Cover Story: The Rebirth of Mark Tuan

It’s 8 PM in Los Angeles when Mark Tuan gives me an overview of his week. For someone who is putting the finishing touches on his solo debut album that has been a work in progress for a year, brainstorming ideas for music videos alongside his team at DNA (a company he founded in 2021 to manage his activities) and juggling various other creative and business commitments, Tuan appears balanced and relaxed. Perhaps the decade he’s spent as a K-pop idol has trained him to multitask efficiently. “I’m also finding time to rest well,” he informs, adjusting his bright orange snapback with ‘LA’ embroidered in blue. He’s dressed comfortably for our chat. The white-on-white loose-fit athleisure ensemble takes away a few years from his face, instantly reminding me of Tuan from 2019.

Tuan moved back from Seoul to his hometown of Los Angeles in early 2021 and currently lives with his family to make up for the last 10 years he spent away from their love and embrace. He looks content and doesn’t shy away from accessorizing his outfit with a genuine smile; it’s difficult to say whether this has anything to do with his album making it to the finish line or it’s a glow that can only come from surrounding yourself with a loving support system. Either way, it suits him. I learn more about his week and what the feedback his peers have had on his album before we dig deep into the poignant pre-release tracks he’s periodically released over the past year.

“I think after the first couple of pre-singles released, I definitely saw some comments saying, ‘oh, I want something more fun,’ ‘this is kind of too sad for me, ‘this is not my style.’ But this is something I have to get off my chest and something I want my fans to hear,” Tuan explains Rolling Stone India why he let vulnerability and honesty dictate the direction of his solo debut album. “I know this [the album] might not be for everybody, but it is something I have to put out first before creating a different sound,” he affirms.

For those who have been closely following Tuan since GOT7 parted ways with JYP Entertainment in January 2021, the stories shared in his pre-release singles should not come as a surprise. When we first chatted with Tuan in December 2021, he teased his debut album explaining he’s working on a record that tells his story. But what stood out from the whole conversation was a proclaiming sentence that positioned Tuan as an artist we’ve yearned to meet – “Everyone can expect a very vulnerable Mark.” These seven honest words echo throughout the pre-release singles – “Last Breath,” “My Life,” “Lonely,” “Save Me” and “imysm” – and extend throughout Tuan’s promising 20-track album, The Other Side.

Right before we begin to get into the nitty-gritty of the record, Tuan briefly touches upon people’s inability to ever feel satisfied: “It’s really hard to please everybody,” he points out. “I think there are people out there who will relate to this music and it might help some people too. I do see where some of the fans are coming from,” he says, referring to the comments he received for his pre-release singles. “I do want them to know that there is going to be music that they will enjoy in the future.”

The album’s title is fitting for a record that traverses through Tuan’s various sides – a global popstar and K-pop idol, but most importantly a human being bound to deeply experience complex emotions. Aimed at introducing fans to the man behind the glossy K-pop lens, The Other Side encompasses stories from his time in Seoul, South Korea, where Tuan was busy creating history as the rapper and oldest member of GOT7 – one of the biggest K-pop groups of this decade.

“Everything started when I got back,” Tuan says, walking me through the intuitive and beautifully unconventional process of conceptualizing his debut album. It wasn’t like he landed in L.A. and sprinted to the studio for the sole reason of working on an album, let alone one with a whopping 20 tracks. For the first time in a long while, Tuan was not rushed and was in fact completely engrossed in the process of putting his stories to paper. His approach was as natural as music-making could get. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do [when he got back] and it [his mind] kept changing all the time,” Tuan confesses. He adds, “There was no fixed idea on how many songs there were going to be on the album or what the album was going to be about. It was just me going to the studio and writing songs that made me feel better and want to tell a story.”

Helmed by the singer along with a close-knit circle of producers and friends-turned-business crew at DNA, the album also presented the GOT7 member with the opportunity to go beyond the scope of an artist and taste the business of music. “I think learning the entire business was a big thing for everybody [at DNA ]. Back in Korea, you were kind of told what to do, and now you have to take charge of things and learn from the beginning again.” Despite having to relearn certain aspects, Tuan still expresses his hunger for knowledge: “I think it was just a process that we [DNA] had to go through and learn everything about the entertainment business. There’s still a lot to learn. I think we’re getting there.”

