Moodring

For the color-changing ring, see Mood ring.

---

Untitled

Moodring is the third studio album by American singer Mýa, released in the United States on July 22, 2003 by Interscope Records. Her final album with the record company, it features production several producers and songwriters, including Ron Fair, Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Rockwilder, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, and Knobody among others.

Released two years after the number-one success of "Lady Marmalade", the album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 chart but had a short run on the charts, resulting into medicore domestic sales of 589,000 copies and a gold certification by the RIAA. Outside the States, Moodring scored minor success, missing the top forty on the majority of the charts it appeared on except for Canada. The critical response to Moodring was generally positive, garnering Mýa her strongest reception yet, with Allmusic praising Mýa for coming up with her best and most varied set of songs yet. At the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards "My Love Is Like...Wo" earned Mýa two nominations for Best Dance Video and Best Choreography.

While lead single "My Love Is Like...Wo" reached the top twenty in the United States and top forty elsewhere in countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland, the album's second single "Fallen" failed to duplicate its success. In late 2005, after five years with the company Mýa left Interscope Records due to "creative differences", making Moodring her last studio album on the label.

Album Title

Originally titled Smoke & Mirrors, Mýa later stated in a 106 & Park interview with A.J. Calloway and Free she thought about calling the album Correction because music critics and her peers believe she could not sing, but ultimately she decided on Moodring.

Conception

Lyrical Content

G-funk, drag queens, reggae and a little bit of pop rock — Mýa has the blueprint for making an album, all she had to do was take her time. "Wrapping it up now," Mýa said last week in Los Angeles. "I haven't been really consistent [with recording]. I've been in and out of the studio, so shoot, I'm using some records I did maybe two years ago. I been in the studio every chance I get for the fun of it, and I realized, 'Hey, I need to start recording an album.' After that I pretty much realized I had 20 songs in my pocket. In real life the 22-year-old is a little peeved that some people still see her as a kid, but she said she's going to show her maturity on her forthcoming LP. "I've grown up and gone through some things, so I'm expressing what I feel," explained Mýa, who walked away with a Grammy for her part on "Lady Marmalade." "I'm a little bit more open than usual, and I've lived a life. I've had a career where I can live a comfortable life. I'm not Britney Spears, so I still have a life. I can go certain places without getting hounded by little 5-year-olds. So I'm very sane as a person. I've gone through relationships, gone through the normal things that a normal person would go through." Mýa said that despite the edginess of her project, people shouldn't be too shocked by her free spirited wordplay and music. "It's well balanced," she proclaimed. "I'm not saying, 'F--- you, kiss my ass.' I'm not cursing all over my album, but it's real. I know lots of females that can appreciate where I'm coming from, and men too."

Unlike Fear of Flying (2000), which addressed somewhat superficial relationship issues, the new stuff is real and personal, largely because Mýa's writing her own lyrics this time, said Elliott, who produced six songs on the disc. "It's like when Pink stepped out with her second record," he explained. "She got to express herself a little more than she did on her first album. Mýa's grown up, and the things she's talking about deal more with real issues. It's not like someone coming in with a song that's already written, where the lyrics and music are from another person's perspective. We co-wrote the stuff that we did. So it's more from her." Like Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera, Mýa is dealing with more provocative subject matter these days. For example, one of two songs produced by Christopher "Tricky" Stewart is about fiery relationships on the road. Elliott said Mýa's lyrical development isn't a shock tactic or an effort to keep up with her racy peers — it's more a sign of her own maturation and her interest in being honest and open.

"You keep it tight, hit me off how I like, every day, every night," she sings on the piano-powered "No Sleep," where she makes a 3 a.m. booty call to her man. "They say I'm shy, but you know that's a lie," she goes on to sing before further testifying about how good the love is with her mate. Mýa's words on "Anatomy One-on-One" might make you pat yourself on the forehead with a handkerchief, as she sings even steamier lyrics, vividly detailing a session of passion with her Mr. Do Right. "You found a position that turns me on," she gushes. "Temperature's hotter than fire/ And the heat has got me burning up/ Let's stop, drop and roll together." Unfortunately her flames are doused with a dose of reality that is as sobering as a cold shower on "Step." Here you can imagine the petite crooner getting set to put up her dukes as she complains about a girl who's trying to take her man. And you wouldn't believe it by Mýa's usually dainty behavior, but she can get down and dirty in a slugfest. She threatens to take off her heels and tells the jezebel that wants to break up her happy home, "I ain't got no time for the bullshhhh/ You should have a little respect 'cause if a girl is f---ing your man, you wouldn't like that." Mýa is "cold-blooded" after all, as she sings on the disco throwback "Sophisticated Lady," where she promises to make any man holla because she is the flyest of the fly.The playfully unabashed "Whatever Bitch" also steps outside the usual R&B soundscapes. That cut finds Mýa using house music to dismiss jealous girls who roll their eyes at her and want to spoil her partying. "They calling me a ho 'cause I'm trying to get my freak on," she scoffs. "But bitch, we're in a club, what the hell do you expect bitch?/ I worked too freaking hard to let a hata bring me down." But Mýa's biggest foe on Moodring may not be a woman — it could very well be the object of her affection. "Why You Gotta Look So Good?" tells the story of the songbird struggling to leave a bad relationship. G-Unit member Lloyd Banks guest stars on the track, rapping from the male perspective about the same woeful situation. "We both know if you put on some extra pounds I would have left a long time ago ..." Banks says. "I can't find good enough reason to try to hit the road .../ It's a shame how your female anatomy keeps grabbing me." "Mya can stand on her own," Elliott said. "Her album is gonna be off the chain. It's gonna be off the hook, man."

