Yves’s solo career has been marked by collorations with buzzy global artists. When last we saw her on this blog, she paired with PinkPantheress — an artist with outsized influence on the current state of K-pop’s girl groups. For new single Nail, she’s teamed up with American singer Lolo Zouaï. The song doesn’t stray too far from the hyperpop-adjacent work Yves released last year.
I’m pleased that Yves has found a consistent sound that’s working for her. There’s much to be mined from the more experimental side of pop music and Nail plays with some interesting percussion. Its central drum loop is resounding and persistent, lending the track an almost incantational energy. The lower end of this instrumental is pretty awesome. But me being me, I wish the whole thing moved at more of a clip so that we could take advantage of the embodied thrill a dynamic bed of percussion can provide. Instead, Nail unfolds in a far more threatening way. The song feels as if it’s ready to pounce at any moment, whispered vocals and all.
This approach adds tension, but (me being me, pt.2) I’m craving the payoff this tension seems to promise. It’s okay for energy to be left unresolved, but this has become such a touchstone in modern K-pop that a damn good payoff would feel ballsier than this constant tease. What we end up with plays more like an appetizer than the main course. It’s a beguiling mood, but the glutton in me feels hungry for more.
Hooks
7
Production
8
Longevity
7
Bias
7
RATING
7.25