San Diego native Joyce Wrice is just getting started in the world of Rhythm and Blues, better known as R&B. The singer-songwriter released her debut album “Overgrown,” completed at 14 tracks with an exceptional features list speaking on topics of love, heartbreak, her career and personal life.
Grammy-nominated artists Kaytranada and Freddie Gibbs lend their talents to the album along with jazz-saxophonist and singer Masego. Also featured is rising hip-hop artist from Buffalo, New York, Westside Gunn.
The album starts off with “Chandler,” a song that details the emotional rollercoaster women endure to find love and that special someone they can’t live without. In her live listening party, hosted on the album’s debut night via her YouTube channel, Wrice gave listeners an inside scoop on the song and described it as cinematic. “Chandler” was titled by producer D’Mile and gifted to Wrice. The name is based off the street where the recording studio is located.
Later on in the livestream she played the hit song “On One,” featuring Freddie Gibbs. Here, she related being in love to the feeling of being under the influence. “On One” describes a woman who is infatuated with the person in her life but on the fence over whether to let him go or love him more, something that listeners of all walks of life can relate to. “That was one of the first records we made that I felt set the tone for how I wanted the album to be,” Wrice recounted.
The album winds down with the self-titled song “Overgrown.” A song that musically ties the whole album together. Wrice described the emotions that came with writing her debut album and exploring the themes of love and heartbreak. “Overgrown,” is a song about self-identity, about loving yourself through anything and about not losing all that makes you, you. “It’s not supposed to be sad … it’s emotional,” she said. “Tears can be happy too, let it out” she added, before playing the melody for her audience. The melody, her vocals and the lyrics of the song blend beautifully to bring the album to a close.
The album promotes resilience during difficult times in your life. Wrice detailed how it’s her first time sharing this type of music style with the listening world and thanked her audience for sticking around and sharing this moment with her.
From her first EP in 2016 to her full-length debut album, it’s been tremendous to watch Wrice grow and develop her talents as an artist and a vocalist. She’s kept her head down and worked tirelessly both in her hometown of Chula Vista and in Los Angeles, California, where she currently resides and is gaining attention and collabing with some of the industry’s notable names. Her commitment to discovering different sounds of R&B melodies shows that she can keep up with the “big boys” of the music industry. “Overgrown” the album proves you can be from San Diego and be successful in the music industry, while still being true to yourself.
Listening to this album, it takes the audience through a moment of reflection. Through Wrice’s music, you can find relaxation and realize that even with all the struggles in your life you’ve made it through and you have grown more as a person.
