Martin, James & Seonghyeon from CORTIS (source)


BigHit's new boy group CORTIS debuted a month ago. I was following them ever since the first concept pics dropped, and i really liked the vibe because they had that same fresh energy NewJeans did. Then they dropped their pre-debut song "GO!" I became obsessed with it. There's been lot of buzz around the group, so i would say it has been a very successful debut. I doubt I will become a hardcore fan, but because their concept is so interesting and i like their music too I decided to write about it a little bit. 


CORTIS : DOCUMENTARY
Youtube, 4 episodes, 20min

I love kpop documentaries.
Last year le sserafim doc "Make it look easy" and "Pop star academy" were great hits also within the kpop community. They serve different purposes for example to both humanize and scandalize. I mean ofc the main idea is marketing. Cortis documentary is a good introduction to the members, their work, and inspiration. It usually takes lot of time for people to learn all the members of a rookie group. The doc doesn't go very deep, but we'll see if they'll have follow-up docs like le sserafim. The documentary is similar/continuation to BTS's documentary "American Hustle Life", where rookie BTS go to LA to learn about hip hop from the ogs. The doc highlights how Cortis members take part in music production and get guidance from some of the best people in the industry. 

There's been lot of discourse about is Cortis' music really new or fresh, as it is very much Western inspired and specifically from Black artists. In Martin's words they make "hip hop influenced pop". Lot of the discussions about Cortis could be about any kpop group: people think genre mixing and inspiration is stealing or unoriginal. I personally don't think so. Also, inspiration from hip hop/Black artists can be done in a lot of ways, it doesn't necessarily mean it's offensive(but ofc there are those in kpop too). I will talk about this later in the next post and I'm definitely not an expert in music industry, but i think it's interesting what makes kpop different and how it's also approached in a different way than Western music. 

For me saying Cortis is fresh is more about their concept being fashionable, nostalgic, d.i.y., fun, youthful, and that sunny LA vibe. Right from the beginning they have a distinct brand, their own aesthetics and lifestyle that especially younger people really like. It reminds me of the A24 film Mid90s(2018), which is about a group of teen boys in the skating scene in 90's LA.
  

MUSIC VIDEOS

Cortis was part of making GO! and What You Want (they made the demo mv). 
The music video really capture their spirit and lifestyle. 3/4 shot in LA.  
FaSHioN was shot in New Zealand, and it is truly an incredible music video.  


GO!




What You Want




FaSHioN




JoyRide




There's already lot of fan content made about them. They seem very funny so they've made lot of attention that way too. There's lot of gf fans, but that's ofc part of kpop. I believe they have potential to get also male fans and even more international recognition in the future. I have to say that part of me is concerned for them because they're so young and became famous so instantly. The industry is not easy for anyone especially for teenagers. But the group also shapes what kind of fandom they will have and although there are inappropriate fans i would say majority of at least Western fans are very protective about them. I feel like other 5th gen groups they will become a fun and relatable group to other teens. They also have lot of support from "older" Army, who say they remind them of rookie BTS. Watching them does make me feel like i'm a teenager again :D


Part 3 coming later (I'm gonna talk about the KPOPPED series)