Making noise: Cortis celebrates debut album with release party, a first for rookie group
Boy group marks launch of ‘Color Outside the Lines’ with live showcase and global fan event
Cortis, the rookie boy group under Big Hit Music, held its debut album release party in Seoul on Monday, less than a month after its official debut.
Fans from 190 countries and cities also tuned in via the fandom platform Weverse, Hybe Labels’ YouTube channel and TikTok, while the group performed, unveiled new content and shared behind-the-scenes stories.
The show opened with the first-ever performance of “Fashion,” followed by the prerelease “Go!” and the group’s main debut track “What You Want,” which featured an elaborate stage setup with 31 treadmills. Cortis also premiered two B-side tracks, “Joyride” and “Lullaby.”
Between stages, the five members reflected on their trainee years and the making of the album. They also revealed self-produced content, including a video for “Go!,” a performance skit of “What You Want” and the official music video for “Lullaby,” underscoring their identity as a “young creator crew” involved in music, choreography and video production.
“We’ve worked hard to reach this moment, and it feels like a blessing to stand here,” Cortis said during the show. “It’s only been three weeks since our debut, but we hope you’ll stay with us for all the days ahead.”
An industry official said that the event was designed to spotlight the group’s hands-on creative role.
“Cortis wanted to share its passion for music and creation directly with fans, so they prepared performances of every track from the debut album,” the official said.
The release party followed the launch of Cortis’ debut EP “Color Outside the Lines” a few hours earlier on Monday, which immediately marked strong sales.
According to Hanteo Chart, the album sold 247,295 copies on its first day, ranking No. 2 on the daily chart and recording the highest day-one sales for any rookie act in 2025 so far.
The album has also gained international traction, entering the iTunes Top Albums chart in 18 countries and regions, including the US, Canada and Japan. It climbed as high as No. 37 in the US, with stronger showings in Asia, including No. 1 in Singapore and Top 10 placements in Thailand and Taiwan.
Music critic Lim Hee-yoon suggested that the ambitious release party and heavy promotion signaled Hybe and Big Hit’s intention to position Cortis as a natural successor to BTS.
“Hybe seems to be building an image that Cortis carries BTS’ DNA, while also eyeing the ripple effect of BTS’ comeback next spring,” Lim said. “Launching a rookie with this level of push is rare in today’s market, and Hybe clearly wants fans to see Cortis as the next in line.”
Cortis will continue debut promotions with the release of a performance film for “Fashion” on Tuesday.
