Ex-NCT member sees opportunity in K-pop music for kids

K-pop songs have long rung out across Korean kindergartens and elementary school classrooms, but few of them were ever written with children in mind. Former NCT member Mark Lee says he wants to fill that gap himself with what he calls “kids-pop.”

The idea has taken shape through “Mark Lee & Kids-POP,” a YouTube series launched in September on the channel for Upper Room, the label he founded after leaving boy band NCT and SM Entertainment in April. In each episode, the Canadian singer meets children, listens to their stories and looks for musical ideas in them.

The gap he points to is a familiar one. iKON’s 2018 breakup song “Love Scenario” became a singalong staple among kindergartners, in addition to topping Korea’s year-end digital chart.

Even “Golden,” the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper from Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” that won over young viewers worldwide last year, was written as a pop anthem for a fictional idol group rather than as a children’s song.

So far, the industry’s answer has largely been collaborations with children’s brands, with some idols lending their voices to animation theme songs.

Girl group MOMOLAND’s 2019 “Pororo” theme “Banana Cha Cha” set off a wave of cover videos by young children, and ENHYPEN remade “Hey Tayo,” the theme of “Tayo the Little Bus,” in 2021.

Others have repackaged their own hits. That same year, NCT Dream — Mark included — released an animated version of “Hot Sauce” with Pinkfong, the company behind “Baby Shark,” reimagining the members as dinosaur characters dubbed NCT-REX. NewJeans danced alongside Pinkfong and Baby Shark the following year.

The tie-ins have continued. In May, boy band TWS joined Pinkfong for a Children’s Day dance challenge set to its song “You, You,” while girl group FIFTY FIFTY released a Christmas single last November with Blox Universe, the brand behind British preschool series “Numberblocks.”

For both sides, the appeal lies in reach. Children’s brands can extend beyond preschoolers to their parents and overseas audiences, while idols gain a point of contact with younger listeners.

Mark’s project points in a different direction.

In an episode released Oct. 9, he spent a day with two children at a kids’ cafe in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, before taking them to a coin karaoke room. When he sang his own song “Too Much,” the two kids lost interest quickly because of the English lyrics. Their own picks, including veteran rock band YB’s song “A Flying Butterfly” (2006) and the late Kim Kwang-seok’s “Where Wind Comes From” (1994), came as surprise to Mark.

The singer later called the outing an “inspiration day,” learning that the children listened to more grown-up music than he had expected. “A song a child can sing is a song adults can sing too,” he said.

“While collaborations between K-pop artists and children’s entertainment brands have been common, it has been rare for artists themselves to create content specifically for children,” said a public relations official in the K-pop industry who asked not to be named. “More often, a song released as part of an artist’s regular work has happened to become a big hit with young listeners.”

“Simple melodies aren’t necessarily the answer,” the official added. “The key will be to create something that catches on with children while ensuring the content is appropriate for them.”