“Hard as nails” is a phrase heard far too often, yet South Korean singer YVES has discovered it carries more than one meaning.
Years of navigating the Korean music industry and its challenges have forced the K-pop soloist to develop a thicker skin. In her quest to become “hard as nails,” those hardships have shaped her artistry, inspiring themes of resilience, vulnerability, and self-discovery in her latest release, “Break It,” which debuted on June 17.
Ha Sooyoung, better known by her stage name YVES, sat down with amNewYork Metro ahead of her performance at Palladium Times Square last month to discuss her creative inspirations, YVES TOUR 2026: THE AMERICAS, and the journey that led to her newest album, NAIL.
Formerly a member of the embattled K-pop group LOONA, whose members successfully fought to terminate their contracts following allegations of mistreatment in 2022, YVES has spent the past several years rebuilding her career on her own terms. After taking a year-long hiatus, she focused on rediscovering who she was beyond the confines of idol life and determining what kind of artist she wanted to become.
She says the support of her fans gave her the confidence to move forward. Through that period of self-discovery, she realized she was, in fact, tough as nails, while also reshaping her understanding of femininity.
“I think [my view of femininity] has definitely changed,” YVES said. “Even when I was in LOONA, I always worked hard to get away from the image of what people think a girl should be.”
She explained that because LOONA’s Korean name, Idarui Sonyeo, translates to “Girl of the Month,” she often felt expectations attached to the word “girl” itself.
“A lot of people think of girls as fragile or innocent,” she said. “I always wanted to show that girls can be strong, powerful, cool, and charismatic.”
Since becoming a solo artist in 2024, YVES has come to realize that femininity doesn’t require fitting into a single definition. Strength and vulnerability can coexist.
“I discovered that girls can be honest and fragile. They can feel lost and sad while still being strong,” she said. “Femininity is such a diverse spectrum. It doesn’t have to fit into one box.”
That freedom of expression became the foundation of NAIL, an album YVES describes as her most honest work to date, a testament not only to the strength she has found, but also to everything she has survived.
“When I released my last album, I felt a lot more of other people’s eyes on me,” she said. “That affected my confidence and the work I was putting out.”
With NAIL, she approached her music differently. It was no longer about proving she could succeed as a soloist, she felt she had already accomplished that with I Did: Bloom. This time, it was about revealing the fighter she had become and exploring her emotions more deeply. Simply put, she was free to be herself.
“This time around, there’s a difference in the honesty of my words,” YVES said. “I feel a really big sense of freedom and comfort with my work.”
The album’s title reflects that mindset. YVES explained that one of the songs began as a demo whose working title sounded similar to the Korean word naeil, meaning “tomorrow.” Inspired by the wordplay, she built a layered concept around the dual meaning.
“‘NAIL’ and ‘naeil’ have the same pronunciation in Korean,” she explained. “I loved the wordplay.”
The phrase “stop thinking about naeil” can be interpreted in multiple ways. It can mean letting go of worries about tomorrow, but it can also reference a literal nail, something sharp, painful, and immediate.
“If you get poked by a nail, all you can think about is that pain in that moment,” she said. “I wanted to focus on being present right now instead of worrying about what’s next.”
Like awakening to the world around her after years of feeling confined, a theme explored in her previous song “BIRD,” NAIL carries additional weight given how dramatically her life has changed over the past several years.
Reflecting on the version of herself who stepped away from the spotlight after LOONA, YVES described someone consumed by doubt. It was a period when she felt betrayed and alone.
“The YVES back then was very swayed and hurt by everything happening around her,” she admitted. “There was a lot going on, and a lot of people doubted what I was going to do and what I was capable of.”
Today, she feels differently. It’s evident in the way she commands the stage, confidently dancing center stage. She believes her past self would look at who she has become with pride.
“‘NAIL’ is a very confident, powerful song, and I really embody that when I perform it,” she said. “If the YVES back then could see me now, I think she would be very proud.”
While many artists focus on visual storytelling, YVES wanted NAIL to connect through something even more universal: physical sensation. During her performance of opening track “HALO” at Palladium Times Square, she sat center stage beneath shifting hues of red, blue, and purple, evoking something deeply visceral.
“I think pain is something everyone understands,” she said. “It doesn’t matter your gender, religion, or where you’re from. If you get hurt, everyone understands that feeling.”
That idea influenced not only the album’s themes but also her preparation for its release.
Rather than obsessing over perfection, she focused on movement, performance, and emotion.
“With NAIL, I really wanted to focus on sensations and feelings rather than just visuals,” she said. “I wanted to feel free and be able to show that freedom through my body and my voice.”
That search for freedom extends throughout the album’s B-sides as well. Songs like “Birth” and “IT” explore intense themes such as rebirth and death, but YVES intentionally approaches them through a hopeful lens.
“‘Birth’ and ‘IT’ try to find a more hopeful point of view,” she said. “Those concepts can be heavy, rebirth, what comes after death, but I wanted to explore them in a way that helps me find strength and hopefully gives strength to people who listen.”
As she embarks on her second world tour as a solo artist, YVES says the people who continue to give her strength are the fans who have stood by her through every chapter of her career.
“This is a message I want to give to all my fans around the world,” she said. “Thank you, and I love you.”
While fans often tell her that her music has been a source of comfort, YVES insists their support is what gives her the strength to keep moving forward.
“If I’m being honest, my fans are my biggest inspiration,” she said. “They’re the reason I keep doing music. They’re the reason I keep living and breathing.”
For an artist who once stepped away from the spotlight to rediscover herself, the fact that her fans waited for her remains difficult to put into words. Their unwavering support serves as a powerful reminder of how far she has come.
“Even in my daily life, I’m a very anxious person,” she said. “There are a lot of times when my confidence feels shaken, when I don’t feel great, or I feel down. But thanks to my fans for holding on to me and supporting me all the time. I promise I’ll keep making music, and through that music I hope to give back to them and share that love in return.”