Trending on Billboard

Joyce Wrice is a city girl, but not in the way you might think. The Los Angeles-based R&B singer, born in Chula Vista, California, to a Japanese mother and a Black father, is entering a new chapter with MACHIKO , her long-awaited sophomore album and a project that reflects how much she’s grown since releasing her 2021 debut, Overgrown, before seemingly going ghost. Named after her middle name, which translates to “city girl,” the album finds Wrice embracing more of herself, both personally and creatively.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

When I met Wrice, I went into our conversation having already heard the unreleased album, but I wasn’t just interested in discussing the music. I wanted to understand the story behind her three-and-a-half-year absence. Where had she been? Why hadn’t she posted to YouTube since 2022? And what did it take to bring her sophomore album MACHIKO to life?

What I didn’t expect was to meet an artist who seemed more sure of herself than ever.…