CORTIS Call Billboard Chart Success ‘Surreal’ & Say ‘It’s Just the Beginning’

Being part of HYBE’s conglomerate naturally puts artists in a position of visibility from day one. The company’s financial and structural size is undeniable, but in K-pop, where competition is fierce, money doesn’t buy talent or guarantee a lasting impact. With only two months in their career, CORTIS is attracting attention on its own merit.

With a sharp stage presence and charisma that breaks the rigid molds of the industry, the quintet formed by James, Juhoon, Keonho, Martin and Seonghyeon secured a prominent position among the year’s rookies with a lot of personality. Aged between 16 and 20, the young men form the first group launched by BIGHIT MUSIC in six years – after TXT in 2019 and BTS in 2013 – with the motto of being a creative team and self-producing.

The group’s first EP, Color Outside the Lines, was released on Sept. 8 and debuted at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 – the weekly ranking of the most popular albums in the United States. The project has been on the World Albums chart for 10 weeks. “It still seems surreal to think that we’re actually on the charts. We hadn’t even noticed. One day, our manager told us, ‘You’re on the Billboard chart!’ I was like… ‘Wait, really?’ And when I checked, we were at No. 15,” Martin tells Billboard Brasil in a video call for the new digital cover story. “It’s a matter of gratitude to our fans and listeners. I’m very grateful for all of this, and we want to continue growing and be remembered for a long time.”

For James, entering the charts has a positive impact on the group. “It represents a great milestone. And it’s just the beginning. We can only improve from here on out, and we’re working hard, as always, to make even better music.”

The success of their first EP raises expectations for CORTIS’ next steps. And they themselves acknowledge this. Martin describes the pressure as a responsibility that guides what they will do next. Seonghyeon admits that the pressure exists (“Without a doubt!” he says).

“The goal of the first project was to express our emotions, and that resonated with many people. Over these months, we’ve changed. With the second album, we’re thinking: ‘What do we have to say now?’ What story will we tell the fans, and how will we remain as authentic as possible? That’s the goal,” says James.

Even though they’ve only recently debuted, they already have thousands of fans in Brazil. On social media, they went viral for their passion for açaí and for reading the Brazilian nickname of their fandom, “Cortinas” (curtains in Portuguese), during a recent livestream. When asked about their interactions with the Brazilian audience, the question generates a slight commotion, and they speak at the same time.

“It’s incredible [to receive messages from Brazil],” says Keonho. “I can’t wait to visit Brazil,” says Juhoon. “We are big fans of Brazilian culture, especially the festivals [like Carnival]. We want to go to Brazil to do a show,” adds Martin. “We know you guys are fun,” adds James. “We know about açaí, we need to try it [in Brazil],” completes Seonghyeon.

The contrast between who CORTIS was before their debut and who they are today is discussed during the chat. For Martin, the biggest change is emotional. “It’s difficult because we’ve changed a lot since last year,” says the rapper. “When we were working on the album, nobody knew us. Now, we have fans and when we go out, people recognize us at the convenience store and everywhere. I’m enjoying the moment and very happy to see the reactions to my music.” For Keonho, the main difference is part of maturing. His biggest change? “My voice [laughs], the range of my voice.”

They seem to handle the group’s rapid rise well. James explains that, as cliché as it may sound, what keeps them grounded is remembering why they started. “I think we’ll never forget that. Although we have many different things happening along the way, ultimately, the reason we do this work is that we love music, and we love expressing ourselves in our unique way.”

Daily rituals like riding bikes, strolling in a park, listening to music, and playing basketball help the members deal with personal doubts and growing up in the public eye. They often talk about “embracing their awkward sides,” laughing at their own embarrassment to evolve, and using creativity as a way to discover who they are. “Over time, I’m starting to understand who I am. Now I know what I really love to do, what my musical taste is, what my taste is. This is making my personality more vivid and distinct,” says Juhoon.

“I think that accepting yourself in every way is also an important point, even your weird sides,” James says. “There’s a saying that goes ‘to be cringe is to be free’. It’s a great phrase. If you want to improve at something, you need to feel uncomfortable. You need to be ashamed of yourself to gain confidence. And I think that’s the mentality we bring to the music.”

“We’re still teenagers, and we’re growing up,” Martin adds. “Finding our style in music or visuals is like finding ourselves, investigating ourselves.”

Puzzle Pieces

Their individual stories reinforce the discourse of self-worth. Keonho uses the competitive mind-set from swimming to evolve as an artist, always focusing on surpassing himself. Seonghyeon moved to Seoul at a young age to be a trainee, and the process never intimidated him – it only motivated him more. Juhoon, on the other hand, sees his diverse background in sports, studies and fashion as a foundation that helped him better understand his abilities.

