New Group CORTIS Debuts After 6 Years, Gains Attention as First Music Video Exceeds 2 Million Views

BIGHIT MUSIC, the agency behind BTS and Tomorrow X Together (TXT), has unveiled its first new group in six years, CORTIS. The group launched its official social media accounts in early August and released the music video for its debut single “GO!” on August 11, with the video already surpassing 2 million views and attracting significant interest from K-POP fans. CORTIS is a five-member group consisting of Martin, James, Juhoon, Seonghyeon, and Keonho. In a statement, BIGHIT MUSIC described the new group as a “young creator crew” that produces its own music, choreography, and music videos. The agency added that all members are teenagers who will express their creative talents based on their own stories, with every member participating in the creative process regardless of any assigned role. The name CORTIS was inspired by the phrase “color outside the lines,” meaning creativity that breaks away from conventions, as well as the stress hormone cortisol, reflecting the group’s determination to resist pressure in the creative process. Each member brings unique creativity and experience. The 17-year-old Leader, Martin, is a Korean-Canadian who is a natural creator and enjoys artists like Tyler the Creator and Mac Miller. The 19-year-old James was born in Taipei, holds a black belt in taekwondo, and has played ice hockey at a semi-professional level for 10 years. Juhoon was a teen model, attended an international middle school, and improved his English skills after being scouted by BIGHIT MUSIC. Seonghyeon is known as a creator with quiet but sharp creativity. Some of CORTIS’s members already have experience in the music industry. Martin has contributed to producing ILLIT’s “Magnetic,” ENHYPEN’s “Outside,” and TXT’s recent “Beautiful Strangers,” while James has worked on choreography for multiple HYBE artists, including that for the viral hit song “Magnetic.” After their debut single “GO!,” CORTIS is set to release its first full-length debut EP, “COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES,” on September 8, with “What You Want” coming out on August 18. The debut mini-album is expected to showcase CORTIS’s diverse musical styles.