The group CORTIS has officially made its debut announcement.
On the afternoon of 18th, a debut showcase for Big Hit Music's new boy group CORTIS took place at the Bluesquare SOL Travel Hall in Yongsan, Seoul.
CORTIS (Martin, James, Juhun, Seonghyun, Gunho) is the new boy group introduced by Big Hit Music, known as the 'house of boy groups,' which has produced BTS and TOMORROW X TOGETHER, after six years, attracting the attention of fans worldwide since TOMORROW X TOGETHER was launched in 2019.
The group name 'CORTIS' was created by taking six letters irregularly from 'COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES,' meaning 'to think freely outside the standards and rules set by the world.' The members plan to leave another footprint in the music industry with fresh charm and a distinctive sense, just like their team name.
'Young creator crew' is a unique identity that ignites expectations for CORTIS. All members participate in the production of major content such as music, choreography, and videos. In particular, all members' names appear in the credits of the debut album 'COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES.' Additionally, they contributed to the overall choreography creation for the track 'GO!' and were credited as co-directors in the official music video.
Regarding CORTIS's debut track 'What You Want,' Seonghyun noted, 'It is a song that contains the will to confidently obtain what we want. This was a song created after much deliberation until the very end of the song camp,' while James mentioned, 'All five of us participated in the music, performance, and music video. Please be sure to pay attention to the closing video.'
CORTIS revealed that they listened to over 300 candidate songs over two years before their debut track was released, stating, 'In a way, the debut song is the track that introduces us to the world for the first time and it will be our face. We all remember being happy when this song was completed.' After Martin explained CORTIS's work method, Gunho added, 'We really enjoyed working this way. Martin and Seonghyun sang the demo, and the producers praised it, saying, 'This is complete from the demo.'
On that day, the members unveiled their debut track 'What You Want' stage featuring treadmills alongside the music video. The stage showcased 11 treadmills, while the music video featured 35 treadmills.
The members spoke about performing choreography on 11 and 35 treadmills. James said, 'Honestly, I was on the treadmill every day because of the choreography. I got motion sickness and took medicine while coming up with the choreography. The members quickly got used to it and are enjoying it.' Gunho remarked, 'We started with 5 treadmills, but now we're at 11. We wanted to make the performance film look cool, so we set up 35 treadmills in the American desert and danced.' Seonghyun added, 'After the shoot, my mouth was full of sand. Dancing in the desert while sweating made me feel truly free.'
The music video is also packed with the members' ideas. Martin stated, 'All five tracks in our album contain a lot of our ideas. We put in a lot of effort from the hot desert to the cold snowy mountains.' James mentioned, 'During our trainee days, we planned and filmed together. The company said it would be great to revive that on a larger scale in New Zealand, so I was very happy.'
Juhun recalled, 'We had several directing meetings with the director, and each time we worked hard for about two hours.' Martin explained about collaborative creation, saying, 'I thought, why don't I have videos I filmed myself among the many songs I made? I've been trying these kinds of things, and I've continued to do so ever since.'
Additionally, Seonghyun emphasized, 'If I were to describe CORTIS's work style in one sentence, it seems like 'putting our heads together.' At first, we worked separately, but the songs didn't come out well. So we started working together as a group, which led to satisfying results, and that's when I became convinced of team collaborative creation.'
The members have taken their first steps as a genuine 'young creative crew' by participating in songwriting, composition, choreography, and even producing and planning music videos. Martin said, 'We call ourselves 'Young Kkak.' Growing up watching many hip-hop crews and rock bands, we developed a culture of shooting videos and creating beats together. We got used to creating and making a lot within that framework, and it seems like this has continued to this day.'
Regarding their goals after CORTIS's debut, Juhun expressed, 'Since this is our first album, our big goal is to let the public know the music we make and who we are.' He added, 'Looking far into the future, I'd like to become a group that has a distinct color and knows what it feels like to be told, 'it feels like CORTIS,' just like our seniors.'
