Fear of Flying
Young R&B; star Mya got some mileage from her 1998 debut album's "It's All About Me" and "My First Night with You," but made her deepest marks that year with cameos on two film-related hip-hop singles,Pras Michel's "Ghetto Supastar" andBlackstreet's "Take Me There." Back with her own second release,Fear of Flying, she aims to solidify her identity. The promising title--perhaps a nod to Erica Jong's groundbreaking '70snovelabout liberated female sexuality?--turns out to be a reference to commitment-phobia. The high must be followed by heartbreak, the song implies. That theme resounds in various ways through many of the record's other tracks, from the sneering "Case of  the Ex" to the bouncing "Lie Detector" (which showcases dancehall kingBeenie Man). Mya grabs for a piece of her own freedom with the party celebration andLeft Eyeduet "Takin' Me Over," which comes as a welcome change of pace from the focus on failed romance.Fear of Flyingis hardly a great album, but it does represent a real step forward for the singer.--Bob Roget