Identified for her genre-fluid strategy and distinctive sonic id, the previous LOONA member Yves continues to redefine her place inside and past Ok-pop, crafting a sound that feels each intimate and expansive. Out now by way of PAIX PER MIL, “NAIL” captures a world in movement, one which pulses, flows, and resists straightforward categorization.
As she prepares to convey this new period to the stage on her 2026 world tour, together with stops throughout Latin America, Yves continues to construct a worldwide reference to audiences drawn to her singular imaginative and prescient and evolving artistry.
We had the chance to take a seat down with Yves and discuss constructing a sonic world rooted in bodily sensation moderately than narrative, the hypnotic and body-driven nature of tracks like “HALO” and “it,” how this new undertaking in the end embodies a ahead movement, an invite to let go of hesitation and easily transfer, and extra.
How did you strategy constructing a sound world round bodily sensation moderately than emotion or narrative?
For this undertaking, I discovered myself focusing extra on bodily sensation than on narrative or emotion. With “HALO” particularly, moderately than making an attempt to ship a really particular that means by the lyrics, I wished to observe the best way a sense lingers in your physique and slowly pulls you deeper in. The melody repeats sure phrases nearly like they’re echoing in your head, and within the closing outro, there’s this breathless half that leads immediately into the intro of “NAIL.” To make that feeling extra actual, I even recorded components of it whereas operating.
Tracks like “it” and “HALO” carry an nearly hypnotic ambiance. What feelings had been you hoping to evoke in listeners with this undertaking?
With “it,” the melody itself could be very emotional, so I feel it naturally brings up totally different recollections or emotions for every listener. Somewhat than describing one particular state of affairs within the lyrics, I wished to precise the sensation that no matter worries or troublesome moments you’re going by will finally go and start to stream once more. That’s why I saved repeating the phrase “stream once more.”
Then again, “HALO” is far more centered round beat and rhythm. I wished it to be a music that makes your physique react straight away, one thing that makes you wish to transfer as quickly as you hear it. The lyrics additionally repeat like one thing circling in your head, so it’s a monitor you may really feel earlier than you even attempt to perceive it.
You collaborated with Lolo Zouaï and Lexie Liu on this EP. What did every of them convey to the artistic universe on “NAIL”?
Lexie Liu has such a wonderful tone, and he or she carries the emotional stream of “Break It” in a means that feels very pure whereas including much more depth to the temper of the music. Lolo Zouaï brings this rhythmic, effortlessly cool power that matches the world of “NAIL” so nicely. The second her half is available in, it adjustments the temperature of the monitor and offers it a special texture. I’m very grateful to each of them as a result of they made the songs really feel even richer.
Your music resists being boxed right into a single style. Is {that a} aware choice or a pure results of your creative evolution?
I feel it’s fairly pure for me. I’ve all the time appreciated taking one thing acquainted and twisting it a bit of so it feels much less anticipated. That intuition naturally reveals up in my music too. My artistic workforce could be very related in that means, so I feel that shared mindset has formed me into an artist who can transfer extra freely between sounds and ideas.
Critics and followers are more and more responding to your music as one thing that goes past conventional Ok-pop. Do expectations really feel extra like stress or risk?
I’m a Korean artist, and LOONA is a giant a part of the place I come from, so I do see myself as a Ok-pop artist. However on the identical time, I don’t suppose labels like Ok-, J-, or C-pop matter as a lot anymore. What feels extra necessary now could be the music and whether or not an artist has a world and id that feels actually their very own. That mentioned, I’m proud if my work helps develop what individuals think about Ok-pop will be and reveals that there’s area inside it for a lot of totally different sorts of artists.
This new world tour consists of stops in Latin America. What are you hoping for from that connection together with your followers at this stage?
Followers in Latin America all the time convey such enormous power, and I actually really feel that on stage. By the top of the present, I’m utterly exhausted in the easiest way as a result of it pulls a lot out of me. This time I’ll even be performing the brand new songs there for the primary time, so I’m particularly excited to see how that connection feels reside.
As a former member of LOONA and now a longtime solo artist, what classes have formed your creative id at present?
I’ve all the time appreciated fascinated by route—easy methods to convey issues collectively and make every individual shine in their very own means. I realized loads about that in my time in LOONA, and it naturally made me wish to be extra concerned within the artistic aspect as nicely. Due to these experiences, changing into a solo artist didn’t really feel as scary because it might have. In lots of methods, it really felt thrilling.
For those who needed to sum up “NAIL” in a single thought or feeling for somebody who hasn’t heard it but, how would you describe it?
I’d describe it with one phrase: “Go.” It’s about leaving hesitation behind and absolutely giving your self to the second. Even when one thing feels unsure, typically you simply have to maneuver first and belief that feeling.
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