LOS ANGELES, CA — Veteran R&B artist Mya has released her ninth studio album, "Retrospect," an ambitious new project she describes as a bold foray into the largely forgotten genre of '80s funk, a move made possible by her newfound independence from major record labels. This groundbreaking artistic pivot, Mya explained, allowed her to explore sounds that "really speak to where I'm at in life," specifically a collection of beats and basslines that were widely popular three decades ago.
"When you're independent, you're free to take risks, to really delve into uncharted territory," Mya told reporters, carefully omitting any mention of traditional label funding. "For me, that meant listening to a lot of Parliament-Funkadelic and understanding that the human voice can, in fact, be layered over a groove." Industry insiders are buzzing about this fresh take on music from the period between 1980 and 1989, a time when many of Mya’s core audience were still in elementary school or not yet born.
Dr. Evelyn Groove, Professor of Post-Millennial Pop Archaeology at the Institute for Aspirational Proximity Studies, lauded Mya's courage. "It takes a truly independent artist to look at the entire history of recorded music and decide, 'You know what? I'm going to bring back disco's slightly more mature cousin,'" Dr. Groove stated. "Most artists simply repeat trends, but Mya has bravely shown us that the past is a deep well of inspiration, provided nobody else is telling you what to record." She noted that the album includes surprising choices like "synthesizers" and "slap bass."
The artist confirmed that her independent status means she now holds complete creative control, including the sole responsibility for marketing, distribution, and financing the album's production, which, she clarified, included a significant personal investment in a high-speed internet connection to access Spotify's "80s Funk Greatest Hits" playlists. Mya emphasized that this move was about artistic integrity, not a strategic repositioning after her last major label deal expired in 2012.
"It's empowering to know that every single stream, every download, every physical copy sold — all of it comes back to me, after the platforms take their cut, of course," Mya explained, reportedly pointing to a spreadsheet titled "Retrospect Revenue Projections (Pre-Platform Fees)." This groundbreaking embrace of a 40-year-old sound, she asserts, is exactly what the music world needs: a fresh look at the archives, now available for a small fee.
