EXCLUSIVE | GOT7's Mark Tuan and Sanjoy Deb say 'One in a Million' collab is a 'personal love letter' to fans
For Mark Tuan fans around the world, the beginning of this year was different from others. With a fresh start on the horizon, fans were eager to know what the GOT7 singer is planning next. Thankfully for Ahgases, the wait wasn’t long as Mark dropped one surprise after another for fans and the singer’s stellar dedication to make this new phase of life significant was met with love and support from fans.
Even before Mark Tuan announced the drop of his new single ‘One in a Million’, a collaboration with Bangladeshi-American music maker Sanjoy Deb, his new YouTube channel got a million subscribers without any video, a feat only Mark could pull. But what went into the process of making ‘One in a Million’?
We asked what fans wanted to know from Mark and Sanjoy in an exclusive interview. Here is the full interview where the two artistes give a sneak peek into the making of ‘One in a Million’, how the transition from South Korea to LA went and Mark’s love letter to Ahgases through ‘One in a Million’.
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Mark, you crossed 1 Million subscribers without a video on YouTube. The song title ‘One in a Million’, is it a tribute to that?
Mark: One in a Million was written and made for fans and listeners, and for people to come together through music. Every one of my fans are one in a million to me. It was also cool that I hit 1 Million subscribers on Youtube before the release of the song too.
How did you meet Sanjoy and come up with this new track idea?
Mark: Sanjoy and I were both brought up in California, and my family played a huge role in getting us together in the studio to record it in Los Angeles. With the pandemic, it felt like a 'One in a Million' chance that we would actually be able to — but it happened!
With a new beginning, can you tell us anything about your new project?
Mark: It was fun to work on and release 'One in a Million'. Really grateful for the fans' support. Definitely looking forward to releasing more content and music soon. Stay tuned!
You spent almost a decade in South Korea, a very significant time of your career. Now after being back in LA, what do you miss the most?
Mark: I have been in Korea for over 10 years now and now that I’m back in LA I am sure that I will miss a lot of things about Korea. Can’t wait to visit again and meet those boys!
What message do you want to convey to your fans through solo music?
Mark: There are so many things that I want to say in my songs. But fans will just have to wait and see! Everything is top secret right now!
Is there any message for GOT7 fans?
Mark: I know that a lot of people have been on a roller coaster of emotions right now. Just know that GOT7 will always be here for you guys! Please continue to show the support you guys have been showing all the members. We will not let you guys down. I want all the IGOT7s to know that we all love you guys and miss you guys.
Sanjoy, you have already worked with GOT7's Youngjae. But how did he get into K-pop?
Sanjoy: I grew up in San Jose, CA — a very diverse multi-cultural city. I always gravitated towards people of different cultures and their music. Similarly, when the opportunity to work with Youngjae came around, I wanted to learn about him and the culture. We actually hung out and had food and laughed together before making music. So that when we got to working together, it would come naturally.
Talk to us through the journey of making this song with Mark Tuan. Who came up with the idea?
Sanjoy: I first came up with the bassline and the vocal chop (recorded on a voice memo on my iPhone) Sent it to Kunal. Together we came up with the concept of 'One in a Million' and Trey Schafer penned the lyrics over FaceTime. Everything happened remotely during the quarantine. Then I texted the song and the lyrics to Mark who really liked it. It was pretty much in a “demo” phase and had a rough production.
Once we got in the studio and recorded Mark's monstrous performance, it was game time to make the production around him. That’s why you don’t hear that many sounds in the song. The vocal chop is super dark so it makes his vocals seem forward. The backing instruments are super wide to keep Mark in the center.
You have also worked for Bollywood music. Do you like experimenting with a number of genres? How different is it?
Sanjoy: Very different, in Bollywood films the script dictates the music and there are teams of people working on different styles of music that fit the script and ultimately the director and the movie producer have the final say in what songs make it. It’s a whole process. 'One in a Million' is our story, our production, our lyrics and all of our ideas. So it definitely is more of a personal journey to create records as such.
The response to ‘One in a Million’ has been amazing. The pre-save link shared from Mark’s profile crashed due to everyone saving it at the same time. Did you expect that reaction?
Sanjoy: I knew the fans would be excited for the collab but not to this level. I think people really like the song, which motivates us to make even better projects in the future.
Will we see more collaborations from you and Mark in the future?
Sanjoy: Most certainly. He is one of the most versatile artistes and there are more sounds and styles of music to explore.
Is there any K-pop artiste that you would love to work with?
Sanjoy: Doesn’t matter K-pop or any pop. I’m open to working with artistes from any genre if they are dope and talented.
‘One in a Million’ has received an amazing response from the fans. As social media strategist Shriya Swami shared, “Mark’s music sounds so fresh yet so classic at the same time. The first 10 seconds of the song were enough to hook me in, takes me to a totally different zone, to the point I just want to close my eyes and feel the music. It being in English is cherry on top since the international fans can enjoy the lyrics a lot more.”
With Mark Tuan’s grand new beginning, Ahgases want the musicians to get every bit of recognition and love that they work so hard for. Stream ‘One in a Million’ below: