Album Watch: Mya Resurfaces To Japanese Soil

Not to say that I'm a huge Mya supporter, but I feel it's a damning shame that she has to do a Sinitta or a Marcia Hines and abandon American shores to get some respect. Especially with this true fact that Mya started the train that Rihanna, Ciara and Ashanti are riding on at this very moment...but she rode it better. Mya has that Paula Abdul quality...snappy dancer, infectious tunes but lacks the vocal strength to be taken serious...nonetheless, Mya has my condolences. After the embarrassing distribution of 2007's Liberation, Mya has turned her back on her fellow Americans to release her fifth album, Sugar & Spice on Japanese soil. Do I blame her? Naw...because most folks had no clue she released an album last year...even though the single, "Lock U Down" got minor attention. Since she released Liberation over in Japan to a much warmer response, Mya thought it wise to promote where she was wanted. Still, this may be a test to see if the US is ready to welcome back the "My Love Is Like Wo!" singer. The test is in first single, Ne-Yo coined "Paradise", which in short is muddled fodder that doesn't feel like strolling along the warm beach line, but rather feels like a coach seat on Southwestern Airlines. Not a good start. Maybe it is best Mya doesn't sprinkle Sugar & Spice here in the States...then again it will be available for (illegal) downloading faster here than you can say: "Wo!" Sugar & Spice will be available on December 3rd.