It’s been reported that NCT’s Mark is gearing up for a solo album release in early 2025, which has to be the earliest comeback announcement (rumor) in K-pop history. Before that, he’s dropped digital single 200. It follows the experimental bent of previous track Golden Hour and embraces a new sonic palette.
No one in K-pop seems free from the drum and bass trend sweeping through the industry, but different artists employ it in different ways. 200 ties this shuffling percussion to an alt-rock track driven more by singing than rap. This is somewhat surprising for Mark, and it’s fun to hear him play with his voice in different ways. His performance runs the gamut, less concerned with technical perfection as it is with sheer emotion. He works well in this setting — much more than I would have expected.
Similar to its performance style, 200‘s melodies have a cast off, stream-of-consciousness approach. They cycle around a few central hooks and this repetitiveness begins to wear thin by the song’s end. Because of this, I don’t see myself seeking out 200 often. The song succeeds at what it sets out to do and the 90’s kid in me appreciates its gritty, guitar-led production, but I’d love to see Mark build upon this sound with even stronger material in the future.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Hmm, it was underwhelming for me and a major part of it is due to the vocals. I don’t understand what was happening there but it sounded so strained to me. It did not allow me to properly enjoy the song.
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I’ve been thinking about how Mark recently mentioned he enjoys singing more than rapping or even dancing during his Eric Nam interview.
I don’t know if I’ll come back to this often but I sure appreciate it. As everything Mark does it feels very sincere and unique to him even if it’s not the most original sound ever.
It’s crazy that this is the first solo song by Mark is his long-running carreer not to be labeled under “NCT LAB” or anything else.
I’ll always root for this guy. He is such a genuine, hardworking, and well-rounded artist. He is probably one of the most influential idols in Kpop ever, which is impressive at just 24 years old.
Why did my comment become a hype post for Mark Lee? Lol that’s just what he does!
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I feel like they tried for that 2000’s pop alt vibe and just failed miserably. There wasn’t any of the magic that made those songs great, like a catchy hook, hella emotive singing, and sad af lyrics paired with an upbeat sound.
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The only element lifting the song is the skittering drums, which sound like they are layered over the top like a decoration glue gunned to an otherwise basic display.
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