While Tuan is relishing every second of the newfound freedom, he confesses that he had to come to terms with the double-edged sword of liberation. “With more freedom comes more responsibility. You have to oversee things and make sure everything is working properly,” he says. Drawing a parallel between making creative decisions as a group as opposed to today, where he’s the sole sailor steering the ship ahead, the 28-year-old popstar is certainly not one to back down from a challenge: “Back then I had other members to depend on. I felt unsure whether I would be able to produce as well as the other members, so I did whatever was given to me. Today, I have to take charge, create music and try to think of ideas for music videos. I am having a lot of fun doing it,” he smiles. 

Laying the groundwork

Tuan adopts an interesting approach to bring his first major solo project to life. Instead of composing songs from his perspective, the singer designed a fictional character and navigated through the emotional terrains from the character’s viewpoint. It’s a common approach authors use to strike an equilibrium between relatability and authenticity, a crucial balance that Tuan too was keen on establishing. “I wanted to convey my story without compromising on the emotions I experienced. However, if I’d written it from my perspective, I think people wouldn’t have been able to relate to it [stories]as much,” the singer says, shining a light on his creative process. “It’s metaphorical,” he adds. “There’s a fictional character going through all the emotions I experienced to help get my message across to people.” The album would have undoubtedly lacked vulnerability and honesty had Tuan ditched this approach. “It wouldn’t have been me,” he concludes.

As much as Tuan appreciates how this artistic approach has helped him open up, he plans on limiting this technique to his debut album: “This album is just for my fans. I want them to get to know me on a deeper level and better as a person,” he states. “As far as future releases go, I don’t know what the concept is going to be, but it’s definitely going to be a lot different from this album.” Tuan describes The Other Side as his playground where he had the opportunity to experiment with different sounds and tell his story. “I think the next album will be more fun for the listeners,” he teases.

For this album, Tuan’s priorities lay between quality and quantity. “I needed to make as many songs as possible with the right lyrical approach. Even if a single word or line felt off, we’d go back and change it,” he delineates. Creating a character and trying to tell a story from the character’s point of view occasionally presented itself as a challenge, largely because Tuan wanted to tell his story without dialing down the relatability factor. All in all, the process – however challenging it may have been – reaped fruitful results: “We made 20 tracks. I think we did well.”

Tuan leaves no stone unturned on this album, both thematically and sonically. Swirled in a rich concoction of R&B, hip-hop, rap, alt-rock, pop-ballad and EDM, the singer-songwriter wholeheartedly embraces genres that best suit his vocal colors. Carefully marrying each sound with a chapter from his time in Seoul, the album examines Tuan’s relationship with everything that life has to offer – from loneliness and sorrow to unrequited love, toxic relationships, the complexities of being a pop star and much more. It’s a wake-up call for those living under the illusion that money and fame are potent potions that shield K-pop idols from life’s challenging experiences. “That’s exactly what I was trying to do with this album… let people know that idols go through the same emotions that everybody else does,” Tuan elucidates. “People put us on a pedestal, but we still go through these emotions and feel certain ways. That’s the biggest message I wanted to get across to people. At the end of the day, we’re human and can’t always be perfect. People mess up and learn from their mistakes.”

The album opens with the breezy R&B number “Run Away,” where Tuan hits bulls-eye explaining the intricacies of growing up, miscalculated decisions and taking ownership of mistakes. Homecoming celebrations roar loud in “No Tears,” right before Tuan shares his swanky take on life as a pop star in “Change Up” and “My Name.” Rooted in hip-hop, the tracks outline his persistence, hustle, and the pride Tuan takes in his profession. It’s a celebration of his stardom and the decade he spent with GOT7 in Seoul. Following the highs of the glitz and glamor, Tuan swiftly takes us to the other side of the coin with “After Hours” and “Lonely,” where he extensively explores the difference between being alone and being lonely. As the spotlight dims, perplexion, exhaustion and solitude lie in wait, preying to consume him entirely and to cope with the blowouts of these emotions, Tuan plasters a fraudulent smile. Though cut from the same thematic cloth of isolation, the next track, “At My Low,” highlights how Tuan’s fans have been his anchor, offering the support and companionship needed to keep him afloat. 

