Portrait of Mya (singer)

Birthday profile

Mya (singer)

Mýa, American singer-songwriter, producer, dancer, and actress

Born
October 10, 1979
Age in 2026
47
Zodiac sign
Libra
Birth year
1979

About Mya (singer)

Mya Marie Harrison (; born October 10, 1979), known professionally as Mýa, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. 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 on BET's Teen Summit. She signed with University Records, an imprint of Interscope Records to release her first album Mya (1998). The album was led by her first single, "It's All About Me" (featuring Sisqó), which peaked within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. Her subsequent collaborative singles, "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)" (with Pras and Ol' Dirty Bastard) and "Take Me There" (with Blackstreet and Mase), were also met with commercial success. Her second studio album, Fear of Flying (2000), peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); all three of its singles — "The Best of Me" (featuring Jadakiss), "Free" and "Case of the Ex," — entered the Billboard Hot 100, the latter of which peaked at number two. Released the following year, her cover of the song "Lady Marmalade" (with Christina Aguilera, Pink and Lil' Kim)—recorded for the 2001 musical film Moulin Rouge!—peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100, along with twelve international charts, and won Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards. Mýa was granted wider creative control of her third studio album, Moodring (2003). The album spawned the singles "My Love Is Like...Wo" and "Fallen" and received gold certification by the RIAA. Mýa signed with Universal Motown Records for her fourth studio album, Liberation (2007). The album only received a limited release and she left the label the following year. In 2008, under the mentorship of J. Prince, Mýa established her own label, Planet 9, on which she released her fifth and sixth studio albums, Sugar & Spice (2008) and K.I.S.S. (Keep It Sexy & Simple) (2011). Beginning in 2014, she released three R&B–rooted extended plays (EPs): With Love (2014), Sweet XVI (2014), and Love Elevation Suite (2015). In 2016, her seventh album, Smoove Jones received a nomination for Best R&B Album at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. Its follow-up, T.K.O. (The Knock Out) (2018), commemorated the twentieth anniversary of her debut album. Mýa has also ventured into acting across film, television, broadway, and gaming. She made her cinematic debut in the thriller In Too Deep (1999). She has since appeared in roles in films including Chicago (2002), Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004), Shall We Dance? (2004), Cursed (2005), Girls Cruise (2019), and House Party (2023). In 2009, Mýa competed in Dancing with the Stars season nine, finishing second place in the competition. Mýa has sold 3.2 million albums in the U.S. and 20 million records worldwide. Her accolades include a Grammy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Critics' Choice Movie Award and two MTV Video Music Awards. Billboard listed her in their the Hot 100 Artists of the 2000s and Top 100 Women of the 21st Century lists. When her father first heard her sing, he had her record demo tapes and took them to a club where he was playing.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

The world when Mya (singer) was born

Mya (singer) was born in 1979. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1979

  • #1 song"My Sharona" – The Knack
  • Top movieKramer vs. Kramer
  • Top TV showLaverne & Shirley
  • Best-selling bookThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports moment"Miracle on Ice" (1980 — actually)
  • Top headlineIran hostage crisis begins
  • Technology milestoneSony Walkman released — portable music goes mainstream
  • Defining fadSony Walkman — portable music revolution
  • Notable inventionSony Walkman
  • World population4.38 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderJimmy Carter
  • Sports championPittsburgh Pirates (World Series)
  • Also wonSeattle SuperSonics (NBA)
  • U.S. population225.1M

1979 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Mya (singer)'s birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19792026
Gas$0.86$3.45/gal
Average home$62,900$435,000
Average income$19,554$67,500
Minimum wage$2.90$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$2.51$11.95
Postage stamp$0.15$0.73
Population225.1M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, IMDb, MusicBrainz. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.