | 0:48 | |
10. | "Takin' Me Over" (featuring Left Eye) |
|
| 3:55 |
11. | "Now or Never" |
|
| 3:50 |
12. | "Fear of Flying" |
| Jerome "Knobody" Foster | 4:24 |
13. | "Flying (Interlude)" | Harrison |
| 0:52 |
14. | "Can't Believe" |
| Soulshock and Karlin | 4:16 |
15. | "No Tears on My Pillow" |
|
| 4:02 |
16. | "For the First Time" |
|
| 4:20 |
17. | "Man in My Life" | Rod Temperton |
| 4:32 |
18. | "Get Over (Outro)" | Harrison |
| 2:27 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Turn It Up (Intro)" | 1:22 | ||
2. | "Case of the Ex" |
| Stewart | 3:56 |
3. | "Free" | 5:21 | ||
4. | "Pussycats" |
|
| 4:21 |
5. | "Again & Again" |
| 3:29 | |
6. | "How You Gonna Tell Me" |
|
| 3:35 |
7. | "Grandma Says (Skit)" | C. Thompson | 0:48 | |
8. | "Takin' Me Over" (featuring Left Eye) |
|
| 3:55 |
9. | "The Best of Me" (featuring Jadakiss) |
| 4:12 | |
10. | "Lie Detector" (featuring Beenie Man) |
|
| 4:25 |
11. | "Fear of Flying" |
| Foster | 4:24 |
12. | "Fear of Flying (Interlude)" | Harrison |
| 0:52 |
13. | "Now or Never" |
|
| 3:50 |
14. | "Man in My Life" | Temperton | 4:32 | |
15. | "Can't Believe" |
| Soulshock and Karlin | 4:16 |
16. | "That's Why I Wanna Fight" |
|
| 4:35 |
17. | "Ride & Shake" |
| Dent | 4:00 |
18. | "Get Over (Outro)" | Harrison |
| 2:27 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
18. | "No Tears on My Pillow" |
|
| 4:02 |
19. | "Get Over (Outro)" | Harrison |
| 2:27 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
18. | "Whatever Chick" |
|
| 4:18 |
19. | "Case of the Ex" (Sovereign Remix) |
| 5:42 | |
20. | "Get Over (Outro)" | Harrison |
| 2:27 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
18. | "Whatever Chick" |
|
| 4:18 |
19. | "No Tears on My Pillow" |
|
| 4:02 |
20. | "For the First Time" |
|
| 4:20 |
21. | "Whatever Chick" |
|
| 4:18 |
22. | "Case of the Ex" (Sovereign Remix) |
| 5:42 | |
23. | "Case of the Ex" (O.M.O 2-Step Mix) |
|
| 3:22 |
24. | "Case of the Ex" (Mya Remix) |
|
| 3:28 |
25. | "Free" (Milk & Sugar Club Mix) |
|
| 7:38 |
26. | "Free" (Milk & Sugar Club Mix Instrumental) |
| 7:38 | |
27. | "Free" (Howard & Cross Version) |
| 3:14 | |
28. | "Free" (X Men Vocal Mix) |
| 4:20 | |
29. | "Free" (Ricco) |
| 4:12 | |
30. | "The Best of Me" (Fernando Garibay Radio Mix) |
|
| 3:26 |
31. | "The Best of Me" (Fernando Garibay Club Mix) |
| 5:49 |
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Fear of Flying. [118]
Performers and musicians
Technical
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [100] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada) [95] | Gold | 50,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [90] | Platinum | 1,200,000 [91] |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Edition(s) | Label |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | April 25, 2000 | Standard [24] |
| |
Japan | April 28, 2000 | CD | Standard [133] | Universal |
Germany | June 19, 2000 | Standard [25] | ||
United Kingdom | July 24, 2000 | Standard [26] | Polydor | |
United States | November 7, 2000 | Re-issue [27] |
| |
United Kingdom | February 19, 2001 | Re-issue [28] | Polydor | |
Australia | February 26, 2001 | Standard [134] | Universal | |
Germany | May 8, 2001 | Re-issue [29] | ||
Worldwide | April 24, 2020 | 20th Anniversary Edition [117] | Universal Music Group |
Britney is the third studio album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released on October 31, 2001, by Jive Records. Looking to transition from the teen pop styles of her first two studio albums ...Baby One More Time (1999) and Oops!... I Did It Again (2000), Spears began to embrace a significantly more mature sound with Britney. The record incorporates genres of pop and R&B with influences of EDM and occasionally dips into disco, hip hop, rock, and electronica. Its lyrical themes address the subjects such as coming of age, adulthood, control, and sexuality. Contributions to its production came from a variety of collaborators, including Max Martin and Rami Yacoub. Spears herself assumed a more prominent role in the album's development, co-writing six of its tracks.
