Mark Lee turned a simple day at a kids cafe into an unexpected source of musical inspiration, saying the experience made him want to create songs that children and adults could enjoy together.
On October 9, a new episode of *Mark Lee & Kids-POP* was released through Upper Room’s official YouTube channel.
Mark visited a kids cafe in Gimpo, where he spent time with a young brother and sister. After initially looking amused by how naturally the children continued playing around him, Mark quickly joined in.
He even took off his socks, rode toy cars with them, and volunteered to play the role of a monster as they ran around the cafe.
After playing together, Mark asked the children about their thoughts and interests. When asked what they thought was the coolest thing in the world, they chose “Earth” and “the ocean,” giving Mark answers that surprised him.
The group later moved to a coin karaoke room, where the children asked Mark to sing his song *Too Much*. Mark performed it, but laughed when the children quickly appeared to lose interest once the English lyrics began.
Their own song choices, however, caught his attention.
The siblings selected YB’s *A Flying Butterfly*, Hans Band’s *Arcade*, and the late Kim Kwang Seok’s *The Place Where the Wind Blows* — songs from different generations that remain familiar to many listeners.
Seeing the children comfortably sing along to older music gave Mark a new idea.
He said, *“I want to make songs like this too.”*
Mark then told the children, *“If I make a song like this, you have to sing along to it.”*
He added, *“Thank you for showing me so many good songs. I’ll come back after making music. From now on, I’m going to make kids pop.”*
By the end of the day, Mark described the experience as an unexpected source of creative energy.
He said, *“Today was almost an ‘inspiration day.’ The kids listen to more mature music than I expected. I also thought it could be fun to write lyrics more directly from a child’s point of view. I think a lot of different things could come from that.”*
Mark also reflected on why songs such as *A Flying Butterfly* continue to connect with listeners of different ages.
He explained, *“I realized that ‘A Flying Butterfly’ is a song everyone, regardless of age or gender, can sing along to. I think if a child can sing a song, adults can probably sing it too.”*
He added, *“I thought it would be great if I could keep making songs like that.”*
What started as a playful visit to a kids cafe ultimately gave Mark a new musical goal: creating “kids pop” that could appeal not only to children, but to listeners across generations.