Musical Content

Songs

The opening track and the album's first single is "My Love Is Like...Wo", written and produced by Missy Elliott. The single reached the top twenty in the United States and the top forty elsewhere in countries like United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland. It took Mýa 365 days (a whole year) before she decided to record the track because of its lyrics. Second single "Fallen", an elegant mid-tempo track, was produced by One Up Entertainment. The single was less successful than Mýa's first single and was the album's final release. "Why You Gotta Look So Good?", the album's third track was written and produced by Rockwilder and Mýa and features G-Unit member and then-labelmate Lloyd Banks. The song itself tells the story of a woman struggling to leave a bad relationship. The Timbaland-produced "Step" is the album's fourth track and was written by Elliot, Timbaland, and Mýa. "Sophisticated Lady", the album's fifth track, was produced by Mýa, Don Vito, and Tricky Stewart. It incoporates elements of Rick James's 1983 song "Cold Blooded". The piano-powered "No Sleep Tonight" is the album's sixth track and was produced by Tricky Stewart and Mýa. The song itself tells the story of Mýa making a 3 a.m. booty call to her man. Track seven "Anatomy 1on 1" was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. It is one of Mýa's favorite tracks on the album and is consider bubble bath music. Hurry Up, is the album's eighth and was produced by DJ Clue and features Mýa's artist Gunnz. The Jerome "Knobody" Foster-produced "Things Come & Go", is the album's ninth track and features reggae-dancehall musician Sean Paul. It incorporates elements of Shuggie Otis's "Strawberry Letter 23". "You", the album's first ballad and tenth track, was produced by One Up Entertainment. The song was considered as a single at one point by Mýa's record label Interscope. "After the Rain", the album's eleventh track, was produced by Jerome "Knobody" Foster. The song is a tribute to Aaliyah and Lisa Lopes. "Late", another Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis-produced track, is the twelfth song on the album. The song tells the story of a woman who has not come on her period yet. "Whatever Bitch", is a drag queen anthem and the album's thirteenth track. Written and produced by Damon Elliott and Mýa, the song incoporates elements of techno music. "Taste This", the album's fourteenth track, was written by Mýa and produced by Jerome "Knobody" Foster. The song tells the story of a woman who is fed up with her lover half-stepping in their relationship and incoporates elements of quiet storm music. Track fifteen, "Take a Picture", was produced by Damon Elliott and written by pop rock singer Pink. The song was originally supposed to be featured on Pink's 2001 album Missundaztood but later was recorded by Mýa. "Free Fallin'" is a remake of the Tom Petty song from his 1989's album Full Moon Fever. "Real Compared to What" is the album's final track. It features then labelmate Common and was featured in Mýa's 2002 Coca-Cola commercial.

Background

Chart performance

Moodring debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and number two on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums with first-week sales of 113,000 units. The album was certified gold by the RIAA on September 25, 2003. It remained on the Billboard 200 for a mere eighteen consecutive weeks. Moodring has sold 589,000 copies in the United States alone, according to Nielsen Soundscan, and was the U.S.' one hundred and fifty-seventh best-selling album of 2003. Internationally, the album was not as successful as 2000's Fear of Flying, peaking at number number one hundred and ninety-seven in the United Kingdom, number seventy-four in Australia, and number twenty-five in Canada.

Singles

• The first single from the album, "My Love Is Like...Wo", peaked at number thirteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and number seventeen on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The single was a commercial success due to its success on mainstream radio and became Mýa's fifth top forty hit. It was a moderate success internationally, reaching the top forty in the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia.

• The second single "Fallen" peaked at number fifty-one on the Billboard Hot 100 and number thirty-five on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The single was a commercial failure due to poor radio airplay and lack of promotion.