To ensure he taps into the right emotional quotient, Tuan chose to hit rewind and travel back in time while writing the songs that feature in the first half of the album. “I placed myself in the period when I was feeling those emotions or had certain thoughts.” However, as the album concludes, he switches gears and relies on his current experiences to pen down the tracks: “There are a few songs [towards the end of the album] I wrote with my current perspective. If you listen to the songs chronologically and dissect the lyrics, you’ll notice they tell the story of my journey from Seoul to L.A.”

The second half of the album undergoes a strong thematic and sonic shift. The mood, while still somber and introspective, has Tuan traversing through the various facets of love nuzzled between soaring dance beats. Be it romantic, platonic or self-love; Tuan positions himself as an emotionally mature artist by beautifully highlighting the nuances of such a complex emotion. Take for instance the R&B ballad “Only Human” where he sings “I’m only human/ So It’s useless if I try to be the perfect guy.” Amidst the chaos and outwardly judgment, Tuan strives to love himself by acknowledging his flaws. It’s a sensible take on self-love and shines a light on the importance of throwing away the unattainable idea of perfection. The treasured gem, however, lies deep within the lyrical arrangement of the 12th track “Exhausted” where Tuan questions whether the platonic relationships in his life are now just mere corpses of what they used to be. With lines like “I’m so exhausted from all these walls around me/ my friends are toxic but they still make me happy,” he raises a valid question on why the fear of loneliness holds us back from cutting ties with our toxic friends.

That’s the beauty of The Other Side. You don’t need to live an extraordinary life to find a piece of yourself in the songs or attain Tuan’s levels of success and fame to see how it affects your relationship with others. You just need to find the courage to unearth the deeply painful emotions you’ve buried within your soul; a quest Tuan simplifies by showing the good and ugly of being human. Sure, the album loses its sonic charm midway but the honesty and lyrical fluency Tuan brings to the record make up for the aural monotony. 

The second half of the album also deals with Tuan redeeming himself, especially in romantic relationships. As opposed to “2 Faces” and “My Life” where he comes to terms with the imbalanced environment and accepts it as his new reality, tracks such as “Let You Go” and the soaring EDM number “Broken” see him realizing his worth and walking away from emotionally draining situations. In theory, walking away is easier said than done, especially if you’re someone who feels emotions deeply; a conflicting space Tuan underlines in “Hard 2 Love,” “Selfish” and “More” where he reminisces about the past, thinking about all the ways he could have salvaged certain situations. “The album is definitely mixed. I incorporated different sounds even though the lyrics are emotional and vulnerable,” Tuan explains about his rationale behind matching each emotion with a contrasting sound. “The beat is lively, which comes in handy during a concert. People won’t be like ‘oh damn, this is too dark’ or anything.”

As for his favorite track, Tuan picks the lead single and last track off the album, “Far Away.” The rhythmic R&B track with resonant guitar riffs acts as a strong concluding chapter to his life in Seoul: “I gave you one last chance/ And you fucked it up/ Now you’re far away/ And I hope you know you’ll stay the same.” The single made his intentions loud and clear – Tuan is ready to wipe the slate clean and start afresh. 

The other side of Mark Tuan

A few months ago, DNA set up a Twitter community for Tuan. While the micro-blogging platform is generally a shitstorm drowning in unnecessary edgy tweets with hateful undertones, the ‘Mark Tuan community’ is a surprisingly wholesome corner in a turbulent digital warzone. Using the community as a medium to connect with the artist, fans often eulogize the popstar using terms of affection such as ‘caring,’ ‘smart’ and ‘responsible’ amongst others.

