Former NCT member Mark Lee starts solo era with independent label Upper Room

Mark Lee — the artist and rapper best known as a core member of the global supergroup NCT — released his new single “My Friend” Thursday, marking a pivotal departure from the glossy mechanics of mainstream pop and laying the cornerstone for a new independent chapter.

The track serves as his inaugural release under Upper Room, a creative company founded by Lee. Rather than leaning on maximalist production, “My Friend” leans comfortably into restraint. Built over a nostalgic, lingering guitar loop, the mid-tempo pop track wrestles with a timeless late-summer question: What does the highest form of love actually look like?

Mark took the reins across every stage of the track's creation, contributing to the songwriting, composition and arrangement. The result is less of a commercial product and more of a personal diary entry — a gentle reflection on closing one chapter of life to step quietly into the next.

That ethos carries directly into the song's accompanying music video.

Steering entirely clear of computer graphics or artificial staging, director Gus Black — known for his recent work with American singer-songwriter sombr — focuses on space, sound and the artist himself. The visual treatment mirrors the track's understated tone, capturing Lee without the usual pop star armor.

The release comes alongside a rapid expansion of his direct-to-fan universe.

Lee launched an official fan community on the global platform Weverse Wednesday, debuting an interactive "Voice Mailbox" feature that allows listeners to leave spoken messages. The move follows his recent launch on the communications platform Laylo, which drew over 42,000 fans within the first hour.

In an industry dominated by high-concept visual productions, the release takes a minimalist approach. By focusing on stripped-back instrumentation and personal songwriting, "My Friend" reflects Lee's transition from group performer to self-directed artist with direct creative control over his catalog.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.