JOYE is currently experiencing one of the most important moments in her life. Having reached a feeling of freedom and emancipation and breaking free from constraints, she now presents her most sincere project to date, ANGEL (this mixtape is for you). The just-released mixtape was written during a therapeutic process that helped the artist heal and move forward after a very difficult episode for her. “I’d love for it to resonate with whatever people are going through,” she responds when we ask her what she would like her fans to feel when they listen to her latest release for the first time.
Pushing limits and championing introspection, freedom, and art in her musical project, with this new mixtape, JOYE feels she’s no longer struggling. “I’ve let go of all the pressure I used to put on myself. Everything feels lighter now. My mother’s passing was a powerful turning point.” We speak with her about the process of creating this special mixtape, music as healing, and her upcoming projects.
JOYE, welcome to METAL! How are you, and where are you responding to us from?
Hi METAL, thank you for having me !! I’m great, excited about what’s coming! Responding from France, Paris, my bedroom. I hope you’re fine too.
Three years ago you released Thelma, your first solo EP inspired by Women Who Run with the Wolves, the famous book by storyteller and psychoanalyst Clarissa Pinkola Estes. How do you remember this moment? What did this release mean to you personally and professionally?
So many mixed feelings during that time! I’m still incredibly proud of the music I made with my friend Léo Bouloumié (co-composer), and I still love performing those songs live. But back then, I was really struggling — working hard without getting the response I had hoped for. The promotion stopped way too soon… and I had to step back to take care of my mum. Still, the messages I was expressing meant so much to me, and they still do. That release felt like a liberation, a moment of deeper understanding of who I was becoming as a woman growing up in this world. I was yearning for freedom and emancipation — the kind that comes from within. The kind of society that doesn't really want you to reach out, that carries you wherever you want to go, with no attachments. But at the time, I hadn’t reached that place yet. I think now… I finally have.
I understand that you composed the five tracks on Thelma like restorative incantations and intimate rebirths to transform yourself. Could you tell us more about the creative process behind your first major release?
For the first time in my life, I was feeling real anger, and there was an emergency to express it. True Nature is still, I think, the most powerful song I’ve written. It questions the weight we give to other people’s opinions and judgements. Why do we care so much about what others think? Back then, I was full of self-doubt. I didn’t think I was smart enough, funny enough, or strong enough — you know, just not enough. I tried to please everyone, convinced that being kind and gentle was the key to being loved. But actually, it’s the opposite. It’s a trap. It attracts people who won’t love you back. That doesn’t mean you have to be harsh or mean, but you do have to dare to speak your truth. You have to stand up for yourself. This EP was my rebellion. I had to let go of that old version of myself… to be reborn.
You just released your new mixtape, ANGEL (this mixtape is for you). How do you feel now that you've unveiled this project that's so important to you?
Proud. Moved. A little tired though, haha… I gave it everything I had.
How is it similar to and different from Thelma? Do you feel you've changed a lot in the last few years?
Yes, radically. Like I said before, the chains I used to speak about in THELMA no longer exist. I guess that’s also part of what it means to become a woman. What hasn’t changed is that I’m still pushing limits, and my reflections still revolve around similar themes: introspection, freedom, and art. But it’s different in so many ways. I’m no longer struggling. I’ve let go of all the pressure I used to put on myself. Everything feels lighter now. My mother’s passing was a powerful turning point.
Turning pop into a powerful electronic spell, a ritual of healing and emancipation, in ANGEL you make a mockery of death in order to live even stronger. Could you tell us more about the starting point and the concept behind this mixtape?
My mum. I lost her within a few months. I didn’t see it coming, and I’ve never felt pain like that. But I’ve also never understood so much about life. Everything became sweeter. You can’t look at life the same way after something like that. You realise, deeply, that life isn’t about certainty or longevity. So why waste time on bad feelings, bad people, and bad ideas? All I want now is to stay true to who I am, always.
Have you always expressed yourself through music, channelling your pain and expressing your emotions through your lyrics?
Yes… I started writing songs back in school. I never had a diary — never needed one. I had my piano and my voice. I was a very lucky kid, though. My parents let me sing (scream) every single day.
This new release is a journey filled with emotions. From WHO'S GONNA FEED ME, which explores the vertigo of loss, to WITCH, allowing yourself to rap ferociously for the first time. How did you structure this powerful emotional journey? And how long have you been working on it?
I wrote the songs in a short burst; within a month and a half, I had demos ready to share. We kept working on them over the following months. The studio was tough. I was fragile. But we pulled through. This whole process was also therapeutic; it helped me grieve. For the first time, I started working on the visual identity while the demos were still taking shape. We built the world of the project, with my friend Lucie Perret, with much more structure and discipline than before. And the more songs we made, the more it felt like a mixtape — very different tracks, but somehow all part of the same whole.
What would you like people to feel when they listen to your mixtape?
Strength… intense emotions. When I listen to music that moves me, I start imagining full scenarios — completely fictional stories. I hope my music can do the same for others: spark imagination and stir deep thoughts. I’d love for it to resonate with whatever people are going through.
I'm very interested in your experience in the field of music therapy, a discipline that has proved that music contributes to physical and emotional well-being. Is it true that it can have such a profound effect on our health?
No doubt about that. Music connects us, to ourselves and to others. It’s huge. I’m not sure there’s anything else quite as powerful to bring us together.
What artists or songs do you listen to when you're feeling low? Is there any song you always turn to as an antidote?
ABBA, just to make sure I keep dancing, no matter what.
And what do you think of the current music scene? Do you think it's experiencing one of its most exciting moments?
It depends on where and what we’re talking about. The industry has become really tough, and marketing is everywhere. But on the flip side, many projects are flourishing and have the chance to continue flourishing. The power is also in the hands of independent artists now. We have to keep up with the times… Many artists are creating incredible work today, thanks to the technology we have. I’m a huge fan of the scene that influences me, and this kind of art wouldn’t have been possible just ten years ago.
What message would you like to send to the world?
Take time to understand people. Most of the time, we don’t know who or what’s behind. This world needs peace and love, but sending those feelings is not that simple. I think it’s an inner work… Let’s do the work.
And what can you tell us about your next projects?
I’d love to tour. I'm so ready for it! But at the moment, I’m focused on learning. I want to become a better producer, compose for films, and explore other forms of art. I’m looking to diversify my work. New songs are in the making, but nothing is very clear yet. I’m taking my time to think about my next project.