Mya Marie Harrison, known professionally as Mýa, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer, and actress. Classified as a "triple threat entertainer," she was born in Washington D.C. and studied ballet, jazz, and tap dance as a child. Her career began in television as a dance posse member, performing on BET's Teen Summit. She signed with record executive A. Haqq Islam's University Records, an imprint of Interscope Records to release her eponymous debut studio album (1998), which lyrically explored romance and coming-of-age scenarios. Met with critical and commercial success, the album was led by her first single, "It's All About Me", which peaked within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. Her collaborative singles — "Girls Dem Sugar", "Ghetto Supastar ", and "Take Me There" — were also met with commercial success.
In the Zone is the fourth studio album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released on November 15, 2003, by Jive Records. Spears began writing songs during her Dream Within a Dream Tour, not knowing the direction of the record. She stated she was an autobiographical songwriter, although not to the point where she felt self-exploited. During the process, she ended her highly-publicized relationship with singer Justin Timberlake. With the tour's conclusion in July 2002, Spears planned to take a six-month break from her career; however, recording for the album commenced in November.
Dangerously in Love is the debut solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé. It was released on June 20, 2003, by Columbia Records and Music World Entertainment.
Music is the eighth studio album by American singer Madonna, released on September 18, 2000, by Maverick and Warner Bros. Records. Following the success of her previous album Ray of Light (1998), Madonna found herself in a music scene increasingly influenced by a younger generation of singers such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. This led her to seek a distinctive sound that would set her apart in the evolving musical landscape. Her collaborations with Mirwais Ahmadzaï and William Orbit resulted in a more experimental direction for the album. Music incorporates many different genres into its overall dance-pop and electronica vibe, taking influences from funk, house, rock, country and folk. With the album embracing a western motif, Madonna reimagined her image in the role of a cowgirl.
Survivor is the third studio album by American girl group Destiny's Child. It was released on April 25, 2001, by Columbia Records. As their breakthrough second studio album The Writing's on the Wall (1999) became a rising commercial success, Destiny's Child faced the controversial departure of original members LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson, who were replaced with Farrah Franklin and Michelle Williams, in February 2000. Soon afterwards, they commenced production of their third studio album, tentatively titled Independent Women.
"Lady Marmalade" is a song written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan that is famous for the French refrain of "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?", which is a sexual proposition that translates into English as: "Do you want to sleep with me, tonight?" The song first became a popular hit when it was recorded in 1974 by the American funk rock group Labelle and held the number-one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week, and also topped the Canadian RPM national singles chart. In 2021, the Library of Congress selected Labelle's version for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
'It's All About Me' is a song by American singer Mýa. It served as her debut single from her self-titled debut studio album and recorded as a duet with R&B singer Sisqó. A psychedelic R&B slow jam, "It's All About Me" was written and composed by Sisqó and Darryl Pearson, while the latter served as producer. It interpolates the composition "Moments in Love" by Art of Noise.
"I'm Real" is the name of two songs recorded by American actress and singer Jennifer Lopez, both primarily for her second studio album, J.Lo (2001). The original song was released as the album's third single; Ja Rule of Murder Inc. Records wrote and was featured on a newly-written song with completely different lyrics and production titled "I'm Real (Murder Remix)", which was featured on a re-issue of J.Lo in July 2001, on Lopez's remix album, J to tha L–O! The Remixes (2002), and on Ja Rule's third studio album, Pain Is Love (2001).
Moodring is the third studio album by American singer Mya, released on July 22, 2003, by A&M and Interscope Records. Before Mya began to work on what would eventually be her third studio album, she participated in prior engagements which would result in the blockbuster success of 2001's "Lady Marmalade", a collaboration for the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack, and a supporting role in the 2002 film Chicago.
Mya is the debut studio album by American singer Mya. It was released by University Music Entertainment and Interscope Records on April 21, 1998, in the United States. The recording of the contemporary R&B album was overseen by University Records CEO A. Haqq Islam after he signed the singer when she was at the age of 15. The production on Mya was primarily handled by Swing Mob member Darryl Pearson with additional contributions from Daryl Simmons, Alex "Cat" Cantrall, Joey Priolo, and Nokio the N-Tity. Guest appearances include Dru Hill frontman Sisqó, and rappers Silkk the Shocker and Missy Elliott.
