AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
For many of us, childhood was defined by the celebrities we loved. There's one singer who I was absolutely obsessed with in my middle school days - Mya. She could sing and dance and she was cool and popular. All the things I was not (laughter). But her music made me feel like I was that girl.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "GHETTO SUPASTAR (THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE)")
MYA: (Singing) Ghetto supastar.
OL' DIRTY BASTARD: (Singing) Supastar.
MYA: (Singing) That is what you are.
OL' DIRTY BASTARD: (Singing) That's what you are.
MYA: (Singing) Coming from afar.
OL' DIRTY BASTARD: (Singing) Coming from afar.
MYA: (Singing) Reaching for the stars.
OL' DIRTY BASTARD: (Singing) Reaching for the stars.
RASCOE: That's her 1998 hit, "Ghetto Supastar." Since Mya released her self-titled debut album that same year, she's won a Grammy and many other awards, received critical acclaim for her music videos and has sold millions of albums globally. Her newest and latest album is called "Retrospect."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "GIVE IT TO YOU")
UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTIST: Let's do it.
MYA: (Singing) You know that I'm a classy lady, but I just got to keep it real. I want to give it to you. You walk by...
RASCOE: Mya joins me in the studio now. Welcome to the program.
MYA: Hello there. How are you today?
RASCOE: I am very well, and very well because we are in the studio together. Oh, my goodness.
MYA: Thank you so much for having me.
RASCOE: I am so glad you came in. Your new album has this strong, like, '70s, '80s vibe, which is, like, my type of vibe. What made you want to look back on that period for inspiration?
MYA: The music that I grew up on is the music I fell in love with. And to be able to create freely from that place is pure magic (laughter).
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "GIVE IT TO YOU")
MYA: (Singing) My love. I wanna give it to you. So tell me, what's your situation?
My dad - he's a musician. He's a singer. I watched musicians in my living room rehearse R&B, soul and funk music...
RASCOE: Yeah.
MYA: ...My entire childhood...
RASCOE: Yeah.
MYA: ...Into my teen years.
RASCOE: Yeah.
MYA: My dad still performs to this day. So he was my very first inspiration. And I would just have a good old party.
RASCOE: Yeah, 'cause that's what I said. I literally, in my notes, I - when I was listening to it, I said, this is someone who is partying and, like...
MYA: And bringing some personality...
RASCOE: Yeah.
MYA: ...And joy and fun. You know, I miss those real moments in my childhood, where you're getting together with your entire family, whether it's outside...
RASCOE: Yeah.
MYA: ...Or indoors.
RASCOE: Yes.
MYA: And the laughter, the children's laughter, the adults' laughter. I really value those experiences. It's priceless.
RASCOE: You're a D.C. girl. D.C. native. What was it like for you growing up? - you're a young, biracial girl. Like, you know, what was that like?
MYA: Little Mya was just very free.
(LAUGHTER)
MYA: Wild hair, don't care.
RASCOE: Yeah.
MYA: Until others started telling me something was wrong with me. And so then I began to become confused. And I think because my dad was a history major, and he kind of described to us very early on the ignorance of the world, the division of the world and where that came from. It allowed me to have an understanding and a perspective that nothing was actually wrong with me. So now I walk in confidence, embracing all of who I am and understanding that I want to, in my mission, always bring people together and lead with love, be very, very aware of what the right side of history is and what the truth is.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ASAP")
MYA: (Singing) You know, we've come too far to throw it all away. Just talk to me, baby.
21 SAVAGE: (Rapping) You know...
RASCOE: You have this song that I am really loving right now, "ASAP" with 21 Savage, 'cause it starts so kind of, like, plaintively. I love when somebody talks.
MYA: (Laughter).
RASCOE: You got to make it - I love that. I love it.
MYA: That's that old school vibe.
RASCOE: That old - I love it.
MYA: And influence.
RASCOE: Yes. I love it. Why do you think, like, that mix of hip hop and R&B works so well for you?
MYA: I don't even know if it works.
RASCOE: It does.
MYA: It's not rocket science to me. It's just a feeling and a vibe...
RASCOE: OK.
MYA: ...That I'm making music from.
RASCOE: It's art. So it's like you know it when you feel it? Is that it?
MYA: I do.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ASAP")
MYA: (Singing) We got to have this conversation. The only problem is communicating. If we don't do this, then we might not make it.
This record featuring 21 Savage gives feminine.
