Yves recently released the evocative single “Ex Machina.”
Paix Per Mil
What does it take to succeed as a solo act after being a member of a popular girl group? Ask Yves, former member of the 11-member k-pop group LOONA. After the group ended their run in 2023, she successfully launched her career as a solo artist even though the transition was scary. Thoughts like, “What if I don’t meet people’s expectations?” or “What if the haters are right and I fail?” kept running through her head.
“I even found myself wondering if the executives from other companies who once said I shouldn’t debut solo had been right all along,” said Yves.
Signing on with a new agency, Paix Per Mil, helped her gain confidence.
“It was challenging at first,” said Yves, “Finding my own sound, filling an entire album with just my voice, and performing alone on stages I used to share with others. But I knew that every new beginning comes with its own risks. My company believed in me and supported my journey as a solo artist, and that gave me the strength to stay as positive as possible through it all.”
Yves made her solo debut in May 2024 with two EPs LOOP and I DID, then in 2025 released the EP titled Soft Error.
Soft Error showcases her ever-evolving signature style across its seven songs and features UK artist PinkPantheress on the song “Soap,” and a Spanish-language cameo by Bratty on “Aibo,” A few months later Yves released “Ex Machina,” a song she composed with South Korean musician and producer IOAH.
“I had such a great time working hard on it together with IOAH, so I hope you’ll love and listen to this song,” said Yves. “Can’t wait to see what kind of feelings and thoughts ‘Ex Machina’ sparks for you!”
Composing brought her closer to her goal of being able to share her own stories.
“I had grown more comfortable as a solo artist and kept reminding myself of the goal I set from the very beginning — to share my own stories with fans through songs I write myself,” said Yves. “Even amid a busy schedule, I constantly told IOAH and our team how much I wanted to be involved in songwriting, and together we thought carefully about including ‘Ex Machina’ on the album.
Although the song was originally intended for the Soft Error EP, released in August 2025, Yves wanted to make sure it was just right. So the song was released alongside the deluxe version of Soft Error in October.
“I’m so happy that we eventually got to share it with fans through a repackaged album, Soft Error: X,” said Yves. “Building melodies over IOAH’s beautiful guitar track was such a joyful experience — I completely lost track of time while working on it.”
Every song she performs is created for her.
“At Paix Per Mil, we don’t just choose from existing songs — we craft music from scratch to fit my tone and tell my story in the most authentic way,” said Yves. “We have a boutique team, which means our producers and creative directors are deeply involved in shaping each project through open conversations about the story we want to tell and how to bring it to life.”
In previous interviews she described See You In Hell her favorite song. The melodic pop song—with contrastingly dark lyrics about an “unforgivable” choice—suits her distinctively delicate and yet powerful vocal style.
“In most of my previous songs, my voice blended into the track like another instrument,” said Yves. “But See You In Hell was the first song that places my vocals right at the forefront — it’s one of the few songs where you can hear my voice in its most raw and unfiltered form. I felt a deep attachment to it from the very first moment, and it made me want to push myself to deliver it even better.”
Ex Machina evokes the uncertainty of relationships. “Do you get me, yeah,” ask the lyrics? Do you get me from the other side?
The visual memo that accompanies this song features a blindfolded Yves as she’s led around by another woman. The two friends/lovers play together and look at each other from different perspectives, exchanging playful whispers, affectionate gestures and almost giving in to rage. Yves often vlogs with fans and enjoys making visual memos and videos to share with them.
“My fans mean everything to me,” said Yves. “They stood by me during my hardest times and truly celebrated my new beginning as a solo artist. When they tell me that my small daily stories brighten their day, it makes me want to share every part of my life with them. If my words or moments can bring them comfort or strength, I can’t imagine a better kind of influence.”
Not only does Yves have a memorably distinctive voice, but the visual memo for “Ex Machina” again demonstrates her charismatic screen presence. She has always wanted to try acting.
“When I first joined Paix Per Mil, my label actually arranged acting lessons for me and even encouraged me to audition a few times to help build my confidence on stage,” said Yves. “I found the process incredibly exciting and immersive. If you’ve seen some of my YouTube content, I’ve experimented a bit with acting—both in a documentary style and in the ‘Ex Machina’ visual memo—which were such joyful and meaningful experiences for me.”
In the near future, she would like to explore acting more seriously and take on new creative challenges beyond music, but for now she’s focused on establishing herself as a solo artist.
“I’ve wanted to be a singer since I was six years old,” said Yves. “My mom was against the idea when I was little — she would often scold me whenever she caught me singing or dancing. But after years of persuading her, she finally let me attend a dance academy when I turned seventeen. Now she comes to all of my shows in Korea and watches every single video shared online — even the ones fans upload. I think it’s safe to say she’s proud of me now. I love you umma.”