It’s the last Friday of February and, in the UK, the sun makes a rare appearance as it starts to set. For Joyce Wrice, it’s 10 am over in LA, where her day is just getting started. As soon as our Zoom call starts, my bedroom wall, which features a framed vinyl of Brandy’s “Full Moon” and a large poster of Janet Jackson’s “All For You” album artwork, immediately takes over the interview. Upon asking her, Wrice mentions that “All For You” is her favorite album from Jackson but also references “SloLove,” “So Excited,” and “Rollercoaster” as other noteworthy songs in her back catalogue. “Also, “Discipline” is REALLY good,” she adds. “I love Janet, I hope I can see her live one day.”

After a serious 15 minute discussion about our admiration for Jackson, we dive straight into the purpose of our video call. Nearly a year after releasing her debut album, “Overgrown,” the 29-year-old is preparing for a new chapter in her career by releasing the single “Iced Tea” with Grammy Award-winning producer Kaytranada. Perfect for the long summer days, the easy-listening bop is sonically reminiscent of Brandy’s “Afrodisiac” era and is the perfect tune to follow up the stage that both exposed and helped to get her to the respectable level she is at today. Fans, you won’t be left disappointed.

“To me, the song represents women’s empowerment, it represents self-love and just being in your femininity, womanhood,” Wrice tells EQUATE, adding, “Obviously, I want everyone to connect to it but it’s really a message to myself too of being in control of my own life and not letting others sway me or take me off the track. Sometimes I just hold on and I allow people’s energy to have an impact on me. So, this song is a message to myself to own your shit and shine, let your light shine.”

She continues: “After “Overgrown,” I was like, okay, I wanna pick it up some more. I still wanna explore more urgent production and I kinda wanna explore uptempo. I know “Ice Tea” is a little midtempo, but it still feels a little upbeat. I just wanted to explore sounds people haven’t heard me on. It’s a very chill record. I’m working on some more with [Kaytranada] that I hope to share with everyone soon.”

The California-born singer has yet to shoot a music video for the track but does have a concept planned for when she does. While purposely remaining tight-lipped, she does give a mini insight into what fans can expect. “The concept we have right now that we’re working on with this director from Japan,” Wrice mentions. “There’s going to be some acting, there’s going to be some things happening that I think we will give people a deeper look into who I am. It’ll be hot and entertaining and just new from what my music videos have looked like.”

This isn’t the first time Wrice has worked alongside Kaytranada on a track. The Canadian producer, who has teamed up with other prolific names such as Craig David, H.E.R., and Kali Uchis, appeared on Wrice’s 2021 debut album with his own self-titled interlude. Even though their friendship has blossomed into something special over the past year, the first time Wrice came face to face with him was in a totally unexpected manner. “What’s funny is, I didn’t actually meet Kaytranada but the first time I encountered him, I was at a roller skating rink for this music collective and Snoop Dogg, Too $hort, DJ Quik, all these people were there celebrating,” she recalls. “I was roller skating, which I’m not very good at, and I actually fell onto Kay at that event. I was like, “He’s cuuuute, who is this?!” but I didn’t really indulge and we didn’t really talk or anything.

“Right now, I’m in a space where I’m just tryna play, explore, have life experiences, take classes for acting, and really dig deeper and find ways to express myself”

- Joyce Wrice

After that experience, Wrice found herself becoming a huge fan of his track “Look Easy” with Lucky Daye and decided to follow Kaytranada on social media. When it came time for securing collabs for her own album, his name was suggested and we guess the rest is now history.

In addition to working together musically, Wrice was given the chance to open up for Kaytranada’s three shows in New York last October. Around the time of the tour, she shared an intimate, yet friendly, snapshot of the duo on Instagram. Due to the internet being a crazy place, many jumped the gun and assumed they were, in fact, a couple. However, Wrice reassures everyone that is far from the case. “There’s another photo that’s actually really funny that I wish I posted after everyone’s comments. I’m like, ‘Y’all don’t really know this man is gay?’ He don’t want nothing to do with me or this pussy,’” Wrice jokes. “Even though I’m like, ‘Dayummm, he’s fineee’. Kay is gorgeous and handsome, he’s beautiful, but no, he’s gay,” she adds while laughing.

My first time meeting Wrice was less than two weeks after those back-to-back shows in New York. She came to the UK to perform a one-off sold-out London concert at the Omeara in London Bridge where I was able to interview her backstage in her dressing room. Funnily enough, I remember watching Wrice do her makeup in the mirror while she blasted a live version of Janet Jackson’s “Got ‘Til It’s Gone” on her phone. During our chat, she revealed she had plans on releasing a new EP that was strictly going to be a collaboration project with Kaytranada. Now that many months have gone by, it seems Wrice has changed her mind. “I’m not sure now. I don’t know how I wanna go about it anymore because there’s also this writer that I’ve always wanted to write with who also produces who showed interest in working with me,” she reveals. “I’m kind of thinking I just wanna create, create, create and just make some of the best music and then kind of see how I wanna go about with it.”

Wrice knows that dropping the EP she originally teased would “make so much sense” but is instead contemplating just releasing another full-length album with those songs included. With plans of getting back in the studio with D’Mile, listeners will have to remain patient until Wrice figures it all out. “We are still in this damn pandemic, but clearly shit just be happening out of nowhere so you just gotta stay ready so you gotta get ready,” she says. “Right now, I’m in a space where I’m just tryna play, explore, have life experiences, take classes for acting, and really dig deeper and find ways to express myself.”

