Mark Lee Wants to Convey ‘the Greatest Love’ Through His New Song ‘My Friend’

Five months after his departure from SM Entertainment and NCT, Mark has returned as singer-songwriter Mark Lee with his new single, “My Friend.”

“The new tracks I’m working on right now take completely unexpected directions and styles,” he tells Billboard Korea. “But I’ve gained the conviction that this is exactly the music I should be putting out as my present self.”

The new single, “My Friend,” 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.

Over 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.

Shedding 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’s 25 Best K-Pop Albums of 2025: Staff Picks.

“I want to make music for a long time,” Mark shares regarding his future aspirations. “Being fiercely competitive isn’t necessarily the goal anymore. Instead, I want to do my absolute best to spread a positive influence through both my music and my life.”

Keep reading for his Q&A with Billboard Korea.

You’ve wrapped up 10 fierce years of group life and become independent as a singer-songwriter. Through your vlogs, you’ve 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?

I think my new challenge has changed so many things. Not only the environment, but musically, too — I feel like I’ve 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’s why, more than any other project, I worked a lot on the melodies and the vocal aspects. I’ve really loved singing since I was young. [Laughs] I feel like I’m finally expressing that passion in a 360-way now.

Since your previous group promotions, you’ve 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?

I’ll 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.

I 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.

Including “My Friend,” all the songs I’ve recently worked on were the results of totally unexpected directions and styles, but I gained the conviction that this is exactly the “music” 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.

If your first solo album, The Firstfruit, showed the journey of your past life, this new song, “My Friend,” 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?

Hats off to you for that observation! [Laughs] I don’t think I even thought about it to that extent, but I think you’re right! It’s 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’m 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.

While the music and performances you showed during your group activities were thrilling and exciting, bursting fans’ dopamine, singer-songwriter Mark Lee’s music comes across as comforting and moving in contrast. What kind of emotion did you want to give fans through “My Friend”?

It’s not that I’m only trying to do emotional music, but I’d like to say that in my totally biased opinion … 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’s one difference that’s definitely noticeable, it’s how much I’ve tried to express myself vocally. Since I haven’t challenged myself this much as a vocalist before, I’m actually a bit worried, but even that is part of who I am right now. I believe the new music I’m presenting will contribute to “completing the present Mark Lee.” Through “My Friend,” I hope my feelings about an everlasting, greatest love will be conveyed as a warm and soft emotion.

The lyrics of “My Friend” seem to be the words you want to convey to your fans the most. Even the term referring to your fans, “Markf,” is short for “Mark Friend.” 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?

Actually, I worked on the lyrics for “My Friend” 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 “the greatest love,” the name “friend” became a very special name to me. The lyric “My Friend” became a name I wish to sing to the world, hoping it will be filled with love, and since the fans were already “Mark Friends” to me, I hope the song “My Friend” becomes a special track for everyone. [Laughs]

The musical skills you’ve consistently proven as an NCT member are also evident in the credits. You are listed for lyrics, composition and even arrangement. Since it’s your first single after becoming independent, it must hold more affection and meaning for you. What was the process of making “My Friend” like, and were there any particularly memorable moments?

It’s definitely a song I have a lot of affection for. Actually, I already have a lot of affection for my entire album this time… haha While making “My Friend,” working on the lyrics multiple times is what stands out in my memory the most. I’m 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.

In the music video for “My Friend,” we see you in nature — warm sunshine, green meadows — 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 “stripped back.” This seems to align with the attitude toward life you pursue. What does “stripping back” mean to you?

Honestly, I also thought that doing flashier styling from clothes to makeup was more appropriate especially since it’s a music video for my first single. I was more used to filming music videos where it felt like it needed to have more “power.” So initially, the first-draft proposal for the “My Friend” music video was set in a more serious and heavy mood.

But eventually, during meetings with the director, we really talked about the true nature of the song and it’s meaning, so we changed the tone to be warmer since the song’s theme is “love.” Rather than intentionally making “stripping back” the point, I think we just refrained from adding unnecessary “coolness” or “power,” and went with expressions that truly felt more natural. That, I guess, is also the style I wish to ultimately pursue as well.

Director Gus Black, who directed sombr’s “Back to Friends” music video, directed the music video for “My Friend.” How was the collaboration with director Gus Black, who excels at bringing out an analog and cinematic mood rather than stimulating CG?

Even 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’ 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.

You’ve previously mentioned at a United Nations Environment Programme event, where you sang your self-composed song “Ready or Not” 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?

I’ve been starting to work a little bit on Kids-POP lately, and it’s much harder than I thought. [Laughs] As for exactly what kind of music Kids-POP is, I think I’m still figuring it out right now myself, so it’s hard to define it perfectly at this moment.

But 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’ve become more passionate about making music that’ll feel totally directed toward them, and hopefully have an important impact on them. It’s 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’ll be very meaningful to me. [Laughs] Children are the future!

By establishing the creative company Upper Room, you’ve 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?

If 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’s album production season right now, the team members have been very considerate, not contacting me unless it’s an absolutely urgent, truly essential approval or meeting, so that I can focus on the music. I’m focusing on the album that much. Because it’s an independent production environment, we — Upper Room — are always brainstorming together about everything so that everything can feel even more Mark Lee than ever, yet fresh.

If 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?

Over the past 10 years, I think I’ve 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’t 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’ll be a truly meaningful life to me. Hope you enjoy my new music and more that’s to come! Wishing you all another beautiful day.