Before their debut, Martin and James participated in songwriting for HYBE artists like TOMORROW X TOGETHER, ILLIT, and ENHYPEN. There must be a significant difference between participating in creating songs for seniors and singing one's own songs. James remarked, 'I was very lucky to be involved in senior artists' songwriting. I tried my best to be of any help, and looking back, it feels like a beneficial time. While singing our songs, I wanted to express it in the most genuine way. I was contemplating showing a raw side of ourselves in the debut song, as well as an honest one.'
Martin also stated, 'To be honest, when I participated in the seniors' songs, I thought it was a great opportunity, and I felt like I shouldn't miss it at all. Looking back, I learned a lot during that time, and I want to thank the producers who gave us that opportunity. I tried to infuse honesty, and I think I'm trying to show a slightly rougher side of ourselves.'
This summer, a number of prominent senior artists have joined the comeback lineup. When asked what unique strength CORTIS possesses, Seonghyun replied, 'I would say it's our collaborative creation. We participate in the creation of the album's color as well, in addition to music, videos, and choreography.' Juhun added, 'In a way, all five tracks are included in the album, and I think the fact that they all have videos is a strength as well. We have many innovative ideas prepared, like the treadmill choreography. I would really appreciate it if you could primarily focus on those aspects. I believe the essence of our team lies in our honesty. I want to express our emotions candidly, not only in the lyrics of the debut song but in all of our work.'
Even though it's collaborative creation, each member has different strengths. To begin, James said, 'I am the oldest. I work hard on the choreography, and I often watch movies to learn about editing. I think I come up with many innovative ideas. Personally, I see myself as an idea bank.' Seonghyun commented, 'In fact, there are no assigned positions in our team, but if I were to mention my strength, I believe I am the member with the most distinct style in music, dance, and fashion.'
Continuing, Gunho shared, 'I often watch a lot of films, so I contribute many ideas when working on videos or music videos. For the title song, I also tried to handle the camera movements while taking the lead in producing the music video.' Juhun added, 'I don't want to brag, but I think I am the brain. Sometimes, when we work together, there are disagreements. At those times, I try to mediate and lead us in a good direction.'
Moreover, Martin mentioned, 'As the leader, I gather the members and play a role in creating a good culture. My charm lies in my high volume of work; I produce a lot of beats and create a great deal of music. I aim to continue showing great music in the future.'
Additionally, Gunho expressed that if he were to describe 'CORTIS' in one word, it would be 'bibimbap,' saying, 'Just like bibimbap, I believe that when we work on songs or music videos, we harmonize diverse ingredients of various colors to create good results. So I consider our team to be like bibimbap.'
When asked if they feel any pressure having prominent seniors like BTS and TOMORROW X TOGETHER as direct seniors, leader Martin replied, 'We have such remarkable seniors, which makes us practice with a greater sense of responsibility. We will show good results.'
Juhun admitted, 'It would be a lie to say there's no pressure. However, I am grateful to debut under Big Hit, and it is rare for a rookie like us to be given overall authority in the album production. I appreciate that and will make sure CORTIS works even harder.'
In response to the question of any advice received from seniors, Seonghyun said, 'Fortunately, we had the chance to see seniors from HYBE, including BTS and TOMORROW X TOGETHER. I'm really thankful that BTS seniors cheered for us and wished us well. We had the opportunity to show our performance to TOMORROW X TOGETHER seniors, who provided us with very realistic feedback, which was incredibly helpful.'
When asked what specific advice they had received, Seonghyun replied, 'They gave us detailed feedback, such as varying our expressions and making different presentations with our performances.' Additionally, Martin recalled, 'I met BTS seniors at J-Hope's concert, and among the advice they shared, one piece was, 'Always appreciate what you enjoy and don't take it for granted.' I think I'm very thankful for that advice.'
Finally, the members expressed that they would like to be associated with the term 'sensational.' They said, 'I think personally that this word sounds cool, and we will work hard to earn that descriptor.' Martin added, 'I hope to resonate with the pursuit of a new era, wanting to think and act freely, just like others.'
[Photo] Park Jun-hyung, reporter.
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