The quintet’s leader Martin is Korean-Canadian and spent six years working toward their debut in September. In addition to producing CORTIS’ music, he composed singles for other HYBE groups – such as “Magnetic” (ILLIT), “Deja Vu” (TXT), “Pierrot” (LE SSERAFIM) and “Outside” (ENHYPEN).

“To be honest, when I start to lose confidence or doubt myself, I try to focus on small things. I play basketball, ride my bike, do something fun, go for a walk, and listen to music,” says Martin. “It’s a goal I want to have. To remember that [music] is something I really want to do for the rest of my life, that I really love, and that I do it for fun. That’s why I chose this path. I never doubted myself, I never wanted to be anything else. So, trusting myself and finding small hobbies helps me distance myself from those insecure thoughts.”

James is Thai-Chinese. He was born in Hong Kong but grew up in Taiwan. He was a trainee for about five years before debuting with CORTIS. Besides choreographing and composing for his group, he was a backup dancer for Jung Kook (BTS) and also wrote for other groups like ILLIT and TXT.

“In general, my tastes and preferences are quite broad… To be honest, even food. Growing up in different countries, going back and forth between them, always encouraged me to try new things. It opened me up to new experiences and I think that really helped me discover new music, movies, and see things I had never seen before,” says James. “Was it difficult moving around so much?” I ask the singer. “No, but it’s difficult when part of the family speaks one language and the other half speaks another… You’re in the middle and become the link that speaks all the languages ​​and has to adapt every second.”

Juhoon was born in South Korea. A sports prodigy, he excelled in basketball and soccer. He was a child model and learned English at an international school. As a trainee preparing to debut with CORTIS, he underwent got classes and training for less than two years.

“Every moment influenced me in some way, and all these experiences made me who I am,” says the singer. “Playing sports taught me to be competitive, and at school I learned to communicate. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to explore various things and always focused on how much I enjoyed each one. I tried to discover what interested me, and that’s how I got into music.”

South Korean Seonghyeon was recruited on his birthday in 2018 while strolling through an amusement park. He is credited as a composer on all tracks of CORTIS’ EP: “What You Want,” “GO!”, “Joyride,” “Fashion” and “Lullaby.”

“When I moved to Seoul to be a trainee, it wasn’t very difficult. I really enjoyed the process, and my mother encouraged me by telling me to try,” recalls Seonghyeon. “The more I trained, the more interested I became. I want to be someone cool. Someone who is laid-back inside and out, and good at what they do, with confidence. I’m still figuring out what ‘cool’ means, but I hope to keep learning as I grow.”

Keonho spent three years as a trainee. The South Korean singer was a swimmer and participated in championships in the country before deciding to pursue a career in music. He also composed tracks for CORTIS’ first release.

“I learned that the real competition isn’t with others, but with yourself. And I think I always want to maintain that mindset and keep striving,” says Keonho, who smiles a lot. “I thought about it a lot because I wanted to be a swimmer and be part of the group. But my parents advised me: ‘It’s good to try new things, so why don’t you give it a try?’ I followed their advice and fulfilled my dream of becoming an artist. I’m really enjoying it.”

CORTIS’ members share the stage and also the dorm. They live together in Seoul and receive support from a dedicated team. The backstage routine also becomes content on their YouTube channel. “We grew closer naturally while preparing for our debut and also composing music. We live together 24/7,” says Seonghyeon. “Is it difficult living together?” I ask. “Yes, sometimes, but it’s fun. We usually resolve things by talking. For example, when it comes to washing dishes, we have a rule that each person washes their own after using them. This keeps things simple and fair.”

The advice they received from other artists also helps shape the group’s work. James keeps the phrase “one step at a time” as a mantra, a phrase he got from Teezo Touchdown’s autograph on a pair of sneakers.

“That’s my phone’s background. It always reminds me not to rush, and that sometimes you really don’t know what to do and end up rushing everything. You need to go slowly, one step at a time, and focus on what’s coming next,” says James.

“The most important thing for me is the passion and intensity I have on stage. I want every performance to have the same passion and intensity as the first time. It’s on stage where I feel most free. I want to remember that in the future, even if some days I’m not feeling well.”

Martin cites his meeting with the BTS members: remaining humble, caring for the team, keeping the passion alive even in the face of difficulties.

“They said, ‘Always be grateful and humble.’ And they also told us to take good care of the people around us, especially the team and those we will be working with for a long time. ‘Take good care of them, treat them with kindness, and keep the passion and energy alive. Even if big challenges arise, just keep persevering and enjoy the process.’ That’s what they said, and that’s how we’re living, day after day,” says Martin. CORTIS hasn’t gone on tour yet, but the “cortinas” in Brazil are already waiting for them with plenty of açaí.

—This article was written by Isabela Pacilio for Billboard Brasil