Mya

Mya's eponymous debut is a smooth, sultry collection of well-crafted contemporary urban soul that is actually richer than the average urban record the late '90s. Part of its success lies with the teenage Mya, who has a voice that is at once innocent and knowing, and part of it lies with her excellent team of producers and songwriters. Executive producer A. Haqq Islam has assembled a stellar behind-the-scenes team — featuring Babyface, Diane Warren, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott and members of Dru Hill — which has written and produced a fine set of songs that manage to sound universal and strangely confessional. That's because many of the songs on the record are loosely about a teenager becoming a woman, which is a subject Mya can convincingly sell. There are a few weak moments, to be sure, but overall it's a thoroughly promising debut.