BigHit Music's new boy group CORTIS, introduced after six years, is rewriting the textbook for "major rookies" as they swept domestic and international charts immediately upon debut.
CORTIS debuted last month with the lead single "What You Want." Launched by BigHit Music as its third team after 2013 BTS and 2019 TOMORROW X TOGETHER, the group, which had drawn attention even before debut, began by proclaiming itself a "young creator crew" that jointly creates music, choreography and videos, captivating K-pop fans from the start with its novelty.
CORTIS's first album, COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES, sold more than 430,000 copies in its first week, ranking No. 1 among rookie debuts this year and No. 4 for first-week sales among debut albums in K-pop history. It is unusual because the team achieved these results without members coming from audition shows or having prior activity experience.
In particular, CORTIS broke into music charts that are a high barrier for rookie boy groups. "GO!" entered Melon's Top 100 chart, the only result among boy groups that debuted this year. It then reached No. 1 on Apple Music Korea's "Today's Top 100," and the title track "What You Want" and follow-up "FaSHioN" both secured spots in the top 10.
The fact that the entire album, not just a specific song, enjoyed balanced popularity demonstrates CORTIS's musical persuasive power. That suggests they can broaden their mainstream base beyond mere debut buzz.
Also, the achievement of reaching No. 15 on the U.S. Billboard "World Albums" and No. 9 on "World Digital Song Sales" right after debut proved CORTIS resonates in the global market. In addition, they surpassed 4.75 million monthly listeners on Spotify, growing more than tenfold compared with the release day and showing quantitative expansion of their overseas fandom.
Moreover, the intro track "GO!" and the title track "What You Want" consecutively topped Spotify's "Daily Viral Songs Global," and "GO!" climbed as high as No. 2 on U.S. charts, leaving a strong impression on local listeners.
In addition, within about a month of debut CORTIS secured 2.8 million TikTok followers and 2.5 million Instagram followers, showing strength on short-form platforms, and they received praise for stable live performances and highly polished stages on music shows. Riding that popularity, they were invited back to music shows and performed "GO!" on SBS's Inkigayo, which aired on the 21st.
CORTIS targeted Gen Z sensibilities with the message "imperfection is also brilliant," and presented K-pop's diversity with experimental genres and original stages. It is the birth of the "new hit" BigHit had hoped for.
CORTIS already meets the five success conditions of records, songs, global reach, short-form and stage. As CORTIS established itself as a "new hit" upon debut, expectations are growing for how far they will soar.
[Photo] BigHit Music
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