Album Details:
“NAIL is Yves’ fourth extended play as a solo artist and features five new songs. Yves was formerly in the group LOONA and signed to Paix Per Mil in March 2024.
Liz says: 4 1/2 stars “An appetizer for something more.”
Korean pop soloist, and former LOONA member, Yves released her fourth EP, “NAIL” on April 17. The production across each track is well put together. Despite its short length, it’s definitely an EP worth listening to, as Yves experiments with more glitchy and hyper-pop elements as compared with her past projects.
The title track “NAIL” is something I’ve never heard before and stands out, especially in K-pop. It’s unique and lush.
In an interview with Bunjang Global, Yves describes the meaning behind the title. “A nail is something you tend to think about more after it’s gone than when it actually falls off. There are things you think that you’ve let go of, but somehow, they stay with you.” I found that to be quite an interesting perspective, considering the entire EP has a distinct feeling. Yves is great at capturing these emotions through her songs.
The album feels more intimate, pulling on your emotions while offering a sense of vulnerability. The lyrics make it feel as though Yves is sharing where she is in her life right now. I would consider this her best project so far because of how cohesive it is from start to finish. I can’t wait to see what she brings to the table in her future projects.
— Elizabeth Jacobo
Josh says: 4 1/2 stars “Different in a good way.”
Despite past challenges with her former, now-defunct record label Blockberry Creative, Yves, a former member of the world-famous K-pop girl group Loona, has shown once again that she is a force to be reckoned with.
“NAIL” combines elements of R&B, electropop and house music. The production on this album feels noticeably different from her previous releases, this album leaning more into a chill, R&B inspired sound.
The overall ambiance of the project makes you want to dance or go to the club. The title track, “NAIL,” produced by Lolo Zouaï, instantly puts you into a trance and stands out as a unique addition to both the album and her discography. The beat switch on “NAIL” ties everything together, while “Break It,” featuring Lexie Liu, feels like the perfect song I would listen to on a drive home.
Releasing music under a smaller, independent label is no easy feat, especially when securing collaborations with lucrative features from artists like PinkPantheress, who was featured on her previous album, “Soft Error.” Yves continued to prove her growth as an artist. I highly suggest getting into Yves’ music now before larger conglomerate labels, like HYBE, begin to replicate this sound.
— Josh Buenaflor
