[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] Singer Mark Lee is launching a special project.

On the 11th, Mark released the first episode of “Mark Lee & Kids-POP” on Upper Room’s official YouTube channel.
“Mark Lee & Kids-POP” is a series that follows Mark as he meets children in person, listens to their thoughts and stories, and discovers musical inspiration through those interactions. The first episode depicted Mark reflecting on his own childhood and learning about the interests and perspectives of today’s children before his official meetings with them.
In the video, Mark revealed, “I really loved K-pop when I was a kid,” and shared memories of watching BIGBANG’s “Day by Day” music video dozens of times a day. He also mentioned dramas like “Boys Over Flowers” and “Dream High,” recalling, “I’ve really loved Korean culture since I was young. Korea was my dream country.”
Mark then took on the “Kids’ Exploration Corner,” where he tried to guess the actual answers of elementary school students. As he attempted to predict responses to questions such as “What do you like most these days?”, “What’s the most popular catchphrase?”, “What’s your biggest worry?”, and “What song do you most want to hear right now?”, Mark admitted, “I’m really not confident,” and though he struggled, he continued to seriously consider the questions from the children’s perspective.
The children’s actual answers exceeded Mark’s expectations. In particular, “college admissions,” “lack of money,” and “girlfriends” were cited as their “biggest worries,” and when asked what message they’d like to convey in a song for themselves, answers such as “No one really understands my heart” and “I shine brighter than anyone else when I’m being myself” followed, surprising Mark. In particular, when his own song “1999” was named as the “song they most want to hear right now,” he expressed his delight and emotion, exclaiming, “This is amazing!”
As Mark examined each of the children’s candid answers one by one, he remarked, “This could become the title of a song or even a single word in the lyrics,” adding, “If you approach things with the mindset of seeking inspiration, you can find it in everything.” He went on to describe this project as “the very beginning,” expressing his anticipation for meeting the children in person, sharing stories with them, and discovering what musical moments might emerge from those interactions.
Mark released his new song “My Friend” on the 10th. “My Friend” reached No. 1 on the iTunes Top Songs chart in four countries: Argentina, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand. It also ranked No. 2 in Malaysia and Vietnam and No. 3 in Singapore, securing a spot in the top ranks in several countries.