Digital Cover Story: GOT7’s Mark Tuan is Making his Mark

There is a certain fearlessness behind K-pop idol-turned-soloist, Mark Tuan. Since forging his own path by setting up a new label, DNA Records, Tuan has been able to express himself creatively in more ways than one — vlogging, producing and so much more. 

The 30-year-old Chinese-American musician is never afraid to try out new prospects, experiment and even dabble in new innovations such as AI. In regards to the latter, Tuan worked with US-based AI tech company, Soul Machines to create a digital twin of the star named simply “Digital Mark” as a way for fans to interact with him one-on-one in their own native languages. While many artists are reserved about the prospects of AI technology that is advancing at a blistering rate, Tuan instead chooses to embrace this development and uses it in a way to service what matters most to him — his fans and supporters. 

Meanwhile, Tuan has had a whirlwind year since releasing his first solo album the other side in 2022 and has only gone from strength to strength in the realm of music and fashion. Currently, Tuan is in the middle of his the other side Asia tour after completing a successful North American leg last year, travelling across the states and performing in New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Los Angeles, and more. With its incredible success, Tuan now brings the tour to Asia where he will be visiting Macau, Thailand, Malaysia, and Taiwan, just to name a few. 

In the midst of all this, the GOT7 member continues to diligently work on his solo music, releasing a string of singles this year such as ‘Carry Me Out’, ‘Everyone Else Fades’, and ‘Your World’ — all of which are part of his latest digital EP, Fallin’, which recently dropped late October. Consisting of six tracks, the star also debuted a Grease inspired music video of the upbeat title track of the same name. 

Beyond music, Tuan is also increasing his presence in the fashion and beauty industry as well as working hard on his acting pursuits. As a close friend to Saint Laurent, he is a Paris Fashion Week regular, recently attending the French luxury label’s Spring/Summer 2024 show. Just last week, Tuan was in Singapore to celebrate the reopening of YSL Beauty’s boutique at ION Orchard. We caught up with the multihyphenate while he was in town to talk about life on tour, overcoming challenges and even an exciting new project he has lined up that’s unlike any fans have seen before. One thing’s for sure, this man is already on his next adventure. 

How has life been for Mark Tuan in 2023? Are there any recent highlights that come to mind?

It’s been great and eventful! I started off the year with a countdown in Thailand and toured there a couple of months back too. I had some breaks in between the months and filmed some content to be released in the future — that’s a project in the works, and I’m excited for that to be released! It’s been a while since I’ve been back in Singapore, about four years now, so this is definitely one of the highlights.

Congratulations on your new single, 'Your World'! Could you tell us the inspiration behind that song?

After the tour in Thailand, I went back home to LA and got into the studio with the writers. We were working on stuff and I thought it would be great if we could release more songs, especially upbeat songs that I could perform during the tour. This EP’s theme revolves around love and ‘Your World’ is a fun and upbeat song. I’m going to perform it for the first time in a couple of days and I’m excited for everyone to see it.

Besides music, are there other avenues you’d like to explore?

There’s acting, of course, but that’s something I would like to take on when the time is right. There’s also something else that’s currently in the works for me, and I can’t say much at this point until it’s released but stay tuned! It’ll be a surprise to everyone, I think!

In a previous interview, when asked where you see yourself at 30, you answered that you “hope that you would be doing a tour”. Fast forward to today and at 30, you are in the middle of the Asian leg on your ‘the other side’ world tour after completing the North American leg in 2022. How does it feel to achieve that goal and how was the journey getting there?

It’s so surreal. When I returned to LA, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue doing music so to be touring by myself within two years feels unreal. A lot has happened in these two years, but this is also quite the beginning. There’s been some growing pains in this journey, for myself and my team, but I feel like it’s something we needed to go through for us to grow. It also makes reaching this point all that much sweeter, because we know how much work goes into making this a reality. I’m just really thankful to all the fans for staying by my side all this time, as I try to find myself and the kind of music I want to do and pursue.

You recently got a friendship tattoo with Bam Bam. Do you have other meaningful tattoos you can share with us?

The friendship tattoo is for our group GOT7, so that’s definitely meaningful. I also got a tattoo of ‘the other side’ to commemorate my first ever solo album.

You’re now a fashion week veteran, having attended shows these past few years. What is your most memorable fashion week experience and why?

My first one, for sure. Experiencing everything for the first time, the excitement coupled with the nerves... Every moment is memorable.

What is your current fashion obsession?

Vintage!

You are constantly trying to connect with your fans in deeper, more meaningful ways. From vlogs to even engaging cutting edge AI to find new ways to connect. How important is connection to Mark Tuan?

I think having a connection is crucial to any relationship, and it helps people to understand each other better. It’s the foundation to a long-lasting relationship, and I think it’s important that the fans and I stay connected to one another.

What’s next for Mark Tuan?

More music, touring more, and that other project I mentioned earlier! Keep your eyes peeled for it!