Singer Mya seldom makes headlines, but when she does, it’s for journeying the less-traveled roads of celibacy, veganism, and marrying oneself. Sis is an outlier, in the best way possible. During a recent interview with Melyssa Ford’s Hot & Bothered podcast, the singer explained that she has never desired marriage or children.
When Ford asked the “Lady Marmalade” singer about her love life, the ageless beauty, 45, explained that she’s never been drawn to the traditional way of living.
“It’s not even my focus and it never has been,” Mya explained. “My mother’s an independent thinker. I’ve witnessed a divorce between my parents. I’ve witnessed all kinds of things.”
She continued, “I’ve witnessed a lot of things. And it’s also not been a safe place in my mind as a little girl. So I’ve always thought a little different. The white wedding dress, I was always fearful of a little stain. So I looked elsewhere and probably escaped too much in my work.”
The singer hasn’t missed a beat and still continues to perform globally after emerging on the scene with her debut album in 1998.
During the interview, Mya also added that, because she’s independent and away for work most of the time, she would not be able to fully commit to a significant other. Nonetheless, she isn’t saying she won’t ever feel a desire for a family or that she isn’t open to having one. She’s just content with where she is.
“I’m not worried about it because my life is full of love and it comes in so many different forms, not just one person,” she said. “So I’ve had to recalibrate my brain and not govern my life off of this fantasy or illusion that we have all been indoctrinated by or taught by.”
Mya clearly adopted her mom’s independent thinking and has done things her way, even though it has sometimes been controversial. She surprised fans when she married herself as the concept for her “The Truth” music video, which she released in 2020.
She went vegan after a significant relationship and has been open about the struggle to date men who eat meat (comparing it to having “death” on the breath). And in an interview on Way Up with Angela Yee, the singer revealed that she was once celibate for seven years, which provided “mental clarity.”
“It shifted my mindset,” she said. “It was no longer a focus. The rush to be in a relationship, the rush to be married, the rush to be in something because that’s what you’re taught to do, to have kids or procreate. I think there’s a lot of pressure on women to be able to do that.”
We’re glad to see she hasn’t succumbed to outside pressure and is choosing to live in a way that’s empowering for her.