{
  "id": 6529980,
  "title": "Former NCT member Mark Lee starts solo era with independent label Upper Room",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/former-nct-member-mark-lee-starts-solo-era-with-independent-label",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-10T03:22:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/k-pop/20260910/former-nct-member-mark-lee-starts-solo-era-with-independent-label-upper-room"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mark Lee, formerly part of the world-renowned collective NCT, has launched his solo career with a new release through his own independent label, Upper Room. The 34-year-old artist and rapper debuted his first single, \"My Friend,\" on Thursday, signaling the start of a new phase in his musical journey. The track, which debuted under Upper Room, a company Lee founded, eschews the bombast often associated with mainstream pop music in favor of a more subdued, introspective approach.\n\n\"My Friend\" is built upon a simple, lingering guitar loop and is a mid-tempo pop song that grapples with the age-old question of what the ultimate expression of love looks like. Throughout the song's creation, Lee took on all roles, from writing to composing and arranging, resulting in a piece that feels more like a personal diary entry than a commercial product. This ethos is echoed in the music video, which is deliberately devoid of digital effects or artificial staging, allowing the raw emotion of the performance to shine through. The video was directed by Gus Black, a filmmaker known for his straightforward, unadorned style.",
  "summary": "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…",
  "key_points": [
    "Mark Lee begins solo career with Upper Room label",
    "\"My Friend\" debut single by 34-year-old artist",
    "Track features simple guitar loop and introspective lyrics"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Mark Lee's solo debut through his own label Upper Room marks a shift towards a more introspective and personal approach, diverging from the typical bombast of mainstream pop music.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Former NCT member Mark Lee starts solo era with independent label Upper Room",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/former-nct-member-mark-lee-starts-solo-era-with-independent-label-6531699",
        "published": "2026-09-10T03:32:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}