(Photo courtesy of PAIX PER MIL)

[Hanteo News = Reporter KIM YEONWOO] Same name, different music. Yves, formerly a member of LOONA, is continuing to expand her musical world as a solo artist. With her latest single ‘Hysteric / Adam’, she explores the contrasting emotions of anxiety and lingering melancholy, revealing a different side of herself from her days as a group member.

Yves released her new single ‘Hysteric / Adam’ on October 27. The title track ‘Hysteric’ is a deep house-based song that translates feelings of anxiety into an evocative sound, while the B-side track ‘Adam’ captures the emotional traces left behind after anxiety subsides. Serving as a pre-release single for her fifth EP ‘Cute & Anxiety’, scheduled for November 20, the release offers a glimpse into Yves' evolving musical direction.

The transformation becomes even more apparent when compared with her time in LOONA. Beginning in 2016, the group attracted attention for its ambitious pre-debut project, which gradually introduced each member through solo releases and unit activities before completing its 12-member lineup. LOONA developed a distinctive identity centered on dreamy sounds and an elaborate fictional universe, with Yves showcasing a mature and captivating image within the group.

However, the group's activities came to a halt amid exclusive contract disputes that began in 2022. In 2023, the members parted ways with their former agency and began exploring their own career paths. Members including CHUU and YEOJIN have also continued pursuing their individual activities. Yves likewise concluded her group activities and prepared for a new chapter as a solo artist. Having previously expressed her individuality within the group's musical identity, she began establishing her own artistic direction through music released under her name.

 


From ‘New’ to ‘LOOP’…The Beginning of Her Solo Journey

Yves first released the solo track ‘New’ in 2017 as part of LOONA's pre-debut project. At the time, the song introduced her individual musical identity within the group's larger concept, in which each member's solo releases and unit activities were connected through a shared fictional universe. Her subsequent solo career, however, marked the beginning of a journey to establish a musical identity entirely her own.

In March 2024, Yves signed an exclusive contract with her new agency, PAIX PER MIL. She then released her first solo EP ‘LOOP’ on May 29 of the same year. The album arrived approximately six and a half years after her debut with LOONA and followed a hiatus of roughly one year after her group activities.

The title track ‘LOOP (feat. Lil Cherry)’ is a house-based song that expresses the desire to break free from repetitive daily routines. Moving beyond the image she had presented within LOONA's established concepts and fictional universe, Yves placed her own vocals and musical preferences at the center of her artistic identity. The album also achieved global success, topping iTunes Top Albums charts in 10 regions worldwide shortly after its release.
 


From ‘Viola’ to ‘NAIL’…Expanding Her Musical Horizons

If ‘LOOP’ established Yves' initial direction as a solo artist, her second EP ‘I DID’, released in November of the same year, brought her experimental side into sharper focus. Through the hyperpop-based title track ‘Viola’ and the viral hit ‘DIM’, she explored new sounds and musical possibilities. Billboard subsequently selected the album as one of the best K-POP albums of 2024.

This experimentation continued with her third EP ‘Soft Error’. Yves expanded her musical collaborations through tracks such as ‘Soap’, featuring PinkPantheress, and ‘Aibo’, featuring Bratty. She also participated in writing the lyrics for the B-side track ‘Ex Machina’, demonstrating her potential as a singer-songwriter.

Her fourth EP ‘NAIL’, released in April 2026, continued this artistic progression. Through collaborations with Lolo Zouaï and Lexie Liu, Yves further strengthened her connections with international artists. She also contributed lyrics to four of the album's five tracks, taking an increasingly active role in shaping her own musical direction.
 


Yves' activities as a solo artist are also expanding beyond Korea. Having continued her international career with performances that include headlining overseas festivals, she is set to embark on her ‘YVES 2026 ASIA & AUSTRALIA’ tour, beginning in Singapore on November 4. The tour will visit eight cities, including Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Tokyo, Melbourne, Sydney, and Hong Kong. As Yves continues developing her own musical identity following her group activities, anticipation is growing over how she will establish her presence on the global stage.

Yves' solo career is not about leaving behind the qualities that made her stand out as a member of LOONA. Rather, it is a process of building on the foundation she established through her group activities while adding new chapters to her own musical story.

From ‘New’ to ‘Hysteric / Adam’, Yves has continued redefining herself through music, refusing to be confined to a single image or identity.

 yeonwoo38@hanteo.com