Mark Lee faces mixed reactions after his first solo performance post-NCT departure.

The singer recently performed his new solo track, “Ready or Not,” at the World Environment Day event in Azerbaijan. This marks his first solo stage since leaving NCT and launching his own label, Upper Room.

Before the performance, Mark shared the story behind the song. He revealed that he wrote it while reflecting on his future during a vacation in Kenya.

“i visited kenya this year and at that time, i was going through a very important time of my life. i had to make a very important decision for my career & for my life. so i had a lot of people tell me, a lot of advice, asking me questions that i really didn’t know the answer to”

Mark performed “Ready or Not” playing the guitar, delivering heartfelt lyrics about his personal struggles.

mark lee’s first performance of his new song “ready or not”
MARK LEE BACK AGAIN

MarkLeexWorldEnvironmentDay @UNEP @upperroomlabel

The performance quickly sparked debate online. Some viewers criticized his singing, especially when the pitch rose.

• “As soon as the pitch goes up a little, his singing becomes really bad.”
• “It’s fine, though.”
• “Mark is cool. It may not be flashy, but he makes music that moves people’s hearts.”
• “I like Mark, but honestly, he really isn’t singing well in this video… He’s definitely better at dancing or rapping.”

Fans, however, expressed joy that Mark could finally showcase his vocals and artistry on his own terms.

“i’m so sad sm never let him shine with his vocals and i’m so happy he can finally show even more of what he’s got”

Others praised the emotional power of his voice and the acoustic guitar backing.

“his voice here is so powerful and chilling to the bone, i can hear every lyric coming straight from his chest, genuinely from his heart and then followed by the beautiful acoustic guitar too? mark’s outros are truly something else…”

Some highlighted the raw emotion in the song’s intro.

“Okay but ‘Ready or Not’ intro…
‘Mama, am I making you cry?
I’m outside on the bench all alone
And I can’t call you right now
Cause I left my phone at home’
Mark was really going through so much ”

Still, a few viewers suggested Mark should focus on rapping rather than singing.

“Yeah I think he should stick to rapping Chile”

As Mark Lee embarks on his solo career under Upper Room, fans remain divided but eager to see how he grows as an artist.