PHOTO COURTESY OF CARLA HAU A photo from the Other Side album’s photobook. With the release of his first solo album, Mark Tuan intends to further advance this new side of his career.
Mark Tuan shares his “Other Side”
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Mark Tuan, a member of GOT7, released The Other Side, his full-length, English debut album, on Aug. 26. Compared to his happy image in GOT7, this album conveys a more serious message and reveals the hidden pain he has gone through.
For Tuan, 2021 was a year of progression. After leaving his record label, JYP Entertainment, he considered not pursuing a career in music anymore, but he later changed his mind and became a solo artist. His first piece as a solo artist in LA was One in a Million. This song was overall very upbeat and catchy. This was where fans started to see a change in his music style. Many of his fans were used to seeing him as a bundle of joy. That has always been his image since he was in GOT7. However, since he left his home country at the age of 16 to become a K-pop idol, he was very homesick and felt sad. This influenced his music style, which features sad instrumentals and lyrics. This music style continued to transfer into his debut album, The Other Side. Through this album, his lyrics explained the darkness that came along with being under the spotlight as a K-pop idol to his current stage of moving back home and starting a solo career. While making this album, he had his fans in mind. He wished that this album would provide peace and comfort for them.
The first track, “Running Away”, was very catchy and relaxing. The lyrics describe how Tuan left everything behind to start over again. The song is melancholic and encourages listeners to move on with life regardless of the setbacks, and do their best even if they are alone. It sets the tone for the rest of the album.
The last track, “Far Away,” expressed the feeling of being lonely and told the story of ending a relationship with someone who continues to let you down. Through his beautiful storytelling and artistic way of displaying heartbreak, many fans relate to the lyrics, but also feel like they have experienced such hard feelings before, even if they have not.
Fans can look forward to his upcoming 2022 North American tour “THE OTHER SIDE.” He will be performing at the El Rey Theatre, in Los Angeles on November 6, 2022. To have the best listening experience, the album should be listened to in order because the songs’ ideas go in a full circle and correlate with each other.