RASCOE: Yeah.
MYA: It gives masculine.
RASCOE: Yeah.
MYA: But it also gives old school...
RASCOE: Yeah.
MYA: ...And current. And I actually heard him on it with a new approach on what his current generation would say, based on their perspective of a...
RASCOE: Yeah.
MYA: ...Relationship and what they might be going through and how they deal with it. That's really interesting to me.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ASAP")
MYA: (Singing) ASAP. ASAP.
21 SAVAGE: (Rapping) We get into it, you bring up the past, like I don't buy you presents. Facts. I put my blood, sweat, tears and feelings inside of a message. Facts. I wanna play 2K, you start to complain, you sound neglected. Twenty-one. You want all my time and attention, baby, but you don't respect me. Straight up. Got to communicate...
RASCOE: Talking about love and all these things. And I have to say, like, you have been around a long time, but we don't know a lot of yo business.
MYA: No.
RASCOE: Right? We don't - like, how do you do that? Because in this...
MYA: I learned early.
RASCOE: How did you learn that?
MYA: I learned early by the birth of a lot of gossip sites in the midst of me becoming a young woman. And I quickly realized also the sexism in society, anytime that you're seen with a man or even doing a collaboration with someone...
RASCOE: Yes, they think that you're dating.
MYA: The assumption is...
RASCOE: Yes.
MYA: More than dating.
RASCOE: Oh, well, more than - well, yes, more than dating. Yes.
MYA: And as a female, you're criticized. And so with millions watching, of course, the judgment and hearing and seeing so many different comments, and also people actually believing the narrative.
RASCOE: Yeah.
MYA: That can affect how you protect...
RASCOE: Yeah.
MYA: ...You, your mentality, your safety. I'm very aware of how cruel the world can be.
RASCOE: Talk to me about Prince, 'cause I understand that he was instrumental in you thinking about yourself as an independent artist. And there's a song called "Masterpiece" on this album that I felt like really channeled the Prince vibe.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MASTERPIECE")
MYA: (Singing) Boy, ya know I got the rhythm, so ya better catch the beat. Better listen to my body 'cause we gotta be in sync. If you're talking, better lock in when ya sex my mind, go deep. Just take your time. Take your time. Like Mona Lisa, pretty in the face, but baby, you're the masterpiece. Masterpiece. Paint me like Frida. Paint me. Focus on your stroke.
RASCOE: OK. Yeah. So how did Prince help develop your artistry? And I was hearing correctly, right? That was Prince...
MYA: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I mean, he's all over this album with the...
RASCOE: Yeah.
MYA: ...Minneapolis sound.
RASCOE: Yeah. What was it about him, particularly, that you love, that you wanted to pay a little homage to?
MYA: He's everything. Every single personality. He could get very, very deep with how he's feeling emotionally on a song.
RASCOE: Yeah.
MYA: He could talk about controversial, societal, political aspects of the world. And an amazing, engaging performer, whether it's how he's holding his mic, how he's stroking his hair, how he's looking at someone - eye contact in the audience. Every moment matters, and that's someone that (laughter) I just love to watch over and over and over again and study. But he's a musical genius as well.
(SOUNDBITE OF MYA SONG, "MASTERPIECE")
RASCOE: OK. Well, you know, like, you haven't aged, right? People - you have not - and I'm sitting here beside your just gorgeous body-ody-ody. How do you do it? Like, how? 'Cause we need tips. What is the...
MYA: I don't know what y'all are talking about right now 'cause I see myself every day. That's one thing.
RASCOE: (Laughter).
MYA: Yes, I am aging, ladies, and I'm loving it. So let's switch that narrative.
RASCOE: OK.
MYA: Age is not a bad thing.
RASCOE: No.
MYA: I'm embracing every womanly curve.
RASCOE: Yeah.
MYA: Every gravity drop.
RASCOE: Yeah.
(LAUGHTER)
MYA: 'Cause it's real.
RASCOE: Yeah.
MYA: But I'm here and I'm blessed to be alive, amen. And I'm looking forward to getting all the grace. I think it's beautiful - age.
RASCOE: That was Mya. Her new album is "Retrospect." We're so glad to have you.
MYA: It was a pleasure.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT")
MYA: (Singing) Life is what you make it. Make sure you take a break. You can miss it by mistake being addicted to the overtime. Life is what you make it. Makе sure you take a break. You can miss it by mistakе. Don't be... Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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