I like MySQL and have used it for many projects. However, I believe it's been announced EOL, so a new project should probably use an DB that's still being actively developed. mariaDB is a good option. You could also opt to use an active fork of MySQL, but personally I don't like using forks of core functionality software unless it's been sufficiently developed for at least a year by competent devs, and has its own well-known identity. The database is just too important to risk.