Mark Lee drops solo single 'My Friend' on September 10 under new label Upper Room

First solo release since leaving SM

Mark Lee drops My Friend on September 10. It's his first solo release since departing SM Entertainment on April 8 after roughly 10 years. He debuted as an NCT member in 2016 and was active in both NCT 127 and NCT DREAM. SM said at the time the contract ended by mutual agreement and Mark would wrap up all NCT activities.

He's since started his own creative company, Upper Room, which now serves as his agency.

What 'My Friend' actually sounds like

My Friend is a medium-tempo pop song for late-summer listeners thinking about what real love means. A nostalgic guitar loop anchors the track, which feels refreshing and comfortable. It captures the moment of stepping into something new after moving through one season of life.

Mark wrote, composed, and arranged it himself. A clear expansion of his work as a singer-songwriter.

The Kids-POP project behind it

The single comes with a new venture: Mark Lee & Kids-POP. A YouTube teaser shows Mark with children, spending time together, drawing musical ideas from those moments. He explained his reasoning directly:

"When I think about what I should do as a singer and what music I most want to produce, I want to make music that can influence the next generation."

On Kids-POP specifically, he said it "aligns with my dreams" and has become something he's determined to achieve.

Upper Room warns of legal action

Upper Room's legal team issued a statement about monitoring malicious posts, false information, and personality rights violations against Mark across online platforms and social media since the company's founding in the first half of this year. The agency noted Mark is more concerned about how these posts affect fans than himself. They warned that firm legal action will be taken against cyberbullying in comments and posts. This kind of formal legal notice from a newly launched agency is worth watching.