Yves May Be the Most Interesting Artist in K-Pop Right Now

The girls of LOONA said their official goodbyes to their management June of 2023. Promising fans to come back stronger together in the future, for now they’ve decided to explore new sounds as separate groups and soloists. Yves made her long-awaited solo debut just this May and has now released her second EP I Did, on November 15, 2024, featuring five tracks. Although her discography is still rather short, Yves has taken this opportunity as a soloist to experiment with her look and sound in a way fans hadn’t seen before. 

We start off with the title track right away, “Viola,” an upbeat dance pop song that literally starts with her saying that she needs space. I interpreted this as a search for inner peace or looking for a sense of belonging. Departing from LOONA was a major change, and though as a group they had a certain style, Yves needs to recollect herself to truly embrace her new role as a solo artist and truly express her individuality. The music video for “Viola” itself is a fun watch and there are some interesting visuals that require further dissecting. 

“Hashtag” has this sickening beat that tends to be popular in the K-R&B and K-Hip Hop scene, and a layered string instrument present throughout that reminds me of 90’s and 2000’s R&B. Within the first 20 seconds there’s a wonderful slip into her lower register, but rarely heard again, which I think is a missed opportunity. Though “Hashtag” is right up my alley, it’s criminally short, which definitely makes it feel like it’s missing something. However, she more than makes up for it with the third track “Gone Girl.” Though yes, still a little short for my taste, it feels whole- it’s one of those songs that’s over in the blink of an eye but you just know you enjoyed singing along. I can’t fully explain the correlation, but the song reminds me a little of Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated” if it were of the indie pop-rock genre.

Continuing her R&B run with “Tik Tok,” which was released as a single in August, I was pleasantly surprised once I heard it again after a minute. While at first listen I remember it being a little bland, there’s little details- the bounce of the guitar, her sharp delivery in the chorus- that make it so enjoyable. Most importantly, I think it’s a good fit with the rest of the project. The last track, “DIM” is the most interesting sonically on the album. It starts out with an angelic synth, when suddenly a trap beat comes in, but her voice stays soft and soothing. The final chorus, which in fact serves as the outro comes in with a minute and a half of the song still left. The rest? Just an instrumental I can only describe as trap soul that I found to be executed in a fun, refreshing way that also happens to loop back to “Viola” in a way that makes sense to the ear.

I Did is an easy listen, addictive, and entertaining. Not all the songs are stark contrasts or anything drastic, but the switch-ups in the composition and pace make this EP a true gem, while still having room to grow. This is just the beginning for Yves, and I cannot be more excited to see her artistic vision pan out.