Ranking the Best Mya Albums

Here’s another ranking that readers have requested for a long time.

R&B fans have so much nostalgia for that late 90s/early 2000s era and it’s pretty easy to see why – though we didn’t know it at the time, it was truly the final days for R&B as we knew it. While she didn’t enjoy the profile of some of her peers, Mya absolutely made her mark during that time, consistently dropping memorable singles that 106 & Park era fans still latch onto today.

But here’s the funny part – proving Black refuses to crack, much of Mya’s greatest work came much later, and y’all probably missed out! Thankfully, you have me here to put you on as we revisit and rank her LPs from bottom to top.

As always, we’re only counting studio albums. We’ll get to her array of mixtapes, EPs and compilations at a later date.

8. Liberation (2007)

Soul in Stereo rating: 3 stars out of 5

Edd said: This one was doomed from the start. Plagued by delays (and some genius at Universal Motown accidentally leaking it), Liberation initially wound up as a digital downtown release only in Japan. Those issues seemed to seep into the album as well. There are some sleepers (“Ridin” is one of my favorite Mya songs, period) but the overall package is very unfocused. It just feels like a demo of 07-era R&B without any of Mya’s personal stamp on it.

Forgotten favorites: “Ridin,” “Lights Go Off,” “Give a Chick a Hand”

7. K.I.S.S. (Keep it Sexy and Simple) (2011)

Soul in Stereo rating: 3 stars out of 5

Edd said: Here’s another one that definitely feels like a product of its era. If you were around in the early 2010s, you know the score – it was the land of electronic dance pop, and K.I.S.S. is a reflection of that. While many R&B vets at that time felt totally out of place in their attempts to mimic that vibe, it was a much easier transition for Mya, whose early work already dabbled in those sounds. That said, there are still a few headaches, mainly due to suspect sequencing. The album starts out well enough but eventually loses steam due to some generic writing on a few tracks.

Forgotten favorites: “K.I.S.S.,” “Fugitive of Love,” “Can I”

6. Sugar & Spice (2008)

Soul in Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Edd said: Since her previous album Liberation had done well overseas, Mya decided to go all in with this Japan-exclusive LP. And it’s pretty fun! Sugar & Spice is a very upbeat affair, which is quite the breath of fresh air in today’s murky and moody R&B scene. There aren’t many standout tracks, making the overall package feel a little uneventful, but there’s an infectious energy that gives the record a lot of personality. it’s certainly worth a listen if you can track it down.

Forgotten favorites: “Cry No More,” “Sold On Your Love,” “Ego Trippin”

5. Fear of Flying (2000)

Soul in Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Edd said: I don’t wanna hear any of the usual ” oH yOu’Re So BiAsEd” complaints after this ranking! Mya’s sophomore album is by far my favorite of her releases and fun fact – to this day it’s the only LP that I still have on CD AND cassette. But if I put nostalgia aside, it’s clear to see some of the holes here. On one hand, Fear of Flying is jammed-packed with memorable singles that have become signature Mya hits. But outside of those and a couple of solid album cuts, there’s not much left to discover. There were like three or four songs even I had forgotten about until relistening for this review. Fear of Flying is filled with peaks and valleys, and that inconsistency eventually takes a toll. Still love this album, though.

Also, the album version of “Best of Me” > the remix. Sorry, Jay.

Forgotten favorites: “Fear of Flying,” “Man in My Life,” “Can’t Believe”

4. Moodring  (2003)

Soul in Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Edd said: Can we get something out of the way before we begin? I love the single “Fallen” but, as an editor, it has bothered me for 19 YEARS that it’s the wrong form of the word. It should be Falling! Anyway, Moodring has always been a fan favorite album but I was a Fear of Flying guy and didn’t really get the hype, until now. Moodring takes awhile to get going but it slowly builds momentum as the album rolls on. The package really solidifies on the second half, with Mya’s unique blend of mellow R&B, dance and reggae coming together nicely. The highs aren’t as high as Fear of Flying but it’s much more consistent.

Forgotten favorites: “After the Rain,” “Anatomy 1on1,” “You”

3. TKO (The Knock Out) (2018)

Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5

Edd said: I’ve been doing these albums rankings long enough to notice the pattern – R&B artists’ best albums often concise with their mainstream peaks, with latter-day albums being … OK at best. Not Mya, who seems to be getting better and better the further away she is from the spotlight. Consider TKO to be the spiritual successor of Mya’s underrated Smoove Jones project. The 90s R&B influences are still heavy, but with a more contemporary twist on the writing and production. It’s a strong bridge between modern sounds and R&B’s last great era. There’s a little bit of the unevenness that plague earlier Mya releases but this time it’s not enough to derail the mood. R&B artists looking to remain relevant to younger fans without abandoning their base should follow this blueprint.

Forgotten favorites: “Damage,” “Open,” “Ready (Part III – 90s Bedroom Mix)”

2. Smoove Jones (2016)

Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5

Edd said: This was QUITE the surprise in 2016. After a five year layoff and several creative hiccups, Mya took it back to her R&B roots with Smoove Jones, embracing 70s, 80s and 90s soul with a dash of hip-hop. The result was a seductive concept album with a grown n’ sexy aesthetic that ties all the tracks together. Smoove Jones is by far her most consistent LP in recent memory. If you missed out on this one, catch up quickly.

Forgotten favorites: “Welcome to My World,” “Hold On,” “One Man Woman (Ol’ Skoo’ Joint)”

1. Mya (1998)

Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5

Edd said: Is it just me, or did it feel like Mya’s debut came out of nowhere? One minute she’s dancing around with Sisqo in a video, the next minute her album was here, immediately putting her in that Usher/Tyrese/Brandy/Monica/Aaliyah convo of young faces destined to carry R&B into the next millennium. What makes this album stand out even today is its surprisingly mature tone. Of course, she’s still very much a 90s teen arguing with her man about size 4 draws or whatever, but she’s a romantic at heart and that shines throughout the album, from the tenderness of “Baby It’s Yours” to the infamously heart-wrenching “If You Died I Wouldn’t Cry Cause You Never Loved Me Anyway.” That one had us shook in 98. Strong songwriting and mellow pacing make this the most satisfying Mya album to date.

Also, the album version of “Movin On” > the remix. Sorry, Silkk.

Forgotten favorites: “Baby It’s Yours,” “If You Died I Wouldn’t Cry Cause You Never Loved Me Anyway,” “If You Were Mine”

What’s your favorite Mya album? Are you Team Moodring or down with Fear of Flying? Let us know below.