{"id":624895,"date":"2026-09-15T00:56:19","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T00:56:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/624895\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T00:56:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T00:56:19","slug":"mark-lee-wants-to-convey-greatest-love-through-new-song-my-friend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/624895\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Lee Wants to Convey ‘Greatest Love’ Through New Song ‘My Friend’"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tFive months after his departure from SM Entertainment and NCT<\/a>, Mark has returned as singer-songwriter Mark Lee with his new single, \u201cMy Friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe new tracks I\u2019m working on right now take completely unexpected directions and styles,\u201d he tells Billboard Korea. \u201cBut I\u2019ve gained the conviction that this is exactly the music I should be putting out as my present self.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe new single, \u201cMy Friend,\u201d is a mid-tempo track driven by a breezy guitar loop. It captures a refreshing and laid-back mood, leaving a lingering sense of nostalgia as summer draws to a close.<\/p>\n

\n\tOver the past decade, Mark has built an impressive career as a K-pop powerhouse, undergoing five debuts, two permanent groups and numerous unit projects. He is arguably the only artist in K-pop history to have pulled off such an extensive and diverse resume.<\/p>\n

\n\tShedding the image of his long-standing group promotions with the release of his first solo album, The Firstfruit, in 2025, he proved his prowess as a solo artist by securing the No. 1 spot on Billboard\u2019s 25 Best K-Pop Albums of 2025<\/a>: Staff Picks.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI want to make music for a long time,\u201d Mark shares regarding his future aspirations. \u201cBeing fiercely competitive isn\u2019t necessarily the goal anymore. Instead, I want to do my absolute best to spread a positive influence through both my music and my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tKeep reading for his Q&A with Billboard Korea.<\/p>\n

\n\tYou\u2019ve wrapped up 10 fierce years of group life and become independent as a singer-songwriter. Through your vlogs, you\u2019ve also shared your ordinary daily life in New York, rather than as an artist. How did the changes in your environment, both in your daily life and musically, influence the work on your new song?<\/p>\n

\n\tI think my new challenge has changed so many things. Not only the environment, but musically, too \u2014 I feel like I\u2019ve taken on a truly new challenge. Through this, I feel like my mindset has properly settled as a full-fledged singer-songwriter for the first time. That\u2019s why, more than any other project, I worked a lot on the melodies and the vocal aspects. I\u2019ve really loved singing since I was young. [Laughs] I feel like I\u2019m finally expressing that passion in a 360-way now.<\/p>\n

\n\tSince your previous group promotions, you\u2019ve always strived to show the public your best and utmost efforts. As this is your first new song in a while, the pressure during the preparation process must have been significant. What kind of mindset did you have while preparing?<\/p>\n

\n\tI\u2019ll take that as a compliment!! I think that ever since I was young, my natural tendency has always been to do my absolute best whenever something is entrusted to me. And because of that, I think I usually kind of stress over my work a lot. <\/p>\n

\n\tI actually had a lot of worries and pressure while preparing for this new music, and figuring out which direction to take was my most difficult concern. But as I worked on various things and as different tracks began to come to life, these musical results actually gave me the confidence I needed, and it felt like they were resolving my worries already. <\/p>\n

\n\tIncluding \u201cMy Friend,\u201d all the songs I\u2019ve recently worked on were the results of totally unexpected directions and styles, but I gained the conviction that this is exactly the \u201cmusic\u201d I need to release as my current self. Nevertheless, the pressure is still big in my heart, but I personally truly like my new music. I just want to share it with the world.<\/p>\n

\n\tIf your first solo album, The Firstfruit, showed the journey of your past life, this new song, \u201cMy Friend,\u201d seems to foreshadow the direction of the life you want to pursue going forward. What are the life goals and dreams that singer-songwriter Mark Lee wants to achieve in the future?<\/p>\n

