Meet CORTIS: The self-producing K-Pop group that’s writing their own songs and shaping their future

In this day and age, the K-pop machine is a well-known, well-oiled machine – a perfectly calibrated system where ambition and talent meet rigorous, almost military, training. It was,  and continues to be, a model so successful that Western conglomerates are now trying to replicate its methodology (see: Katseye). 

But the real question for me wasn’t quite about newfound Western imitation, but, rather, what happens when the next generation of K-pop artists look away from the mirror and towards an entirely new, self-determined path.

That path leads straight to CORTIS, BigHit Music’s bold new boy group venture.

Who is CORTIS?

They introduce themselves not just as K-pop idols, but as a “crew” of “teenagers” just having fun. 

One look at CORTIS’ debut visuals, or the chaotic, compelling energy of their pre-release single “GO!” – a track that screams this is so sick, and yes, we’re on the new sh*t – makes their authenticity and confidence instantly palpable, perfectly aligned with Gen Zs’ brand of manifested success.

But unlike feigned hype, this swagger has serious receipts.

When the videos of Martin, James, Juhoon, Seonghyeon, and Keonho came flooding through my for-you-page – watching them go, go, go, go with self-made style – I could feel the shift.

For CORTIS, K-pop is culture – a near-blank canvas where “you can try anything”.

Their name itself embodies that ethos. An acronym derived from “Color Outside the Lines,” it signals a commitment to rejecting constraints imposed by society and the industry. According to Rolling Stone, the name also nods to cortisol, reflecting the group’s determination to resist the pressures of the creative process.

Of course, BigHit Music is explicit about this pivot. “CORTIS is a young creators’ crew with all teenage members,” the label confirmed in August 2025. “They will be flaunting their creative talent through lyrics, songs, choreography and videography based on their own stories.”

Why is CORTIS so famous?

Their debut EP, Color Outside the Lines, radiates that youth and freedom like a manifesto. The group deliberately rejects the hyper-stylised, concept-heavy visual direction that characterises modern K-pop.

Instead, “GO!”, for one, is brazen, whimsical, and perfectly embodies Gen Z unseriousness. The accompanying music video shows the members simply wandering around L.A., with shots from a 360-degree camera shoved into the members’ mouths for some perfectly meme-able moments.

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This strategic turn toward raw, uncurated energy – by teens, for teens – resonated instantly. It works, perhaps, because it is.

The liner notes tell the full story of their autonomy – all five bandmates hold album credits in composition, choreography, and video direction. Their second song, “What You Want” trades snappy trap beats for a more instrumentally-driven anthem, yet both songs feel unmistakably CORTIS. 

Their jarring eclecticism works because the foundation of their artistry is self-determination – the defining hallmark of Gen Z creation.

“We wondered why idols often compose their own songs but not their own videos,” leader Martin told The Korea Herald in September 2025. “As we’ve been filming since we were young, we wanted to make that part of our work.”

This adaptation of the creative blueprint pioneered by groups like BROCKHAMPTON, Odd Future, and ASAP Mob – multimedia collectives where individualism, in which the artists as the writers, producers, directors, and models, drive the whole – has proved revitalising against K-pop’s traditionally rigid quality control.

A simple plan, perhaps. But just four months into their international debut, CORTIS – having defined their own CORTIS-verse, so to speak – has rocketed to global prestige. 

They shared the spotlight with Sabrina Carpenter and Lady Gaga when “GO!” became the only K-pop boy-group track included in Apple Music’s Best Songs of 2025. They won Best New Artist at the 2025 MAMA Awards. They surpassed seven million monthly listeners and crossed 200 million cumulative Spotify streams within four months. And despite not touring yet, they’ve already graduated to stadium-level performances – Tokyo Dome, Japan National Stadium, Kaohsiung National Stadium, and more.

Who are the CORTIS members?

Much akin to their credited inspirations, every member plays an active – and unique – role in the creative process, making CORTIS a true “creator crew”.

Martin (마틴) (Leader)

As the Korean-Canadian leader and primary beatmaker, Martin is the creative core driving the group’s sound, often citing artists like Tyler, the Creator. 

Even pre-debut, he had established a formidable reputation within the HYBE ecosystem, contributing to senior groups’ work. Martin had a hand in producing ILLIT’s “Magnetic,” ENHYPEN’s “Outside,” and most recently, TXT’s “Beautiful Strangers,” just to name a few.

James (제임스)

The oldest member, James, is often seen as the group’s performance anchor – in dance and choreography. Beyond being a former semi-pro ice hockey player (a discipline he credits for his intense drive), the Taiwanese-Thai dancer was involved in choreographing for a handful of HYBE artists as well, including the viral “Magnetic” dance and choreography for TXT’s “Deja Vu”. He was a former member of pre-debut boy group Trainee A, and was a backup dancer for Jungkook’s ‘Seven’ promotional stages in 2023.

Juhoon (주훈)

A former child model, Juhoon holds roles as both vocalist and rapper. 

Within the collective, Juhoon is known as the “brain” – the grounded member who mediates and keeps the entire crew centered when creative opinions clash. 

Seonghyeon (성현)

The most soft-spoken member is arguably the group’s powerhouse of songwriting creativity. With several years of training experience, Seonghyeon is CORTIS’s topliner and lyricist, responsible for penning and composing many of the group’s sharpest ideas, as well as contributing in style – across both music and fashion.

Keonho (건호)

The 16-year-old maknae (youngest member) is proof that youth does not equate to a lack of agency. Known as a dancer and vocalist, Keonho also brings a vital visual dimension to the collective. 

A former competitive swimmer, he often plays the role of the film buff in the crew, bringing ideas for camera framing and movement. Keonho also co-wrote on “What You Want”, and perfectly summed up the group’s diverse approach to their debut, likening the five members to a “bibimbap-like team” – mixing diverse ingredients and colors into something cohesive and flavorful.

How are CORTIS redefining the K-pop artist landscape?

K-pop has seen self-producing idols before – SEVENTEEN, Day6, Stray Kids, BTS, ALLDAY PROJECT, and more – but agencies often maintained tight control over image, narrative, and public behaviour, and which has come, more recently, under fire for infantilisation and restrictive oversight.

CORTIS’ model is a dramatic break from this, offering a definitive roadmap for artist-driven empowerment by placing members as primary creative stakeholders.

Their debut four-part YouTube documentary What We Want shows them wrestling with beats, arguing over lyrics, and taking full ownership – revealing art that is not manufactured perfection, but earned.

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While it remains unclear whether the group owns their masters – typically a major point of agency control – the company has ceded something equally significant: creative mastery over the source material. While other new-wave acts like Megan from KATSEYE dabble in autonomy, such as in designing elements of the group’s merchandise, CORTIS has made ground-up creative control the non-negotiable core of their identity.

From an agency perspective, this radical model is now financially justified. JYP Entertainment spent 1.12 billion won (US$763,000) on talent development last year, signalling that the shift from a monolithic “trainee factory” toward creative academies cultivating artists – not just idols – is underway. CORTIS is the clearest proof that this model, one preserving real ownership and agency, can yield boundary-pushing creativity.

So, in a system built on precision, CORTIS proved that chaos can be the most lucrative formula. They are, essentially, a highly successful five-member crew of anarchic teenage entrepreneurs.

As it turns out, giving the kids the crayons to colour outside the lines is not just good for mental health, but phenomenal for the balance sheet.