CORTIS is off to a flying start. On Sept. 23 (local time), Billboard announced that the rookie K-pop group’s first EP, "COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES", opens at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 dated Sept. 27 ― the second-highest debut-album bow ever for a K-pop group, and the best among non-project acts composed of members from different teams.
Among acts who debuted this year, CORTIS is the only K-pop artist to enter the Billboard 200. Zooming out to all K-pop boy groups that have debuted over the past four years, "COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES" is the first to crack the chart’s top 20. The EP also storms multiple album charts: No. 3 on Top Album Sales, No. 3 on Top Current Album Sales and No. 2 on World Albums.
The songs are catching fire, too. Intro track "GO!" arrives at No. 180 on the Global 200, while "GO!" (No. 136) and FaSHioN (No. 198) enter Global Excl. U.S. Compiled from streaming and digital sales across more than 200 territories, these two global tallies track worldwide momentum (unlike the Hot 100, which also factors in U.S. radio airplay). Riding that surge, CORTIS lands at No. 24 on the Artist 100.
Framing themselves as a “young creator crew,” the five members co-develop their music, choreography and visuals. The all-hands approach is paying off stateside: According to BigHit Music, the U.S. is the top streaming market for the new release on Spotify. In short, the team hit the Jackpot in the birthplace of pop.
Major outlets are taking notice. Rolling Stone and global culture magazine tmrw both praised CORTIS as a boundary-defying new kind of K-pop act, trading the genre’s usual polish for raw energy and grit. tmrw further highlighted how the members weigh in on everything ― from lyrics and choreography to the LP’s color palette ― and argued that this relentless involvement is what makes the record feel so alive.
The self-co-directed music videos are pulling heavy traffic, with "GO!", "What You Want" and "FaSHioN" all hitting YouTube’s Trending list in the U.S. A wave of creators at home and abroad have been unpacking the symbolism and shot choices, spotlighting the teens’ fresh, DIY sensibility.
Onstage, airtight live vocals meet self-made choreography ― and the performances are spreading fast. A dance challenge has taken off across social platforms, while "GO!" surged to No. 2 on Spotify’s Daily Viral Songs (U.S.) chart.
Under HYBE (chaired by Bang Si-Hyuk), label BigHit Music introduced CORTIS as its first new group in six years, following BTS and TOMORROW X TOGETHER. With "COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES", the rookies have already left a meaningful footprint on Billboard ― and they’re only a month in.
Photo: Baik Seung-chul
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)