"My Love Is Like...Wo" is a song by American singer Mýa, released as the lead single from her third studio album, Moodring (2003), on June 9, 2003. Mýa re-teamed up with rapper Missy Elliott after the global success of "Lady Marmalade" (2001) to record the song. Before being released, it took Mýa a whole year to decide to record the song because of its graphic lyrical content. The song was written by Elliott along with brothers Charles and Kenneth Bereal. Lyrically, the mid-tempo song is about self-love.
"Case of the Ex" is a song performed by American singer Mýa. It was written and composed by Christopher "Tricky" Stewart for Mýa's sophomore studio record, Fear of Flying (2000). The up-tempo pop-R&B track was inspired by a relationship Hale was going through at the time. It was released as the second single from the album, following "The Best of Me".
"Take Me There" is a song by American quartet Blackstreet and singer Mya, featuring Bad Boy rappers Mase and Blinky Blink. It was written by Mase, Michael Foster, Madeline Nelson, Tamara Savage and Teddy Riley. Riley also produced the song. The song serves as the theme song for the animated feature film The Rugrats Movie and was released on November 30, 1998, as the lead and only single from the soundtrack. It also appeared on Blackstreet's third studio album, Finally.
American singer Mya has released eight studio albums, one mixtape, five extended plays and sixty-two singles. To date, Mya has sold over 20 million records worldwide. For the 2000s decade, Billboard listed her as one of their Hot 100 Artists of 2000s. According to Luminate, Mya has sold over 3.2 million albums in the United States. Additionally, she has sold seven million albums worldwide. As of 2023, the Recording Industry Association of America lists her total certified sales as a solo artists at five million in the United States.
"Free" is a song by American singer Mýa. It served as the third and final single from her second studio album, Fear of Flying (2000), in December 2000. Originally featured on the soundtrack to the 2000 film Bait, the song was one of the two tracks added to the re-release edition of Fear of Flying on November 7, 2000. It was written and composed by Jimmy Jam, Harrison, Terry Lewis, Alexander Richbourg, and Tony Tolbert. Lyrically, "Free" addresses on independence.
"The Best of Me" is a song by American singer Mýa Harrison. It served as Harrison's lead single from her sophomore studio record, Fear of Flying (2000), and featured Yonkers-based rapper Jadakiss. The song was written and composed by the latter with Harrison, along with Teron Beal, Jimmy Cozier, Swizz Beatz and Mashonda Tifrere. Lyrically, "The Best of Me", a street-savvy anthem, addresses a woman taking her time before being intimate or physical with a man.
"Movin' On" is a song by American singer Mya, released in July 1998 as the second single from her self-titled debut studio album. It was written and composed by Harrison, Mark Andrews and Darryl Pearson. Musically, the album version is a funk and pop song, while the single remix version is a hip hop song. Lyrically, the record speaks of a woman leaving her cheating ex-boyfriend.
Oops!... I Did It Again is the second studio album by American singer Britney Spears released on May 3, 2000, by Jive Records. Following the enormous commercial success of her debut studio album ...Baby One More Time (1999) and the completion of its accompanying concert tour of the same title, Spears began recording material for her second studio album in September 1999. Pressured to duplicate the success of ...Baby One More Time, she collaborated with a wide range of producers, including Max Martin, Rami Yacoub, Per Magnusson, David Kreuger, Kristian Lundin, Jake Schulze, Darkchild, and Robert John "Mutt" Lange for Oops!... I Did It Again. The final result was a pop, dance-pop and teen pop record exceedingly in the vein of ...Baby One More Time, but incorporating funk and R&B. The production, sonic quality, and Spears's vocal performance received critical acclaim upon the album's release.
The Fear of Flying Tour was the debut concert tour by American recording artist Mýa. Her first headlining tour, it was launched in support of her second studio album, Fear of Flying (2000). A relatively short tour, Mya embarked on a ten-day nationwide concert tour across North America. The trek, beginning March 21, 2001, set list mainly drew from her second album, Fear of Flying as well as included songs from her eponymous debut album Mya (1998) and concluded April 1, 2001.
Rhythm and blues hottie Mya's second album, FEAR OF FLYING, cemented her place at the forefront of the genre's stars.
Case of the Ex; by Mya was everything to me. The denim and texture of the outfits mixed with the metallic tones and the choreography laced with so much attitude was literal perfection.
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