\n\tHats off to you for that observation! [Laughs] I don\u2019t think I even thought about it to that extent, but I think you\u2019re right! It\u2019s a song that opens the first door to my new chapter, and I also consider it a taste of my upcoming album. Throughout the year, I\u2019m planning to showcase more of my music from my upcoming project, and as the album tracks gradually reveal themselves, I believe that my side as a singer-songwriter will become more apparent. My goal for the future is to keep making music and to best express stories that can be a positive influence to the world.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhile the music and performances you showed during your group activities were thrilling and exciting, bursting fans\u2019 dopamine, singer-songwriter Mark Lee\u2019s music comes across as comforting and moving in contrast. What kind of emotion did you want to give fans through \u201cMy Friend\u201d?<\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s not that I\u2019m only trying to do emotional music, but I\u2019d like to say that in my totally biased opinion \u2026 the style and music of this album personally gives me both a dopamine rush and feels very moving at the same time. [Laughs] If there\u2019s one difference that\u2019s definitely noticeable, it\u2019s how much I\u2019ve tried to express myself vocally. Since I haven\u2019t challenged myself this much as a vocalist before, I\u2019m actually a bit worried, but even that is part of who I am right now. I believe the new music I\u2019m presenting will contribute to \u201ccompleting the present Mark Lee.\u201d Through \u201cMy Friend,\u201d I hope my feelings about an everlasting, greatest love will be conveyed as a warm and soft emotion.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe lyrics of \u201cMy Friend\u201d seem to be the words you want to convey to your fans the most. Even the term referring to your fans, \u201cMarkf,\u201d is short for \u201cMark Friend.\u201d In this song where your sincerity and the fans are all connected as one, which lyrics do you most want to resonate with your fans?<\/p>\n

\n\tActually, I worked on the lyrics for \u201cMy Friend\u201d multiple times. Even the theme was different at first, and the name of the song was different, too. But once I knew that this song should be about the theme of \u201cthe greatest love,\u201d the name \u201cfriend\u201d became a very special name to me. The lyric \u201cMy Friend\u201d became a name I wish to sing to the world, hoping it will be filled with love, and since the fans were already \u201cMark Friends\u201d to me, I hope the song \u201cMy Friend\u201d becomes a special track for everyone. [Laughs]<\/p>\n

\n\tThe musical skills you\u2019ve consistently proven as an NCT member are also evident in the credits. You are listed for lyrics, composition and even arrangement. Since it\u2019s your first single after becoming independent, it must hold more affection and meaning for you. What was the process of making \u201cMy Friend\u201d like, and were there any particularly memorable moments?<\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s definitely a song I have a lot of affection for. Actually, I already have a lot of affection for my entire album this time\u2026 haha While making \u201cMy Friend,\u201d working on the lyrics multiple times is what stands out in my memory the most. I\u2019m the type to pray a lot in between making music, [laughs] and this was a song I particularly prayed a lot for. I even remember finalizing and revising the lyrics right up until the final recording moment.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn the music video for \u201cMy Friend,\u201d we see you in nature \u2014 warm sunshine, green meadows \u2014 without any AI or VFX effects. Unlike K-pop music videos that pursue more maximalist and flashy visuals, this music video felt much more minimal, like things had been \u201cstripped back.\u201d This seems to align with the attitude toward life you pursue. What does \u201cstripping back\u201d mean to you?<\/p>\n

\n\tHonestly, I also thought that doing flashier styling from clothes to makeup was more appropriate especially since it\u2019s a music video for my first single. I was more used to filming music videos where it felt like it needed to have more \u201cpower.\u201d So initially, the first-draft proposal for the \u201cMy Friend\u201d music video was set in a more serious and heavy mood. <\/p>\n

\n\tBut eventually, during meetings with the director, we really talked about the true nature of the song and it\u2019s meaning, so we changed the tone to be warmer since the song\u2019s theme is \u201clove.\u201d Rather than intentionally making \u201cstripping back\u201d the point, I think we just refrained from adding unnecessary \u201ccoolness\u201d or \u201cpower,\u201d and went with expressions that truly felt more natural. That, I guess, is also the style I wish to ultimately pursue as well.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Mark<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tMark Lee<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUpper Room<\/p>\n