“Wow,” Tuan sheepishly smiles when I let him in on how fondly his fans speak about him on Twitter. He Intently stares into the distance, pondering over how he perceives himself before answering with the utmost grace, “I am a normal human being who is working hard and having fun all at the same time.” While it is true that a large chunk of this chapter is all about Tuan, at the end of the day, everything he’s putting out is to make his fans proud: “I’m trying to make sure everything I put out is a result of my best efforts without putting too much pressure on myself. I’m working hard for the fans whilst proving to myself that I can accomplish solo projects.” 

Somewhere along our conversation, I catch fleeting glimpses of a particular tattoo peeking out from his T-shirt sleeve. In contrast to his other tattoos which are far more design-driven, Tuan has the word ‘truth’ inked on his arm. Judging by the honesty he brings to his debut album, it’s safe to say Tuan will never shy away from keeping things real in his future releases too. 

For an artist who values honesty, writing this album was not as emotionally draining as one would expect it to be: “I don’t think it was that difficult. I was in the studio with people I’m comfortable with and could tell them my story and how I felt. It made the process easier.” He does, however, share some worries about how the audience will perceive this new side of him, a rather normal reaction anyone would have when stepping out of their comfort zone for the first time. “I am nervous releasing this type of music and wonder how fans would take it,” Tuan opens up. “But everybody’s been very supportive and I think a lot of people are enjoying it [pre-release singles] too. I am excited for them [fans] to hear the whole album.”

As for the artist he is today, it’s neither an extension of who Tuan used to be back in Seoul nor has he reinvented himself: “I am a more mature version of who I used to be in Korea. It was a learning period for all of us [GOT7 members] where we all grew up as individual artists too.”

Tuan has been in the public eye for nearly a decade, during which time he’s performed at the biggest arenas around the world, graced magazine covers and swept awards with GOT7. Despite achieving meteoric success and receiving love from millions of fans, Tuan – like all other artists – is not immune to moments of self-doubt. During his two-night sold-out fanmeet in Bangkok, bandmate and special guest BamBam revealed that Tuan was skeptical about hosting his fanmeet in an arena. “Those days never go away,” Tuan reflects on how self-doubt and imposter syndrome haven’t left his side. 

With life being a bitter-sweet mix of sunny and gloomy days, Tuan confides in his fans for some much-needed perspective and warmth: “The fans are the reason I get to escape and enjoy better days. Being onstage, meeting and talking to the fans gives me a sense of adrenaline and happiness that is unmatched. But when the day ends and I return to my room, it’s hard to push away the emptiness that comes with the silence. Especially during the pandemic, when there was a prolonged period of not being able to see and get energy from the fans, it was extremely tough. It’s a little better now, but it is still a constant battle.” 

He also derives courage from his family who have acted as his pillars of strength when dealing with loneliness or toxic relationships. “Having my family around definitely helps. We stress a lot about work and by doing so, we close ourselves off from people. Being around people who really support you, care about you and love you is the biggest thing. That’s how I deal with tough days.”

A new life on lease

Working on this album has been a therapeutic journey for Tuan. You could view it as a rite of passage every artist must walk through to connect with their artistry at a deeper level. “Working on the album has made me look back on some of the darkest memories I had and that meant reliving those emotions once again,” he confesses. “It wasn’t a pleasant experience, but it was a process I needed to go through to get rid of it completely. Being able to express and cleanse myself of those emotions has put me in a better and healthier place in life.” 

Interestingly, Tuan’s definition of the album’s core themes such as solitude, stardom and unhealthy relationships have changed over time. “In that particular moment, you do feel those emotions, but later on you grow out of it. You then realize it was just a phase that you had to go through.” What he says next shows how aware he is of his surroundings. His words underline his belief in the freedom of expressing emotions in a way that’s unique to oneself. “People in different careers develop an individualistic learning curve about themselves. Even being in different environments can influence a person’s experience. This [the album] was just me going through my phase.”

