Yves has officially released “Ex Machina”, the first song she co-wrote with IOAH, and what a release this is!

She had already performed it live on tour, but today we finally get both the official audio and a haunting “Visual Memo.”

True to its title, the song feels like a riddle — emotion wrapped in mystery. Is it about a love that ended but still lingers? Or a confession that never found its voice?

Either way, the silence speaks louder than words.

Let’s take a look at this quiet yet powerful line:

“아직 놓지 못해

모든 게 그대론데”

“I still can’t let go —

Everything is just as it was.”

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💬 Key Phrases to Learn:

1️⃣ 아직 놓지 못해 – I still can’t let go

• 아직 – still / yet

• 놓다 – to let go, release

• -지 못하다 – cannot (negation form meaning “be unable to”)

→ Literally: “still cannot let go.”

💡 Grammar: V-지 못하다 is a polite or softer version of 못 + V, used to express inability rather than refusal.

→ 잊지못해 → “I can’t forget.”

2️⃣ 모든 게 – Everything (subject)

• 모든 – all / every

• 것 → shortened to 게 with the subject particle 이/가

→ “Everything is…”

3️⃣ 그대론데 – It’s just as it was / still the same

• 그대로 – as it is / unchanged

• -인데(요) – connective meaning “but / and yet”

→ Contracted form 그대론데 = “It’s still the same, but…”

💡 Grammar: -(으)ㄴ데 adds contrast or background — like saying, “It’s still the same, yet…”

→ 비가오는데나가야해 → “It’s raining, but I have to go.”

4️⃣ 놓지 못해 – cannot release / still holding on

A good verb to memorize with emotional nuance — used both literally and metaphorically.

→ 손을놓지못하다 → “Can’t let go of (someone’s) hand.”

→ 추억을놓지못하다 → “Can’t let go of the memories.”

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💡 Grammar Tip:

Korean often omits the subject (“I”) and object (“you”) when the context makes them obvious.

Here, we understand “I can’t let go (of you)” and “Everything (about you/us) is still the same” even though neither 나 nor 너 is explicitly said.

This ellipsis makes the line more poetic and open-ended — perfect for a song full of mystery.

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💬 Why It Matters:

This short lyric captures the emotional suspension Yves evokes so well — being caught between memory and moving on.

The structure mirrors the song: calm on the surface, turbulence beneath.

Nothing is overstated, but every word carries weight — a hallmark of great Korean lyricism.

💭 Did you catch the subtle visual clue at the end of the “Visual Memo”? What do you think it means? Drop a 🕯️ if you’re still trying to decode it.