Names/Ages Martin, 18; James, 20; Juhoon, 18; Seonghyeon, 17; Keonho, 17
Label BigHit Music
Publisher HYBE/Republic Records
Management BigHit Music
Vibrant South Korean pop quintet CORTIS is one of the fastest-growing pop acts on the Billboard charts. The group has already leapfrogged the chart debut of its first EP, Color Outside the Lines, at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 with this year's follow-up, GreenGreen, which entered at No. 3. The new set's lead single, the throbbing dancefloor banger “RedRed,†has also served as a breakout streaming hit for CORTIS, reaching No. 38 on the Billboard Global 200 and becoming the group's first entry on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.
In the last year, what are you most proud of and why?
SEONGHYEON When our first EP, Color Outside the Lines, entered the Billboard 200. It was something we had dreamed about … Then our second EP reached the top three, which still feels unreal. Moments like this made us realize that our music is starting to reach people far beyond where we began, and we're truly grateful for that.
KEONHO A moment I'm especially proud of was the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game Halftime Show. We performed “Youngcreatorcrew†there for the first time, even before it was officially released. Seeing the crowd surprised was fun, but what I really liked was how Âquickly they got into the moment even though it was their first time hearing the song. It's something that stuck with me.
What's the biggest challenge for a young artist in today's music industry?
MARTIN There's a lot of pressure to keep showing results instead of really taking time to grow, and since we're still figuring things out, our direction can change and shake our confidence sometimes. I think learning how to grow at our own pace is one of the biggest challenges, but also one of the most important lessons.
What's your best advice for aspiring young artists?
JAMES Nobody really knows exactly what they're doing, including me. So try new things and don't be too scared to do so. People care way less than you think.
JUHOON I think it really comes down to having fun … People can tell when you're being authentic, and I think that kind of sincerity lasts much longer than trying to impress everyone. Even when things get physically or mentally exhausting, that sense of fun is what brings me back and keeps me going. — ANDREW UNTERBERGER
