Mýa Is ‘Totally Down’ For A 90s R&B Verzuz Battle
R&B singer Mýa is throwing her hat into the ring for a potential appearance on Verzuz.
She recently appeared on DJ Ace’s BBC radio show where she spoke about the impact of ‘90s R&B in music. Ace asked her for thoughts as to why that time period still resonates so heavily with people to this day.
“90s R&B was all about expression and wearing your heart on your sleeve. Men or women were not afraid to do either,” Mýa voiced. “So, everything was a little softer. More vulnerable, I’d like to say or emotionally-attached and expressive.”
In her opinion, the current R&B landscape of today has a “different type of culture” than back in the day although she added that the genre continues to have a prominent presence in music. “It’s less to get promoted or placed on mainstream radio. It’s a lot more expensive to make versus just a track and it’s considered more Adult Contemporary. But, you still have R&B artists touring, whether they’re new, because there’s just something about musicality.”
“The ‘90s R&B is so special because of the percussion that [is] always slapped but also those chord changes that touched your soul,” she continued. “You may not be able to articulate the way it makes you feel but it makes you feel something. And that’s why it’s so special all around the world, honestly. It always wins your heart and soul.”
Mýa shared that she’s currently vibing heavily with Nicole Bus, who she described as “amazing,” Tori Kelly, Ari Lennox, Lucky Daye, Tone Smith and Summer Walker. “A lot of them are musicians and it shows up in their vocal appeal or delivery. I love it.”
Ace used the moment to segue into Beenie Man’s highly successful Memorial Day Verzuz battle with Bounty Killer back in May and asked if she'd ever considered taking a turn in the virtual arena. “I’m always open,” Mýa said without any hesitation.
In addition to having more free time on her hands because of tours and shows now canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, she appreciated how the battle series is treated as a celebration between artists rather than a competition.
“I think it’s genius and very entertaining. There’s all kinds of memes that come out and people are really excited about culture coming together, especially since we’re so separated, so I’m totally down,” she said.
Although Mya didn’t name anyone in particular who she’d be interested in going up against, we wouldn’t mind seeing her matched up with maybe Chante Moore, Deborah Cox, or Toni Braxton. With hits like “Case of the Ex,” “My Love Is Like...Wo,” and “Lady Marmalade” in her repertoire, a Mýa appearance on Verzuz is certainly an interesting prospect.
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Listen to the full interview to hear what Mýa had to say about one of her memories from singing “Lady Marmalade” alongside the legendary Patti LaBelle here.
