"this year's best rookie" CORTIS made a splash on the U.S. Billboard main chart with their debut album.
According to the latest chart (Sept. 27) released by U.S. music trade publication Billboard on the 23rd (local time), CORTIS (Martin, James, Juhun, Sunghyun, Geonho)'s first EP "COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES" placed 15th on the Billboard 200. This is the second-highest ranking among debut albums by K-pop groups in history. Excluding project-style teams made up of popular members from different groups, it is the highest achievement.
Narrowing the scope to rookies who debuted this year, CORTIS is the only K-pop artist to enter the Billboard 200. Even when looking at all K-pop boy groups that debuted in the past four years, "COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES" is the first album to break into the top 20 of the Billboard 200. In addition, CORTIS swept the top ranks of major album charts, including Top Album Sales (3rd), Top Current Album Sales (3rd) and World Albums (2nd).
The popularity of their songs, not just the album, is also notable. The intro track "GO!" entered Billboard's Global 200 at No. 180. On the Global (excluding U.S.) chart, "GO!" (No. 136) and "FaSHioN" (No. 198) were listed. These two song charts rank based on online streaming and digital sales (downloads) compiled from more than 200 countries/regions worldwide. Unlike the Hot 100, which includes radio airplay scores, these charts were created by U.S. Billboard to quickly reflect trends in the global popular music market, and are considered one of the indicators of an artist's global influence. Riding on this strong performance, CORTIS ranked 24th on Billboard's Artist 100.
CORTIS struck what you might call a big success in the United States, the center of the global music market, with work that reflects their identity as a young creator crew who co-create music, choreography and visuals. According to BigHit Music, the region that streamed CORTIS's new release the most on the world's largest streaming platform Spotify was the United States. The music the five members made together captured listeners in the "home of pop."
Major foreign outlets cited "freshness" as the reason for their success. U.S. music magazine Rolling Stone and global music and culture outlet tmrw magazine described CORTIS as "a new form of K-pop group that is not bound by a mold" and said they favored raw energy and rough sensibility over K-pop's typical polished perfection. In particular, tmrw magazine praised, "The five members discussed and made everything from the lyrics and choreography to the LP's color. It is that obsessiveness that breathes life into the album."
The music videos, which the five members co-directed, also drew the interest of global music fans. "GO!", "What You Want" and "FaSHioN" appeared on YouTube's trending videos in the United States. Numerous domestic and international YouTubers analyzed the meaning contained in the videos and direction, showing great interest in the fresh ideas of teenagers.
Eye-catching performances fueled CORTIS's rise in popularity. Solid live skills and choreography they created themselves fit together like a well-tailored outfit. Their various stages, including music shows, spread by word of mouth. A dance challenge of fans imitating their moves spread on social media, and "GO!" reached No. 2 on Spotify's Daily Viral Songs — U.S., creating a big response.
CORTIS is the team that BigHit Music, a label of HYBE (chairman Bang Si-hyuk) music group, introduced six years after BTS and TOMORROW X TOGETHER. Their first step, "COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES," has left a meaningful mark on the Billboard charts. Having been out in the world for only a month, attention is on the records they will write going forward.
[Photo] BigHit Music
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