Tracklisting

1. "My Love Is Like...Wo" (Missy Elliott, Charles Bereal, Kenneth Bereal) – 3:29
2. "Fallen" (Rich Shelton, Kevin Veney, Loren Hill, Leonard Huggins, Luiz Bonfá, Maria Toledo) – 3:34
3. "Why You Gotta Look So Good?" (featuring Lloyd Banks) (Christopher Lloyd, Dana Stinson, Teron Beal, Mýa Harrison) – 4:39
4. "Step" (M. Elliott, Harrison, Timothy Mosley) – 3:15
5. "Sophisticated Lady" (Harrison, Rudy Currence, Rick James) – 3:51
6. "No Sleep Tonight" (Mark Sparks, Christopher Stewart, Currence) – 4:12
7. "Anatomy 1on1" (Harrison, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, Bobby Ross Avila, Issiah J. Avila) – 4:35
8. "Hurry Up" (featuring DJ Clue) (Kenneth Ifill, Harrison, Derek Coopper, Ernesto Shaw) – 4:29
9. "Things Come & Go" (featuring Sean Paul) (Harrison, Sean Paul, Shuggie Otis) – 3:57
10. "You" (Shelton, Veney, Hill, Marthea Jackson) – 4:08
11. "After the Rain" (Lamont Dozier, McKinley Jackson, Teron Beal, Harrison, Thealodius Reddick) – 3:57
12. "Late" (Harrison, Harris, Lewis, B. Avila, I. Avila, Eddie Cole) – 4:44
13. "Whatever Bitch" (Harrison, Damon Elliott) – 4:20
14. "Taste This" (Kris Ricat, James Czeiner, Harrison, Sydney Brown) – 4:36
15. "Take a Picture" (D. Elliott, Alecia Moore) – 3:29
16. "Free Fallin'" (Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty) – 3:54
17. "Real Compared to What" (featuring Common) (Eugene McDaniels) – 3:58

UK edition

17. "Moodring" (Harrison, Melissa Wright) – 3:31
18. "Extacy" (Harrison, D. Elliott) – 4:13
19. "Real Compared to What" (featuring Common) – 3:58

Japanese edition

17. "Moodring" – 3:31
18. "Extacy" – 4:13
19. "Little Too Much, Little Too Late" (Diane Warren) – 3:24
20. "Real Compared to What" (featuring Common) – 3:58

Personnel

Musicians

• Alex Al – bass
• Romeo Antonio – guitar
• Kyle Armbrust – viola
• Ravi Best – trumpet
• Sandra Billingslea – violin
• Krystyana Chelminski – violin
• Eddie Cole & His Gang – bass, guitar
• Luis Conte – percussion
• James Czeiner – violin, horn
• Earl Flemming – keyboard
• Steve Ferrone – drums
• Eileen Folson – viola, cello
• Clark Gayton – trombone
• G.A. Grant – horn
• Gary Grant – horn

• Darryl Harper – keyboard
• O.J. Harper – keyboard
• Jerry Hey – horn
• Dan Higgins – horn
• Cecelia Hobbs Gardner – violin
• Jun Jensen – cello
• Natalie Leggett – violin, viola
• Jerry Ney – horn
• Joel Peskin – horn
• William Reichenbach – horn
• Kris Ricat – guitar, horn
• Maxine Roach – viola
• Derek Scott – guitar
• Carl "Butch" Small – percussion
• Michael Valerio – bass

Production

• Vocal production: Ron Fair, Mark Harrison
• Vocal assistance: Patrice Bowie, Sue Ann Carwell, Eric Dawkins, Laurie Evans, Katrina Willis
• Engineers: Mike Anzel, Dylan Dresdow, Bruce Buechner, Randy Bugnitz, Ian Cross, Jimmy Douglass, David Guerrero, Tal Herzberg, Troy Hightower, Pete Karam, Brian Summerville, Brian "B Luv" Thomas, Ryan West, Doug Wilson, Frank Wolf
• Assistant engineers: Matt Marrin
• Mixing: Dave Pensado
• Mixing assistance: Ethan Willoughby
• Mastering: Eddy Schreyer
• A&R: Kathryn Keller Moss
• Art Direction: Drew FitzGerald
• Photography: Marc Baptiste, Sheryl Nields

Charts

Chart (2003)	Peak position	Certification
Australian Albums Chart	74	—
Canadian Albums Chart	25	—
UK Albums Chart	197	—
U.S. Billboard 200	3	Gold

Year-end charts

Chart (2003)	Rank position
U.S. Billboard Billboard 200	157
U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums	86

Tour

Main article: House of Blues Tour (Mýa 2003 Tour)

Nominations

Year	Ceremony	Award	Result
2003	MTV Video Music Awards	Best Dance Video , My Love Is Like...Wo	Nominated
2003	MTV Video Music Awards	Best Choreography in a Video , My Love Is Like...Wo	Nominated

Release history

Region	Date	Label
Japan	July 16, 2003	Interscope
United Kingdom	July 21, 2003
United States	July 22, 2003
Australia	July 28, 2003
Austria	October 29, 2003
Germany
Switzerland