MARK’s The Firstfruit - The 1st Album Is An Enjoyable Journey
Photo: SM Entertainment
After much anticipation, NCT’s MARK's first album is here! The Firstfruit - The 1st Album is a play-by-play of MARK’s life and gives us a new look at storytelling. The album has 13 songs that MARK has taken part in composing, producing, and writing. Each song is so unique to his style of music, and you are bound to find a song that is your favorite.
The Firstfruit - The 1st Album Tracklist:
“Toronto’s Window”
“1999” (Title Track)
“Flight to NYC”
“Righteous”
“Fraktsiya (feat. Lee Young Ji)”
“Raincouver”
“Loser”
“Watching TV (feat. Crush)”
“+82 Pressin’ (feat. HAECHAN)
“200”
“Journey Mercies”
“Mom’s Interlude”
“Too Much”
The Journey Through MARK’s Life
The album is a look into Mark Lee's life. There are moments in the album where we get a glimpse into his world and are shown how life was for him at that time. There are songs on the album about one to two minutes long, and they are moments when he narrates his life.
With the sound of children playing and people talking in the background, “Toronto’s Window” gives us a look into his beginning. The strums of the guitar create a mellow vibe, which is perfect because during this track MARK is telling us about his thoughts on dreams. “Flight to NYC” is another track where MARK talks to us as the sound of the flight attendant announces that the flight will be heading to New York. While on the flight, we are given this amazing beat, which I wish he put a verse on, but it’s such a beautiful story. The song ends with the flight attendant saying that we landed in New York. It’s a lovely track that gives us a quick stop in MARK’s life in New York. There is this beautiful moment when we get to hear MARK’s mother speak, and it’s a tear-jerking moment in the album. “Mom’s Interlude” has a slow piano in the background that will have you gripping your heart and ready to cry. These three songs are all equally beautiful and show us what life was like for MARK in a new storytelling way.
The next track on the album is the title track, “1999.” Taking homage to the year he was born, MARK takes it back to 1999 and gives us a groovy hip-hop track. The orchestra of strings in the beginning will instantly catch your attention and make you wonder, “What is about to happen?” Once the beat drops, MARK comes in with this nice flow that fits the song's concept. The choir in the background adds this happy feeling to the music that will make you smile while listening. Not only is MARK heard giving a phenomenal rap about his life, but he also gives us beautiful falsetto vocals. One part that stood out to me in this song is the beat change during the second verse. That hard, electrifying beat changes the vibe of the entire song and has you moving your head to the beat. The ending is beautiful and so much fun to listen to. The chorus at the end is upbeat and solidifies the happy vibe the song is going for.
The music video is so well put together. There are scenes that make sense with context and show the research that MARK and his team put in. For example, the recreation of Eminem’s 1999 MTV Music Awards win. Sticking to that 1999 concept, the attire of the dancers and background characters shows the connection to the theme. The way they cast a younger version of him and show themes of Canada, paying homage to his childhood, adds a beautiful touch to this fantastic song.
There are songs on this album that have been previously released. The songs “Fraksiya (feat. Lee Young Ji),” “+82 Pressin’ (feat. HAECHAN),” and his debut track “200” were all released before the album. We could see what this album would sound like when these songs were released. “Fraksiya (feat. Lee Young Ji)” is a bass-induced track with heavy beats and striking rapping skills. The flow of MARK and Lee Young Ji is insane in this song and proves just how talented they are. “+82 Pressin’ (feat. HAECHAN)” is a groovy, retro, hype dance track. The mixture between MARK’s rap and HAECHAN’s smooth vocals creates this iconic track that you can’t help but sing along to. “200” is his debut, and I am so glad he added it to his first album. It’s a rock-inspired piece that showcases his lyrical skills and proves that he can do any genre.
“Righteous,” “Raincouver,” “Loser,” “Watching TV (feat. Crush),” “Journey Mercies,” and “Too Much” are the six other songs on the album that each hold a special place in my heart. “Righteous” is a jam-packed track with a hard-hitting beat and outstanding flow. “2 bands that I represent. Right? One time for the main event. Right? Oh God, there’s a dawn to break. Right, right, right?” You can’t help but scream these lyrics and have the time of your life. “Watching TV (feat. Crush)” is a ballad and upbeat R&B mixture. This track features K-R&B artist Crush, and the drill beat plus smooth vocals create a more sensual but fun feel to the song. “Raincouver” is a bubbly pop track that has a danceable beat. This is the song you would play on your road trip with the windows down and the wind blowing through your hair. It’s bright and exciting.
Our ballads are “Loser,” “Journey Mercies,” and “Too Much. “These songs are all great songs with smooth vocals and rap. “Loser” is a gut-wrenching ballad with skillful lyrics. While the title is “Loser,” throughout the chorus, you can hear MARK say he doesn’t want to lose her. It’s clever wordplay that you won’t catch unless you listen carefully. “Journey Mercies” is a beautiful song about love and the journey one will go on for it. With lyrics like, “Is there anyplace you wanna go to? Where you are, my heart’s on an airplane,” and, “Remember how every time it would rain, you would show up and it shined,” you can tell this is the perfect song for the love of your life. The final song, “Too Much,” is the perfect song to end this jam-packed album. This track is a ballad, but the mixture of the instruments creates this grand finale vibe and makes it great to end the album.
The Firstfruit - The 1st Album is a fantastic album. I favorited every song on it. Each song is so good, and you are bound to find a favorite on there. So, check out MARK’s first full album, The Firstfruit - The 1st Album, and see which song is your favorite.
“1999” TITLE TRACK SCORE: 10/10
“1999” MUSIC VIDEO SCORE: 10/10
The Firstfruit - The 1st Album ALBUM SCORE: 10/10
Total Score: 10/10
Edited by Bryn Claybourne