R&B sensation Joyce Wrice has unveiled her promising new EP, Motive. The project is similarly upbeat and as just much an experimental breath of fresh air as the sounds of the critically acclaimed debut Overgrown. The album, drawing on classic R&B sounds from the late nineties and early noughties, cemented Wrice as a breakout star. In such a fast-paced landscape of music where consumers' attention spans are ever shrinking, the Los Angeles-based singer is hoping to keep the momentum going.

Speaking on the project, Joyce shares:

“In between coming off of my debut album and brainstorming ideas for my sophomore album, I was motivated to create an EP that the world could dance to. This new project is experimental, fun, carefree, and sexy. After ‘Overgrown,’ I was inspired to be free-spirited and to let loose and during this process I was consistently asking myself, ‘what’s your motive?’”

Three out of the five songs on this EP are produced by multiple-Grammy-award-winner and frequent collaborator, KAYTRANADA. The project was fronted by the release of the single Iced Tea, where Joyce’s sultry vocals pair so nicely with KAYTRANADA's innovative style of production. The Kill Bill-inspired visual and incorporation of animation in the video pays homage to Wrice’s Japanese heritage. The video, directed by Xavier Tera, truly highlights the ease with which she weaves choreography into the storytelling, setting the tone for the rest of the EP.

An afrobeat influence is evident on the track Spent. Joyce’s sweet, airy delivery is not lost in the track’s instrumentation, however. She reminds us: no amount of money will buy her love, and thus the track's title, Spent, acts as a double entendre for time and money. It is clear from this track and the EP as a whole; Joyce is keen not to not fall back into her comfort zone of mellow tracks by her choice of collaborative producers. Lookin for Ya and Pace Yourself both exhibit that organic groove we know to be KAYTRANADA’S signature stamp.

All five songs are standout. Joyce darts seamlessly between inducing nostalgia with her smooth vocals and reimagining R&B with her modern songwriting. Since the singer set out to create tracks she could dance to, this project feels like just that. The raw magnetism emerging from each song flaunting her deft melodic ability. Motive stands as a forerunner to her sophomore album, which she has revealed will be executively produced by D’Mile. We can only hope she continues down the experimental vein of this EP.

Stream Motive in its entirety below.