Nail (EP)

Nail
Digital cover
EP by
Yves
ReleasedApril 17, 2026 (2026-04-17)
Genres
Length15:45
Labels
Yves chronology
Soft Error
(2025)		 Nail
(2026)
Singles from Nail
  1. "Nail"
    Released: April 17, 2026

Nail (stylized in all caps) is the fourth extended play by South Korean singer Yves. Released by Paix Per Mil on April 17, 2026, the EP contains five tracks and features singers Lolo Zouaï and Lexie Liu on title track "Nail" and track "Break It", respectively.

Background and release

In March 2026, Paix Per Mil announced Yves would be releasing her fourth extended play in April.[3] Nail was released on April 17, along with a music video for the title track of the same name.[4] On June 19, the music video for the track "Break It" was released, including an appearance from the featured singer Lexie Liu.[5]

Directly following her first writing credit in her own solo work with the release of "Ex Machina", Nail features multiple tracks written or co-written by Yves.[1][6] Yves stated she "played a big part in the songwriting and production" compared to before, and noted "It" as a track whose creation and subject matter she was most proud of.[7] In addition to the music, Yves also contributed the club concept to the album.[1]

While working on the album, singer Lolo Zouaï reached out to Yves about a possible collaboration. The track "Nail" was sent to Zouaï, who resonated with it and joined on the track a week before post-production started.[8]

Music and lyrics

For the first track, "It", Yves stated she chose to write about "what comes beyond death" in a way where her fans would "be able to listen to it and find comfort".[7] Second track "Halo" features repetitive lyrics and a "hypnotic" rhythm. Yves stated she recorded some of the song while running to add to the breathless feel.[9] The title track "Nail" is a hip-hop and R&B song whose lyrics play on the similar pronunciation of the English word nail and Korean word for tomorrow.[4][1] The track is a collaboration with artist Lolo Zouaï, who also contributed lyrics. Fourth track "Break It" is a hyperpop song featuring singer Lexie Liu, who also contributed lyrics.[2] The final track "Birth" is an electronic song where Yves affirms her own journey debuting as a solo artist after promoting in a group.[1] The song was placed at the end of the album to thematically create a cycle with the first song "It".[8] When asked to recommend a single song from the EP, Yves chose "Birth", stating she hopes fans can become revitalized through listening to it.[10]

Promotion

To promote the album, Yves embarked on her Yves Europe Tour 2026, spanning from April 16 to April 28.[11] The first stop on the tour was Manchester Academy, and was followed by a performance separate from the tour at EartH Hall in London as a part of a program of 15 shows celebrating the 15th anniversary of NTS Radio on April 17th.[7] The tour reportedly sold out all stops.[12] Immediately following the Europe tour, Yves embarked on the Yves Tour: The Americas beginning on May 5 in Vancouver, Canada and ending on June 7 in Bogotá, Colombia.[12]

Reception

"Nail" was included in Fader's weekly song recommendation list for the week of April 22, 2026, with Steffanee Wang stating "Yves’s track record for making cunty pop songs is 100% right now."[13]

Listicles

Publication List Placement Ref.
Billboard The 25 Best K-Pop Albums of 2026 (So Far), Ranked: Staff Picks 8 [14]

Track listing

Track listing for Nail
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."It"Yves
  • IOAH
  • MABOKPIL
2:48
2."Halo"
  • IOAH
  • Yves
  • IOAH
4:02
3."Nail" (featuring Lolo Zouaï)
  • IOAH
  • Lolo Zouaï
2:42
4."Break It" (featuring Lexie Liu)
  • IOAH
  • Lexie Liu
3:04
5."Birth"Yves
  • IOAH
  • Yves
3:06
Total length:15:45

Charts

Chart performance for Nail
Chart (2025) Peak
position
South Korean Albums (Circle)[15] 14

Release history

Release history for Nail
Region Date Format Label
South Korea April 17, 2026 CD
Various

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Daly, Rhian (April 27, 2026). "Yves' new chapter: a K-pop star's quiet rebellion". NME. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  2. 1 2 Clashmusic (May 8, 2026). "Yves Harnesses The Art of Controlled Chaos On New EP 'NAIL'". Clash. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  3. ↑ Jeon, Hyo-jin (March 27, 2026). "이브, 4월 17일 컴백". Donga. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
  4. 1 2 Ji, Min-kyung (April 17, 2026). "이브, 떼어낼수록 더 깊게..'NAIL'로 남긴 매혹적인 여운 [한낮의 신곡]". Chosun. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  5. ↑ Jang, Woo-young (June 18, 2026). "이브, 'Break it' MV 기습 공개…Lexie Liu 협업→출연까지". Chosun. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  6. ↑ Yeo, Gladys (April 22, 2026). "LOONA's Yves: From K-idol To Electronic Pop Icon". Elle Singapore. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 Joden, Jotaro (April 27, 2026). "YVES, NTS, & BLOWN EARDRUMS". Wonderland. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  8. 1 2 Han, Seung-hee (2026). "YVES: YVES returns with his fourth EP 'NAIL' in his career, talks about his new work and world tour with Record Magazine". Record Mag. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  9. ↑ "YVES REDEFINES HER SOUND WITH "NAIL," A GENRE-FLUID JOURNEY ROOTED IN MOTION AND SENSATION". Ladygunn. April 17, 2026. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  10. ↑ Leary, Edward (April 17, 2026). "Exclusive Interview: Yves Ponders The Success of New EP 'NAIL' and Her Upcoming World Tour". Zapzee. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  11. ↑ Ji, Min-kyung (January 27, 2026). "이브, 4월 유럽 투어 개최..현지 7개 도시 순회". Chosun. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  12. 1 2 Yoo, So-kyung (March 4, 2026). "이브, 5월 미주 14개 도시 투어… 유럽 매진 열기 잇는다". Hankook Ilbo. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  13. ↑ Wang, Steffanee (April 22, 2026). "Songs You Need In Your Life This Week". Fader. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
  14. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (July 20, 2026). "The 25 best K-pop songs of 2025". Billboard. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Album Chart: Week 16 of 2026". Circle Chart (in Korean). April 18, 2026. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
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