One order of Mark Lee’s fried eggs with Gordon Ramsay on the side please
The old saying goes, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” It seems like Mark Lee, a K-pop idol from NCT, certainly agrees. But instead of lemons, life has been handing him…eggs. On April 7, Mark released his second single as a solo artist, Golden Hour. From the song’s cover art, all the way to the lyrics, eggs play a vital role.
It probably looks like a thoughtless detail to those not up to date with all of NCT’s shenanigans—Golden Hour radiates IYKYK energy. The song captures Mark’s creativity, distinct style and way of thinking so well that it would be a shame to see it simply as a nonsensical song about food, because that’s not what it’s really about.
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Traveling back to 2018 for a bit, Mark was part of the reality show called It’s Dangerous Beyond The Blankets (sometimes called It’s Dangerous Outside), where he stayed in a vacation home in Vietnam with singer Kang Daniel and actor Lee Yi-Kyung. One day, Mark decided to cook sunny-side-up eggs, but the result made them look more scrambled. It was also around the same time when globally renowned chef Gordon Ramsay actively used his Twitter to comment on other people’s cooking. An NCTzen, sneaky as they are, decided to use a photo of the fried eggs made by Mark, telling Gordon that her boyfriend made them. Gordon’s response was nothing short of straightforward, as expected from the chef who’s currently associated with 17 Michelin Stars.
Get back on Tinder ! https://t.co/G9ijIUXrYD
— Gordon Ramsay (@GordonRamsay) June 4, 2018
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Since then, Mark and eggs have been inseparable. Some remarkable moments include his performance session Sunny Side Up with NCT 127’s Johnny, and a challenge that includes cooking 23 fried eggs on NCT World 2.0—all of which are stepping stones toward this song.
Golden Hour is Mark’s way of recognizing his contributions to his country and the industry. He sings, “I don’t know how to make eggs, but that I do not stress, know I won’t ever go hungry.” He’s making enough to keep himself full each day (and he says he’s full of himself anyway). In fact, he’s making enough that he “gives governments allowance.”
So what does Gordon Ramsay have to do with it? Before the song’s outro, Mark says, “We live in a world that constantly tries to take you away from you,” acknowledging that we have different strengths and specialties. He’s “callin’ Gordon out,” and it seems like Gordon’s waiting by the phone!
@gordonramsayofficial #stitch with @official_nct I’m still waiting for my call….hope the #eggs ♬ Golden Hour – MARK
Mark surely made the most out of all the eggs life has thrown at him, and he didn’t forget to extend his gratitude to the NCTzen that started it all.
MARK GIVING A SHOUTOUT TO THE OP WHO SENT THIS TWEET TO GORDON RAMSAY 😭 https://t.co/khn55ksxa6 pic.twitter.com/hUCbUVyhOB
— ◡̈ 🍳 (@LMKLOOK) April 5, 2023
A handful of years and an abundant number of memories have brought us to Mark’s Golden Hour, and we couldn’t be prouder.
Words Kyla Villena
Art Macky Arquilla
