마크 리, '마이 프렌드'로 솔로 데뷔

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 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."

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.

"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."

데뷔 이후의 새로운 도전

Mark Lee has returned as a singer-songwriter after five months away from SM Entertainment and NCT. His new single, "My Friend," marks his first release as an independent artist. The track is a mid-tempo song centered on a breezy guitar loop, evoking a laid-back atmosphere with nostalgic undertones.

다재다능한 경력 기록

Over the past decade, Mark has undergone five debuts, two permanent groups, and numerous unit projects. He is considered the only K-pop artist to have achieved such a diverse and extensive career trajectory. His first solo album, The Firstfruit, was released in 2025 and ranked No. 1 on Billboard's 25 Best K-Pop Albums of 2025: Staff Picks.

음악적 성찰과 미래 비전

Mark reflects on his decade-long journey in group promotions, stating that he has now fully settled into his identity as a singer-songwriter. He emphasizes that his goal is no longer to be fiercely competitive, but to create music and live in a way that spreads positive influence. He describes the new single as a reflection of his present self, shaped by his experiences in New York and his evolving artistic mindset.

음악적 중심의 재정립

The focus on melodies and vocals in "My Friend" reflects a deliberate shift in his creative process. He says he has loved singing since childhood and now feels he is expressing that passion in a 360-way. The song's emotional depth and personal authenticity mark a new chapter in his artistic journey.