Following the success of her debut album Mya (1998), Interscope promptly allocated the singer studio time and assembled recording sessions beginning as early as September 1999 which concluded in March 2000.

Looking to embrace a more mature sound, Harrison consulted and collaborated with a bevy of producers which included Rodney Jerkins, Swizz Beatz, Wyclef Jean, Knobody, Robin Thicke, Tricky Stewart, and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.

Considered her most expressive effort to date, Fear of Flying helped established Mya as a household name in mainstream media and redefine a golden age for R&B.

In April 2020, to commemorate the album's twentieth anniversary, Universal Music Group released an expanded edition featuring over 10 rare remixes and bonus tracks.

[11] A number of guest vocalists whom contributed to the project, included TLC's Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, Jordan Knight, and Beenie Man.

During an interview with Billboard, which discussed the title, Mya noted that while she had not been aware of the book, she later "started reading it and noticed a lot of similarities: "Fear of Flying is a metaphor for the ups and downs of life.

[16][17] While she admired the work of Dave La Chapelle, Mya revealed she cropped the original album's cover because it focused on her body, commenting, "I didn't like it.

[15] Several of the album's 18 tracks were co-written by Mya, with Vibe magazine noting in an article that "Mýa tackles difficult melodic and rhythmic twists without ditching a nice conversational tone.

[21] Next up, "Case of the Ex," a song structured around producer Tricky Stewart's "driving, Beethoven-meets-Timbaland" chord changes, where Mýa expresses distrust in her lover.

[15] Described as "edgy" and "street savvy," Mya commented on the message behind the song, suggesting, "It's about setting standards for yourself, about following them through and not allowing the temptations of a heat of the moment situation to lure you into something that you may regret later in life.

"[15][23] While the "dance-floor-ready" "Takin' Me Over," produced by Robin Thicke featuring Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, begins with Mya acting like the women she has expressed dislike for, while holed up in her bathroom with hair products.

[15][23] Followed by "For the First Time": a "sexual surrender cut" produced by Swing Mob member Darryl Pearson, a key collaborator on Harrison's debut album.

[28][29] The UK reissue contains the track "Whatever Chick", a song that would later be featured on her third studio album, Moodring (2003), appearing there in a reworked and explicit version, retitled "Whatever Bitch".

However, the instrumental of the song was left unused until the producer returned to New York City to start work on Mya's album at The Hit Factory.

[5] Jadakiss, then a member of the Ruff Ryders Entertainment's group The LOX, was chosen as the featured artist on the song as a result of label connections with Interscope Records.

Globally, "Case of the Ex" experienced similar success, peaking at number one in Australia for two weeks and earned a platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association.

People named Fear of Flying their "Album of the Week" and called it an "unexpected treat", though commenting that while "Mya offers no bold new sonic innovations, she does breathe life and sass into a genre too long held hostage by formula.

"[78] In another positive review, The Source wrote: "Reaching out to hip-hop heads [...] Mya proves she can hold her own in this competitive game of young female musicians.

"[79] Vibe stated that "the starlet has decided to show off her range [...] as if she and her top-notch producers attempted to wipe out the competition by transforming Mya into each of her rivals in turn [...] a grand tour through the ever-changing moods of female adolescence.

"[75] In his review for AllMusic, Jon Azpiri wrote that "Mya's sophomore effort proves that she is a promising young talent, but still has yet to develop the chops necessary to rank among the best of R&B divas."

"[74] Rolling Stone magazine writer Ernest Hardy gave the album 2 stars out of 5 and wrote: "The signature quiver in Mya's voice does give her some sonic identity, but otherwise this could be the music of Destiny's Child, Aaliyah or any of the countless interchangeable hip-hop/R&B divas.

"[76] Richard Lafrance, writing for Voir, noted: "The fifteen-song album ends with three ballads which say a lot about the intentions of Mya's team, which seems to be more towards the fan clubs of Brandy and Michel'le than the disciples of the Ruff Ryders.

[97][98] It spent a total of 25 non-consecutive weeks on the chart[99] and was eventually certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) in September 2001.

"[106] Described as sultry and futuristic, Alex Frank of Vogue applauded Harrison capabilities to "elbowed out the crunchy catchiness of Britney Spears and aggression of Kid Rock" with interesting, seductive music.

[105] With the dominant sounds of R&B production at the time, he also commended the singer for "creating something preppy and poppy and radio-friendly that kept pace with the Britneys and the N'Syncs without sacrificing experimentation.

"[105] He finished with Mya is "proof of a kind of inevitability of influence, with her sound now palpable in the music of a whole new generation of musicians who grew up on her hits.

Deanne recognized with Fear of Flying it exemplified why fans truly appreciated her music and saluted the sophomore effort as "poetic," "sexy," "passionate," and "honest sensitivity."

In the midst of her success, Deanne opined Harrison proved herself a well rounded-performer with flexible abilities who was consistently a "source of attraction" on television and on tour.

[108] Similarly, The Guardian lauded Fear of Flying as "a new golden age for R&B," while emphasizing Mya's "lightly melismatic vocals suited these rhythmically tricksy tales, capturing perfectly the highly charged sadness of a dead affair.

"[109] Several recording artists have covered, sampled, or inspired by the singles from Fear of Flying such as Father,[110] Tory Lanez,[111] Jack Back,[112] Giant Claw,[113] Harloe,[114] Sir Babygirl,[115] and Normani.