When rookie boy group CORTIS first entered the K-pop scene in August with styling reminiscent of early 2000s teen magazines, the pressure to make their mark seemed overwhelming. Following in the footsteps of industry giants like BTS and TOMORROW X TOGETHER under the same label, the five-member group faced high expectations as BigHit Music's first new group in six years.
However, the teenage members - Martin, James, Juhoon, Seonghyeon, and Keonho - have proven they possess the confidence and youthful charisma necessary to meet the challenge head-on. Through their nostalgic fashion choices and high-energy choreography, CORTIS made a significant impact with their debut EP "Color Outside The Lines," released on September 8th - an impressive achievement for a group with only five songs in their catalog.
The group has quickly positioned themselves as strong contenders for Rookie of the Year awards. Within just one month of their debut, the young performers broke multiple industry records by debuting at No. 15 on the global Billboard 200 chart, marking the highest position among their contemporary rookie groups. Their three official music videos have accumulated an impressive 48 million views, while their monthly listeners on Spotify have surpassed 7.5 million - numbers that even established K-pop veterans find challenging to achieve and most rookie groups wouldn't dare to dream of reaching.
Beyond their musical abilities, CORTIS demonstrates a clear vision of their goals and ambitions. Throughout all five tracks of their debut EP, they boldly declare their desires with the unfiltered line: "I want the whole world to know my name." This ambitious mindset permeates every aspect of their musical presentation, showcasing the fearless attitude that defines their teenage perspective.
The group's debut single "What You Want" serves as a rock-influenced anthem that screams their ambitions from the rooftops. Over driving guitar riffs and a pounding bass line, the members sing-shout with unwavering conviction: "Money, style, fame, love and what? / Ooh, take what you want / Enough's not enough to fill me up / Scarf it down, yuh, like a hippo." They embrace the excitement of early fame with the fearlessness that only teenagers possess. The album concludes with an English version of the same track, featuring rising rapper and producer Teezo Touchdown contributing a guest verse.
This same explosive energy carries over into "GO!," a track built on shimmery trap synths that became wildly viral across social media platforms. The song spawned thousands of TikTok dance challenges, achieving a level of cultural penetration that solidifies their position on this year's top music lists. From the opening moments, it's clear the boys are eager to conquer the industry, balancing on the edge as they transmit raw energy through every verse: "Bring the new beat / Bring the new hit / Bring the new sheet / I'm on the new sh."
The frenetic track "FaSHioN" showcases the teens wielding rapid-fire rap verses about thrifting adventures in Seoul's Dongmyo flea market and discovering vintage treasures in Hongdae. This undeniably catchy EDM-influenced track serves as both a celebration of Seoul's fashion culture and a playful showcase of the band's personal style preferences, complete with sagging pants and streetwear aesthetics.
"JoyRide" takes listeners on a more contemplative journey along the California coast, featuring introspective lyrics set against a breezy bass line and mellow acoustic guitar arrangements. The stream-of-consciousness writing style paints a vivid picture of reckless adolescence, as the members discuss "hopping over walls and flipping like fried eggs, pancakes." This track reveals a more reflective side of the group while maintaining their youthful spontaneity.
The EP's penultimate track, "Lullaby," presents a sparse and plucky arrangement that serves as an unfiltered meditation on sleepless nights spent creating their first record. The insomnia-inspired lyrics offer words to live by: "I got work, you got work, but in this moment, quiet first." This intimate track provides insight into the creative process behind their debut effort.
Remarkably, all five members of CORTIS participated directly in the creation of their debut EP - a rarity in the K-pop industry but unsurprising to those who followed the group before their official debut. At just 17 years old, leader Martin has already produced several chart-topping hits and contributed to labelmate TXT's "Deja Vu" and ILLIT's "Magnetic," two of K-pop's standout releases from the previous year. Meanwhile, James, a former member of the now-disbanded project group Trainee A, also handled choreography responsibilities for the group.
While CORTIS embraces an MTV-era independent spirit by choosing unconventional paths with their unfiltered musical approach, they still benefit from the professional polish of K-pop's largest label, HYBE, and collaborations with renowned producers including Juicy J and Teezo Touchdown. Although the EP draws inspiration from hip-hop heavyweights such as Travis Scott, Playboi Carti, and A$AP Rocky, and makes extensive use of vocal processing technology, it remains authentic to the type of music any 17-year-old would want to listen to or create.
Certain records clearly demonstrate when artists genuinely enjoyed themselves in the studio, building excitement as they glide over every musical phrase and creating a sound that perfectly captures their youth. CORTIS obviously had tremendous fun during this recording process, successfully transferring that same joy and energy to their listeners through every track.
The true brilliance of the EP lies in the sharp, irreverent wit displayed throughout the boys' candid lyrics. In "FaSHioN," Martin playfully calls out band member Keonho for questioning his outfit choices, while Keonho responds by name-dropping their billionaire producer, CEO "Hitman" Bang Si-hyuk in "GO!": "I'm in hit mode / Wanna make a hit like a Hitman, so I reload." In the English version of "What You Want," James boldly declares: "Well, I want to ball like it's LeBron game."
These carefree and spontaneous lyrics emerge directly from the Gen Z cultural zeitgeist - young, wild, free, and filled with wholesome ambition. There are no traces of the world's darker realities or cruelties, just pure, unfiltered teenage spirit that leaves listeners eagerly anticipating what this promising group will deliver next.
