Los Angeles, California's Joyce Wrice Named Her New Album 'Machiko' After Her Japanese Middle Name

Joyce Wrice, the San Diego-born R&B singer based in Los Angeles, California, has put her own name on the cover. Her second album, Machiko, released Oct. 9, 2026, via BMG, is named after her Japanese middle name, which translates to "city girl."

It is a personal title for an album that, by early accounts, is about letting her guard down.

What "Machiko" means

Wrice is of Japanese and African American heritage, and Artistrack describes her as blending perspectives across Los Angeles, London and Tokyo. Naming the album after her middle name puts that background front and center.

The outlet called the record a "deliberate pivot away from the guarded, jaded themes" of her debut era, leaning instead into lightness, romance and emotional risk. Apple Music lists the album, stylized MACHIKO, at 14 songs.

The singles that led the way

Wrice built toward the album through 2026 with the singles "Break Me In" and "Crack The Code." Then came "Fly (Someone You Love)," featuring Salimata, with Lido, Jay Versace, Jack Dine and Ryan James Carr among its writers and producers.

Artistrack files the song under contemporary R&B, neo-soul and global pop.

Five years after "Overgrown"

For newer listeners, Machiko follows Wrice's 2021 debut, Overgrown. REVOLT reported that the 14-track album was executive produced by D'Mile, whom the outlet described as a 2021 "Song of the Year" Grammy winner and Golden Globe-nominated producer. It featured Lucky Daye, Masego, Freddie Gibbs, UMI, Kaytranada, Westside Gunn and Devin Morrison.

The album's lead-up included "On One" with Freddie Gibbs, which got a music video. REVOLT also noted that Wrice grew up an only child who found joy in hip-hop and soul, and that her A&R, Eddie Fourcell, connected her with D'Mile.

Wrice told REVOLT she made Overgrown over three years, calling the music "a result of me tending my garden." Between albums, she kept a steady release pace, including the 2022 EP Motive, the 2022 single "Oh Really?" with Kiefer, the 2024 single "too fast" and the 2025 single "REVIVAL," per her Apple Music page.

If Overgrown was about growth, Machiko sounds like the bloom: a singer comfortable enough to name a record after herself and lean into softer feelings.

Where to listen and follow

Machiko is streaming now. Find Wrice's catalog on her Apple Music artist page and follow her on Instagram at @joycewrice, which had about 191K followers as of late October 2026.

Sources

Artistrack — "Joyce Wrice – Fly (Someone You Love) | Machiko Album"
Apple Music — "Joyce Wrice"
REVOLT — "Joyce Wrice unveils her debut album 'Overgrown'"