CORTIS, LNGSHOT, idntt’s Sub-units: New K-pop Groups Reject Traditional Norms to Drive Genre Innovation Through Creative, Experimental Music

New K-pop boy groups are reshaping the genre by rejecting long-standing industry conventions and embracing a new approach centered on member-driven creativity, experimental music, and authenticity.

CORTIS from BigHit Music and LNGSHOT from The Black Label stand out as the most notable examples among recent K-pop debutants. CORTIS made its Debut in September with its first album “COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES,” while LNGSHOT began its musical activities in January this year with “SHOT CALLERS.” Both groups explicitly reject elements that have been considered standard in traditional K-pop.

CORTIS avoids typical K-pop practices such as tightly synchronized dances, elaborate fictional settings for group narratives, or the creation of uniform visual concepts. Instead, it adopts a “young creator crew” structure where all members actively participate in music composition, choreography development, and visual content creation. The group prioritizes experimentation over perfection.

LNGSHOT follows a similar path. In its debut album that blends hip-hop, R&B, and pop, members are involved not only in music production but also in live performances and shaping their own ideas. As a result, their performances are built on individual personalities and member chemistry rather than precise synchronization.

This shift is evident not only in album production but also in social media activities. Rather than presenting carefully planned dance challenges or meticulously curated visuals, CORTIS and LNGSHOT emphasize authenticity by highlighting spontaneous moments and unscripted interactions.

The neologism “CORTIS-core,” derived from the group’s music and image, is spreading rapidly among younger generations. It refers to something “new, relaxed, and free,” indicating that CORTIS has begun to establish its own distinct identity. In fact, the group’s debut album achieved results that surpassed expectations on domestic and international music charts.

The trajectories of CORTIS and LNGSHOT signal broader industry changes. Aside from LNGSHOT from More Vision and CORTIS from BigHit Music, MODHAUS’s large 24-member boy group idntt is also worth noting. idntt is structured as three Sub-units, with a system where fan votes determine song selections, concepts, and lineups for each unit. The first unit, unevermet, made its Debut in August last year, and the second unit, yesweare, debuted in January this year. The members emphasized that fans can directly participate in the group’s future activities through COSMO app’s “Gravity” voting system.

Meanwhile, a trend of hip-hop returning to the core of K-pop is gaining momentum. New K-pop artists such as CORTIS from BigHit Music, Allday Project from The Black Label, and LNGSHOT from More Vision are placing hip-hop sounds at the forefront of both music and visual identities. Mnet’s rapper competition show “Show Me The Money” is returning for its 12th season after three years, further boosting this genre revival.

Korean hip-hop reached its peak in the late 2010s but has shown a gradual decline since the early 2020s. Rapper Jay Park noted at the recent production announcement for “Show Me The Money” Season 12 that “as K-pop music became more sophisticated, genre boundaries blurred, and biases toward superficial aspects of hip-hop culture may have contributed to the weakening of hip-hop’s mainstream status.”

Industry experts predict that more groups like CORTIS and LNGSHOT will emerge in the future, as they have the potential to transform the entire K-pop industry by challenging existing idol conventions. This is because younger generations are becoming the core consumer group in the music market, leading to increased attention for groups that reflect their preferences.