CORTIS – COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES (EP Review)

It has been 6 years since Big Hit debuted a boy group, and CORTIS certainly came into the scene swinging with their debut EP ‘Color Outside The Lines’.

Since the collapse of Trainee A’s debut plans, the public has been holding their collective breaths for Big Hit’s newest boy group. Following the footsteps of their globally successful predecessors, BTS and Tomorrow X Together (TXT), CORTIS has big shoes to fill and even bigger expectations to meet. 

Consisting of Martin, James, Juhoon, Seonghyeon and Keonho, CORTIS is a five-member boy group under Big Hit Music. All members in the group have showcased their creative prowess, with both Martin and James writing and choreographing for ILLIT pre-debut. With that in mind, the group is positioned more as a ‘teenage authentic creative crew’ rather than the usual polished and controlled idol group. This crew of teenage creatives certainly proved themselves by participating in different ways for all five tracks of the EP. 

The EP opens with pre-release single ‘GO!’, as the boys shout about their dreams and introduce themselves to the world over a lo-fi trap beat. The bright and youthful belief they have in themselves to succeed, as long as they put their minds to it: “I just gotta get it/ Watch me go, go, go, go, go, go.” This track is like a can of energy drink, waking the listeners up to CORTIS’ coming into the industry as the ‘new shit’. ‘GO!’ serves as the perfect introduction of CORTIS to the K-pop world, bright-eyed, youthful, creative go-getters that are not brash about their desires.

It is then followed by lead single ‘What You Want’, a psychedelic rock track reminiscent of later Nirvana productions. While ‘GO!’ opens with the boys’ youthful belief in themselves and each other, ‘What You Want’ leans into the boys’ ambitions more. It serves as the perfect embodiment of the members’ desires to carve their legacy into K-pop. Laid atop a grungy production, CORTIS desperately screams about their dreams, hoping that they’ll come true: “Chased after love, chased after fame / So now I want the whole world to know my name.” A track capturing the group’s hunger for success, the vocals are left raw and desperate, oozing with the boys’ desire. 

Next comes ‘FaSHioN’, the group’s follow-up single, featuring a hip-hop trap beat with clear influences from southern hip-hop artists like Travis Scott and Playboi Carti. Just like most teenagers, their fashion and style make up a big part of their identities. But unlike other K-pop groups, CORTIS is not looking to dress up in expensive luxury brands. In fact, they are proud of their cheap vintage finds: “Thrift shop finds got me looking fresh / Pull up boys, scraping away / Vintage Jesus”. A highlight of this track is the little callback Martin made towards an episode where Keonho judged his new thrift haul: “An Keonho, no matter what you say about my clothes / I hold my ground the belt from my fruits wish list, now on my waist”. Overall, ‘FaSHioN’ is a light-hearted track about the boys having fun and finding their identity through testing different styles.

After three upbeat, high-energy tracks, CORTIS slows down and brings out ‘JoyRide’, a sentimental laid-back pop track detailing the boys’ yearning to be free from expectations and responsibilities. Not only do they themselves want to get away, they invite us to “leave this place, toss the map away” and get on the joyride as well. The mellow track paints an image of the boys driving away at night, the breeze blowing through their hair under the stars, as they try to cherish the moment of “fleeting freedom”. Taking a break from all the talk about their dreams and identities, ‘JoyRide’ reminds us that CORTIS are just teenage boys that need breaths of fresh air away from the pressure cooker that is the K-pop training system as well.

Finally, ‘Lullaby’ closes up the album as a sweet goodnight from CORTIS. It serves as the boys’ reminder to themselves and all of us that resting comes before everything else. No matter how stressed we are, no matter how hard we are trying to maintain our relationships, or chase our dreams and desires, refueling ourselves is key: “I got work / You got work / But in this moment / Quiet first”. Instead of a soft track lulling you to sleep, ‘Lullaby’ is more of a reminder that burnout is real, and balancing your work with a goodnight’s sleep is crucial.

Score/Outstanding: ‘Color Outside The Lines’ is the perfect introduction of CORTIS into the world of music. A terrifically cohesive EP starting off loud and bright, aiming to make an impression, yet closing out softly to cherish freedom and rest, CORTIS certainly captured the thoughts of a teenager in this EP. 

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