No K-pop idol has broken into the cultural subconscious quite like Yves. Born Ha Soo-young in Busan, South Korea, she made her start in the music industry as part of 12-member girl group LOONA. After the group’s falling out with their label in late 2022, Yves re-emerged as a soloist, whose explorations in alternative electronic pop has reached far beyond K-pop listeners. Her solo career, while still in its fledgling years, has spawned a viral track, sold out tours and earned her collaborations with beloved artists, from British alt-pop princess PinkPantheress to Chinese singer Lexie Liu. She might not be the first name most people think of when it comes to K-pop, but her artistry has quietly reached across the globe, making her one of the most intriguing electronic pop acts to watch.
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Yves career began in 2017, when she was unveiled as the ninth member and main dancer of girl group LOONA through her pre-debut single "New" under Blockberry Creative. As part of the act’s 18-month rollout, consisting of solo and sub-unit releases, she later joined the sub-unit LOONA yyxy in May 2018 and released their debut EP, led by the single “love4eva” featuring Canadian electronic-pop icon Grimes. The group officially debuted in August that year, and went on to release hits like “Hi High”, “Butterfly” and “Star” over the next four years.
While LOONA’s popularity soared, fostering one of the most passionate international fanbases K-pop has ever seen, their trajectory was interrupted by their label’s unilateral removal of member Chuu in November 2022, after a series of internal contract-related conflicts between her and the agency. In the days following Chuu’s expulsion from the group, nearly all its remaining members, Yves included, filed an injunction to suspend their contracts with Blockberry Creative, citing a breach of contract on its part over profit distribution. Although their label announced LOONA’s return with their sixth EP [0] in January 2023, fans in South Korea and abroad rallied to organise a complete boycott of all its commercial products. The boycott was an unmitigated success: Album pre-orders dipped lower than those of their pre-debut releases, and daily streams all but came to a halt—an impressive feat for a fanbase that sprawled continents. Between the boycott and ongoing lawsuit, the agency indefinitely postponed the release.
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Over the next six months, Yves and her bandmates successfully won back their freedom. Barred from using the name LOONA, some members signed on to new agencies together and debuted in new projects while others like Yves, with the blessing of their bandmates, opted to pursue solo careers. And after a year of quietly honing her sound, Yves dropped “LOOP”, a hypnotising dance track off her debut EP of the same name in 2024. The song was an instant favourite among existing fans, and found its way to new listeners by way of social media. Its electronic sound cutting through an era of K-pop that’s hyperfocused on chasing trends.
By the time she returned with her next release I DID months later, she had a fast-growing audience that extended beyond regular K-pop listeners. While her second single “Viola” was well received, it was the soothing R&B of its B-side track “DIM” that launched her into the stratosphere after topping TikTok’s US Viral 50 chart. Whether they realised it or not, the world was now tuned in to Yves. Quick to build on its momentum, she embarked on her debut ‘Apple Cinnamon Crunch’ tour across Europe and the Americas.
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The announcement of her third EP, Soft Error, sent fans into a frenzy online. For the lead single "Soap", the singer had scored a collaboration with PinkPantheress which samples Rebecca Black's "Sugar Water Cyanide". Then there's "Aibo" which featured Mexican singer-songwriter Bratty. Both collaborators were quick to show their support for Yves online, even going to the extent of introducing her to their fanbases. She later joined PinkPantheress on the remix of her song "Stars", cementing their working relationship and budding friendship. In late 2025, Yves dropped "Ex Machina" as her first self-written song as a soloist, proving her mettle as a songwriter. She had previously written songs for LOONA and her former bandmates' subsequent projects.
Following her tour across Asia and Oceania, Yves returns with her fourth EP, NAIL, while launching her 2026 Europe and Americas tour. Leading the EP is a single featuring French-Algerian-American singer Lolo Zouaï, while the B-side, “Break It”, is a collaboration with Chinese singer Lexie Liu. With writing credits on four of the five tracks, the mini-album also marks Yves’ growing confidence as a songwriter. Furthermore, the cross-cultural collaborations across the record demonstrate her ability to break free from being pigeonholed into a single genre by both the industry and listeners. Instead, she moves fluidly between musical worlds with ease and flair. Now in the ninth year of her career, and with her most challenging years behind her, it seems there is only upward momentum ahead for Yves.