It’s an exciting time in Tuan’s life. Given his popularity and flair for performance, he was undeniably on every major label’s radar following GOT7’s decision to not renew their contracts with JYP Entertainment. Yet, he chose to take the challenging road that promised him growth and creative fulfillment. “To put out the music I want to and to do things on my own terms,” Tuan responds when asked what areas are non-negotiable when it comes to his artistry. He adds, “If I had signed with a well-established label, things would have been easier since there are systems and processes in place, things I don’t need to learn on my own. But that would also come with certain restrictions and rules I would have to play by, so I wouldn’t have been able to do things entirely on my own terms. It would have been hard to be completely real and genuine, not only to the fans but also to myself, if I was answering to anyone else but myself about my artistry.”

When you take a step back and look at the bigger picture, Tuan has lived three lives in one lifetime. His first life originates from his time in Los Angeles as an average boy living the typical American life. A couple of years ago, Tuan posted a photograph on his Instagram that captured the good old days. Young, carefree and adventurous were the three impressions that jumped right off when I first saw the photograph in which Tuan was smiling ear to ear as he hung upside-down from a pole at his middle school. That photograph has sadly been deleted from his Instagram. Then came his second life; the grueling yet rewarding years during his tenure at JYP Entertainment, a time when he experienced the highs and lows of stardom along with his six confidants – Jay B, Jinyoung, Jackson, Youngjae, BamBam and Yugyeom. In the blink of an eye, Tuan is now living his third life as a radiant independent artist and entrepreneur.

“Honestly, there were two major turning points in my life,” Tuan states. “The first was when I was in Korea. It made me more responsible… I grew a lot there and It molded me into who I am today. The second was when I moved back home. Coming back and having many more responsibilities was a turning point. Today, I’m trying to have fun while working hard and trying not to overdo myself.”

Tuan’s living a multifarious life. Ergo, he has gradually attached a handful of labels to his name. Be it a popstar, global fashion icon or K-pop idol, they have all played a significant role in shaping the million-dollar Mark Tuan brand name; “These different labels make up who I am.” Evidently, each label demands a different avatar, leading him to develop an approach that ensures his vision is never muddled: “With each label, there’s a certain image that I have. I’m trying to find a middle ground where I can put these different labels together and present myself as one person. I’m on the path of bringing all of them [the different images] together into one form.”

Here’s a fact: K-pop spoils you with multiple releases from a soloist or group in a year. Korean comeback, Japanese comeback, single release and so on, there’s never a dull day for a K-pop fan, including IGOT7 (GOT7’s fandom) who have been accustomed to regular releases from the septet for seven years. Yet for his solo career, Tuan has a plan in which his art will never be rushed. “I will release music when I’m ready. With this album released, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. When I do release music next, I’ll ensure it’s perfect and one for the fans. I don’t think it will be an annual or planned thing.”

With his album now out into the world, Tuan is exhilarated to perform the songs in front of his fans during his forthcoming North American tour: “We just announced a North American tour but I do want to go on a world tour. I do want to visit Asia, Europe and South America.” Spanning 15 cities across the U.S. and Canada, ‘The Other Side’ tour has Tuan feeling all sorts of emotions. “‘It’s my first tour as a soloist, so I’m super nervous but excited at the same time. I wanted this tour to be super intimate with the fans, which is why we picked these venues. Some shows are already sold out. I can’t wait for them [his fans] to hear the album and be able to get back on stage to see them again.”

Of course, I couldn’t end the conversation without getting the inside scoop on what his photograph with Stranger Things’ Jamie Campbell Bower and British creative agent Jess Moloney entailed. Was it a hint for an upcoming collaboration on the silver screen or a simple wordplay between Vecna’s home (the upside down) and Tuan’s album (The Other Side)? “It was a spoiler of sorts, especially for the people who’ve watched the show,” he explains the photograph along with the caption posted on his self-titled mobile app. “It wasn’t anything. It was one of those captions where, I guess, we were like if you know, you know who he is.”

For fans who’ve waited to see Tuan star in a big-budget Hollywood film or Netflix series, there’s still hope as the singer has shown some interest in exploring acting in the future; “Now that the album is out, my first step would be getting acting lessons and maybe, in the future, I’ll revisit past offers or explore new ones. You never know. We’ll see what happens in the future,” Tuan grins.

Check out Mark Tuan’s special message for his Indian fans.