K-Pop Group Cortis Makes a Bold Comeback with Mini Album 'GREENGREEN'

K-pop group Cortis is making their first comeback since debuting, showcasing their unique style and solidifying their presence as a 'Young Creator Crew'.

Cortis, consisting of members Martin, James, Juhun, Sunghyun, and Gunho, held a media showcase at the Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, to celebrate the release of their second mini-album 'GREENGREEN'.

Having debuted in August last year, Cortis is embarking on their first comeback activities with this album. Martin stated, "For this comeback, we aimed to tell Cortis's story through various challenges and experiments." He added, "We poured our hearts into the final mixing stages to achieve the desired sound. We are confident it will do well. The song gives me chills every time I hear it, even now. It's a song with a hot, unyielding energy."

With their new release, Cortis is showing a different side compared to their debut. Juhun explained, "While our debut album focused on creating a strong first impression with the sound, this time we concentrated more on fun elements for the stage. The experiences and lessons learned from interacting with audiences since our debut have been invaluable."

The concept photos for the new album capture the members in their raw, natural state, with minimal makeup and styling reflecting their input. James shared, "We wanted to show our real selves without embellishment, even if it meant showing our dark circles. We received minimal makeup to capture our natural skin texture."

Cortis previously sparked a short-form challenge craze with their debut album track 'GO!'. Sunghyun expressed, "I would be thrilled if 'REDRED' receives as much love as 'GO!'. We were delighted by the unexpected love 'GO!' received, and we look forward to fans worldwide participating in the 'REDRED' challenge." Martin revealed, "We completed 'REDRED' in just a week, aiming for a straightforward and intuitive composition for the chorus."

Cortis is returning amid significant interest, with pre-orders for their second mini-album surpassing 2 million copies. Gunho shared, "I found out through my mother, who was thrilled, and I felt proud and fulfilled." Sunghyun added, "My father informed me about the 2 million milestone. We are grateful for the early interest and love." Martin noted, "I learned about it through social media and immediately shared it with the group chat."

Despite challenges during the album's production, the members found ways to recharge and gather ideas. Gunho recalled, "There was a time when my ideas were exhausted due to a busy schedule. I went to the cinema to watch movies and eat popcorn, and worked comfortably in the studio lounge." Sunghyun mentioned, "I refreshed myself by going for walks and playing basketball. I heard that creativity flourishes in high-ceilinged spaces, so I would visit open spaces when I hit a creative block."

Following the comebacks of their label seniors BTS in March and TXT on the 13th, the youngest group, Cortis, is now stepping into the spotlight. James said, "We filmed a challenge with TXT seniors a few weeks ago. They wished us a healthy promotion, which gave us strength to work hard."

The members attribute the love for Cortis's music to their honesty. Martin stated, "Since our first album, we've aimed to capture our honest daily lives. The second album also emphasizes presenting our true selves, as seen in the tracklist." Martin expressed his ambition, "We want to become a team with symbolic significance, like a brand. We aim to grow into artists that people want to see perform live."

Cortis will kick off their comeback activities by releasing the title track 'REDRED' from their new album. 'REDRED' features a rough synthesizer sound with repetitive and catchy rhythms. All members participated in writing and composing, infusing the song with Cortis's unique musical color.

The new song 'REDRED' and its music video will be released at 6 PM today. Cortis's second mini-album 'GREENGREEN' will be officially released on May 4th.

Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia Reporter one@tenasia.co.kr