\n\tDirector Gus Black, who directed sombr\u2019s \u201cBack to Friends\u201d music video, directed the music video for \u201cMy Friend.\u201d How was the collaboration with director Gus Black, who excels at bringing out an analog and cinematic mood rather than stimulating CG?<\/p>\n

\n\tEven though it was our first time collaborating together, I feel like we quickly matched our synergy right from the first scene of filming. Even without speaking, and without planning every single thing out, there were many times when the camera movements, the Gus\u2019 lead, and I were moving as one. I also think that his ability with lighting and capturing the best angle is so incredible. Such a pro on set. Most importantly though, I think that I was most grateful for being able to constantly align our understanding of the song and how it should be conveyed visually through continuous conversations starting from our first meeting to even the little meetings we would have on the two-day set.<\/p>\n

\n\tYou\u2019ve previously mentioned at a United Nations Environment Programme event, where you sang your self-composed song \u201cReady or Not\u201d with just a guitar, that you wanted to make Kids-POP for children. What is the Kids-POP for young children that you speak of, and what made you decide to create this kind of music?<\/p>\n

\n\tI\u2019ve been starting to work a little bit on Kids-POP lately, and it\u2019s much harder than I thought. [Laughs] As for exactly what kind of music Kids-POP is, I think I\u2019m still figuring it out right now myself, so it\u2019s hard to define it perfectly at this moment. <\/p>\n

\n\tBut what I do know is that there is definitely power in music. As I meet these kids, and as I get to know their hearts better and empathize with them, I\u2019ve become more passionate about making music that\u2019ll feel totally directed toward them, and hopefully have an important impact on them. It\u2019s my dream to deliver good messages and to show them standards that are good and virtuous but also cool. Since they are at an age where the search for standards to live by is obviously very important, I wish that my music and me as a person can be something they can reference to. If I could be of even a little help to them through my music, I think that\u2019ll be very meaningful to me. [Laughs] Children are the future!<\/p>\n

\n\tBy establishing the creative company Upper Room, you\u2019ve faced a new beginning not just as an artist but as a CEO. Stepping out of the comfortable system of a major agency, how are the independent production environment of Upper Room and its label members currently creating synergy with your creative activities?<\/p>\n

\n\tIf in the past I was only mainly focused on music, now I definitely end up having a lot more meetings and I am definitely in the position to making a lot of important decisions. But since it\u2019s album production season right now, the team members have been very considerate, not contacting me unless it\u2019s an absolutely urgent, truly essential approval or meeting, so that I can focus on the music. I\u2019m focusing on the album that much. Because it\u2019s an independent production environment, we \u2014 Upper Room \u2014 are always brainstorming together about everything so that everything can feel even more Mark Lee than ever, yet fresh.<\/p>\n

\n\tIf the past 10 years were fierce as a K-pop group member, it seems the next 10 years will be just as fiercely active as singer-songwriter Mark Lee. Through this fierce life and activity, what is the final word you want to leave with your fans and the public?<\/p>\n

\n\tOver the past 10 years, I think I\u2019ve shown you so many sides of myself, but the fact that I can still show you completely new music and new sides of me makes me nervous, anxious and above all, grateful. I want to do music for a long time. Being fierce isn\u2019t necessarily the goal, but I think my desire to do my best in spreading a positive influence to the world through my music and my life is getting stronger and stronger. If those who watch or listen to me can get even a little inspiration, find healing, or even experience growth, I think that\u2019ll be a truly meaningful life to me. Hope you enjoy my new music and more that\u2019s to come! Wishing you all another beautiful day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Five months after his departure from SM Entertainment and NCT, Mark has returned as singer-songwriter Mark Lee with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":624896,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[93,4608,61,60,278,633],"class_list":["post-624895","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-entertainment","tag-genre-kpop","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-music","tag-music-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624895","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=624895"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624895\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/624896"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=624895"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=624895"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=624895"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}