One thing that went as planned and remains a pinch-me moment for Wrice is having the opportunity to sing the re-imagined theme song for the revival of Disney’s iconic “The Proud Family.” Even though fans were hit with the exciting news in January, Wrice had to keep it all a secret for more than half a year. “They had sent me an email that said they wanted me to be a part of an animated series. What’s really crazy is, I was really praying for getting into more TV and film,” she explains, adding, “Two weeks later, I got this email, and even though we didn’t know if it was real, we still thought it was dope and responded. They then told us it was for “The Proud Family” reboot and me and my manager, Jasmine, went crazy because we grew up watching the show and the theme song was always something we would sing growing up.”

“It was the perfect match for me,” Wrice adds. With it also being the first time she had ever recorded a theme for a show, the legendary brand couldn’t have given her a better experience. “From being in the studio with Kurt Farquhar, who wrote and produced the song, to then Disney wanting me to be a part of their virtual premiere and perform the theme song live, and have my band arrange it and have my dancers with me to work together and get creative with it and perform it for Disney, and then for them to allow me to sing my own songs on the virtual premiere has been a dream come true,” she explains. Now that Wrice has been welcomed into the Disney family, she hopes this has opened doors for many more opportunities with them. “They’ve shared that they wanna continue working with me, so it’s very exciting and that makes me happy.” Let’s not forget, this means she will now also likely have free passes to Disneyland.

Solange and Destiny’s Child sang the original “The Proud Family” theme, therefore, Wrice had big shoes to fill. And with no surprise, the reaction differed. “People have been pretty receptive. And then there are people who just love the original and don’t see why Disney would want to re-imagine the theme song,” she says. While Wrice can’t confirm whether any of Destiny’s Child or Solange have heard her version, she hopes they enjoy it and wants them to know she is “a big fan and that I really respect them.”

With new music in the pipeline and a theme song secured, Wrice is continuing to push herself as she has plans to venture into acting. “I’m with this agency and at the height of the pandemic, we had discussed what my interests are. I shared with them that I’d love to explore acting and they started sending me some self-tapes. And I was like, I’m terrible at this, this is really not for me,” she shares. “One of the things about me is I love to learn, and I love to challenge myself. So, I felt I needed to take classes and see if it was something I was interested in.”

Wrice continues: “I started going to this acting school, and you have to be invited. And so I did the introductory class, some of the exercises and assignments were very foreign to me. I felt so uncomfortable and vulnerable, damn this shit is crazy BUT I loved knowing what it could do for me as an artist. I was crossing my fingers hoping I would get accepted, and I did.”

While busy building her brand as an R&B superstar, Wrice currently does one acting class a week for five hours via Zoom and has agreed to commit for six months. “It’s been very fulfilling and sometimes feels like a therapy session because it’s so human when you think about acting. You learn about empathy. So, I’m really enjoying it, and it’s already shifted a lot of things for me with singing and performing and songwriting,” she says. With hopes of wanting to star in a television show or a movie on the big screen, Wrice reveals she had just attended an audition earlier that week. I joke around, telling Wrice I could totally see her taking on a “Honey” (the 2003 film with Jessica Alba) type of role but she insists she wants to do “something out of character” and not predictable. “I don’t wanna do something safe,” Wrice says.

As the one-year anniversary of Wrice’s debut album, “Overgrown,” approaches, she takes the time to reflect on how much she was able to accomplish in such a short period, especially without a big machine. “This album, which is a fully independent release, I achieved way more than what I wrote down,” Wrice explains. “I was thinking about shopping this album. I did actually take a meeting with a major label and it didn’t work out. Then we got to work with the lovely Orchard, and I’m so happy that it didn’t work out with the major record label because the way everything happened, especially independently, was hard but so much more fulfilling.”

“Obviously, I wanted the album to enter the Billboard charts. I want my songs to be on the radio and feature in TV shows and movies and I want to do an “Overgrown” headlining domestic international tour, I wanna be on “Jimmy Fallon,” I want a Grammy! There are so many things, I like to dream big,” she continues. “Overall, [the album] has brought such a big and new audience and it’s allowed me to travel and be on tour again, do a sold-out headlining show in LA and London. I’m excited for what else could come. I hope that even though it came out last year, it will keep growing.”

Wrice mentions a Grammy, which she was close to getting nominated for as it was reported late last year she was hotly-tipped to be recognised in the R&B categories. Even though her record didn’t make the final cut, it’s one of many accolades she is keen on receiving in the near future. “If I could have a No. 1 song on the top Billboard charts for four executive weeks, that would be so amazing. Also, having a platinum record would be really, really life-changing. That’s the shit that I really want,” Wrice declares.

Currently, Wrice is gearing up to perform across North America with Lucky Daye. “It will be my first time doing a tour like this, having a show every other day,” she explains ahead of opening night. “I’m going to start dancing in heels. So, I’m going to really train with my choreographer and physical trainer.” With that being said, she’s always manifesting the next big thing into its existence. “My goal for this year was to open for Silk Sonic but another goal of mine is a headlining world tour that’s completely sold out in arenas [laughs]. That would be nice,” she says.

Stream ‘Iced Tea’ below -

Follow Joyce Wrice - @joycewrice

Credits:

Photographer: Mark Peaced

Styling: Danasia Sutton

Hair: Abraham Esparza

MUA: Melissa Daniel Sandoval

Art Design: Lazy Goat Club

Words: Fabio Magnocavallo