“I never thought I could dream in detail,” NCT’s Mark Lee begins his newly released song “Toronto’s Window,” expertly kicking off his debut solo album, The Firstfruit.
The 25-year-old K-Pop star, known simply by his stage name Mark, debuted nine years ago as a member of SM Entertainment’s megagroup NCT and is still learning new things about himself creatively. “I really got to find myself while creating this album,” Mark tells The Hollywood Reporter on a Zoom from Seoul. “Now that it’s done, it even put me on the idea of my second chapter.”
As one of the busiest working performers in the world of K-Pop – Mark is a member of NCT subgroups 127 and Dream and has worked in supergroup SuperM, along other NCT formations – the Canadian-born singer and rapper has never shied away from a challenge. On The Firstfruit, Mark gets vulnerable and open like he never has before. “Toronto’s Window” serves as an almost origin story to listeners before jumping into the album’s title track, “1999.”
In its totality, the 13-track album is a clear window into the mind of one of the genre’s brightest (and arguably most earnest) stars. Below, Mark digs into The Firstfruit with THR, explaining the process of making the album, what his father said to him after listening for the first time, how much this album has aged him and why it had to start in Toronto.
What was the process of making The Firstfruit like? Do you have a favorite or most challenging part of the process?
It took almost a year to create everything, but I think the most important part of the process – every part was important – but after “200” came out there was a turning point for me to realize that “I need to change everything that I’ve been working on.” That was the start of The Firstfruit. I had an idea of another album, but it wasn’t The Firstfruit but after “200” came out, things weren’t adding up. There was a specific turning point that I realized I had to start everything from scratch again. That was the hardest and the most challenging part, but it was the most important part of the process.
Mark for ‘The Firstfruit.’
Courtesy of SM Entertainment
You previously said you put a lot of yourself in this album. Do you feel it has changed you now that you’re on the other side of it?
Absolutely. I have been trying to put my finger on what this feeling actually was, and then I realized. I think this album helped me find myself, and I hope that it can help my listeners to find themselves if they haven’t yet. I think that’s the point of this album for me.
On the album, “1999” is really such a cool track. It’s very different direction than I would’ve thought you were going with this, which is exciting. Why did you feel this was the sound to kick off off this new version of you?
The first time I heard it, I wasn’t like, “This is the one.” We had other options. Among all the other options, this was the one that captivated me the most because I was working on it with [the producer] Dress. He came with the beat and with the hook. and Before that though, I’ve always been proud of my falsetto. I’ve always been confident about my falsetto. I just left it as that. One day he just came with the song and the hook itself is all falsetto. Then we looked at the other options and I just felt like, “No, I think it has to be this one.” After we put the “1999” theme into the song, it really brought everything to life and it was the one. I’m really proud how it really knocks people off on the first. I think all my group members said the same thing as well. Everyone was like, “I did not expect something like ‘1999.’” I think it’s a good thing.
Between solo work and the many groups you’ve been in, you have a big music catalog. Do you find yourself wanting to surprise people because you’ve done quite a bit already?
Just because I wanted to. I did want to as well, but just me as an artist, I realized that there were so many different types of genres that I could have pulled off to be my title track. It was actually harder for me to choose which genre. I realized that’s just what I have in me. I guess just meeting the right meaning and meeting the right objective of the song, it makes it easier for me to choose the genre.
Do you feel that this album or even the work you’ve put in over the last few years has changed the way you view performing and making music? Or do you find it’s evolving as you get older yourself?
I think it’s both. I grow as this album made me grow at least five years, I feel like. I get to know what type of an artist and performer I imagine myself being on stage. That’s why for “1999” too, we usually use headsets, but I imagine myself using a handheld mic. When it comes to actually singing live and all these different performing elements, it’s a mixture of strategy and also just my growth.
Do you have a favorite track on the album yourself?
I love all of them. Did you hear “Mom’s Interlude?” I think that’s my current favorite because I can’t believe I actually put that on the album. I can’t believe it made it on the album. It’s so vulnerable and it’s not even a song, it’s just me talking with my mom, but I just love it so much.
Mark for ‘The Firstfruit.’
Courtesy of SM Entertainment
Between that and “Toronto’s Window,” which I saw that you posted a video today of it that was very cinematic and cool. That’s not something you typically get to do on an album. Is it exciting to get to do that in this space?
Every aspect of this album feels like it’s something that I’ve never done. “Toronto’s Window” too. I got that beat from [producer] Code Kunst and to put that on the first track of the album… I feel like it’s easier putting it this way. [On] all of the albums I’ve released before, I don’t think I’ve ever seen an intro track like this one before. I think that’s the feedback that my group members told me as well. It really just sets the mood for the album in the most perfect way. So this album, it’s like an autobiography, so it has to start with Toronto because that’s where it all began.
Did you find yourself anxious to show this music to your group members or other people in your life? You said it’s very personal to you, so did you feel a little bit more precious with it?
I felt like it was very, very precious, but at the same time I was kind of worried if this would be the right choice. I actually had a conversation with my dad saying, “I’m actually very surprised on how honest and vulnerable you made this album and it actually kind of inspired me as your dad.” That conversation made me realize this was the right choice. I was kind of proud of myself too.
Is there anything else you think is important to mention about The Firstfruit?
I just want to say that I’m not asking for the world to love this album, but I am in a way requesting for the world to take the moment to listen to this album from start to finish at least once because then they’ll get to know me better.
