Boy band CORTIS want to rip up the K-pop rulebook
CORTIS say their "biggest strength" is "being unexpected and unconventional".
Rising K-pop group CORTIS never want to be "limited to one genre or concept".
The hottest new band about town, formed by BTS and TOMORROW X TOGETHER's label BIGHIT MUSIC, have shared their debut single, What You Want, which effortlessly fuses rock and hip-hop, and the band have said their aim is to show that not all K-pop has to sound the same.
Juhoon told Hypebeast: "I think our biggest strength is being unexpected and unconventional, never limited to a single genre or concept. We focus on honestly expressing ourselves, and that naturally drives us to be experimental. We would want nothing more than our listeners to understand our bold attitude and recognize our music as familiar yet somehow new within the scope of K-pop. Moving forward, we aim to keep expanding the diversity in our sound by exploring new ideas and styles."
Martin agreed: "We don’t want to limit ourselves to just one genre, so we’re constantly pushing ourselves to colour outside the lines. We’re always blending various styles, and we’re most excited when discovering fresh, new sounds in the process."
The band even experimented with jazz on the B-side Lullaby.
He continued: "Our B-side track Lullaby is a great example. One day, Keonho asked me to make a jazz beat, but since I didn’t have much background in jazz, I used sequencing to put it together. It ended up with a strange, in-between feel — not entirely acoustic or electronic — and on top of that chill beat, we added soulful vocals that give it a totally fresh vibe you’ve probably never heard before. Lullaby is basically our most experimental song. The way the unique beat mixes with the soulful vocals makes it really stand out. We would love for people to realise that these new, different sounds can come from K-pop. We want to continue breaking any stereotypes and bringing our own take on K-pop — reinvent it, so to speak. Until our distinctive sound fully takes shape, we’re committed to embracing new challenges."
Their debut EP, COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES, will drop on September 8.
CORTIS has been generating buzz ever since their formation, with their social media presence proving to be a huge hit with K-pop fans.
The label announced in July that Martin, James, Juhoon, Seonghyeon and Keonho will be the creative forces behind the new outfit.
BIGHIT MUSIC said in a statement: "The new band is a 'young creators' crew' with members who will create their own music, choreography and videos.
"All the members are teenagers and they will express their creative talent based on their own stories. All members will take part in the creative process, regardless of their set positions."
