[Exclusive]BTS' support, Jennie's shoutout..Cortis's Revealed Growth and Identity [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

• Interview with AAA 2025 Best Performance in Singer, New Artist Award winner group Cortis

The future of Big Hit Music is bright.

Six years after the debut of BTS (BTS), six years after the debut of TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT), until CORTIS. Hive-affiliated label Big Hit Music, which has been successful in succession for each boy group launching, has entered a new heyday with Cortis.

Cortis (Martin, James, Ju-hoon, Sung-hyun, and Geon-ho) debuted in September last year with the release of their new mini-album "COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES." It is a group name made by irregularly taking six letters from "COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES" (coloring outside the line), which means "thinking freely outside of the standards and rules set by the world." In particular, the five teenage members of the Young Creator Crew, who make music, choreography, and videos with their own unique senses, are showing their creative abilities in various areas such as writing, composing, performing, and videography based on their stories.

The effort shone at the "10th Anniversary Asian Artist Awards 2025" held at Kaohsiung National Stadium on December 6 last year. Cortis won two awards at the same time as his first attendance, holding the "Best Performance" and "New Performance" trophies in the singer category.

Cortis, who announced a smooth start in his debut year with an unforgettable gift, recently held an interview at the Star News headquarters in Seorin-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, reminiscing about "AAA 2025," which was full of joy and joy.

-It's been six months since my debut, and I've been to many award ceremonies and gained a lot of experience on stage.

I think it's an honor to be invited to the ▶James = Awards. I got many opportunities at the end of last year, so I'm having a good day. I think I was happy and had fun while preparing for this AAA stage. I feel good because I'm busy.

▶ Joo-hoon = It was fun to be able to stand on such a big stage because one of the most important things in this job is the stage. I was so thankful to the company and the fans that I was lucky to receive the Rookie Award.

-It was AAA's first time attending, and he won two awards. How did you feel when you think about that moment again.

▶Martin = I was so honored to receive two awards on the 10th anniversary of AAA. The Rookie of the Year award is an award that can only be received once while promoting, and the Best Performance Award is valuable because we really value performance.

▶Seonghyun =I loved it. I was also surprised. It felt like we were recognized because we performed with the songs we made and received a rookie award. I thought I should do better in the next activity as well.

-In fact, the roar towards Cortis was exceptionally loud. James, in particular, must have felt more different because he is from Taipei, close to Kaohsiung.

▶James= felt good to receive a loud shout in the city. I remember having fun because it's been a long time since I had a big stage at the awards ceremony. It was a very new experience for our team because we took pictures and talked with many seniors.

-I think I would have been congratulated by my acquaintances after the award.

▶Keonho = My parents contacted me first. "My son got a rookie award." Congratulations,' came the message. I got more calls from my family and relatives than my friends.

▶Juhun = There was a bodyguard at the scene, and I was very happy that he said, "Congratulations."

-This is Cortis' first 360-degree performance, so his mindset must have been special when performing.

▶Gunho = 360 was also a performance, and it was my first time riding a lift. It was so amazing to see the scenery spread out in 360 degrees. The stage was so big that it was fun to go up and perform. The lights seen from the artist's seat at night also felt heart-wrenching.

-In addition, not only other senior artists but also actors did a lot of Cortis Sharout at the ceremony. What do you think is the charm of our team that the same entertainment industry workers also fall for Cortis?

▶Seonghyun =I think the biggest thing is the stage performance and naturalness. I think they like it because they think it's their charm to express us as we are without any makeup.

▶Martin = We try to fill the stage with only five people without using dancers as much as possible when preparing the stage. The stage was full and exciting with just five people, and I prepared the stage thinking, "How can I get a good response not only from the fans but also from all the audiences?" but I think they like this effort.

▶ Joo-hoon = I think the song is the most important thing. When we made the first album, we all worked hard to make the song, but I was grateful that everyone liked it so much. So I'm still preparing for my next album, but I'll try my best.

-If you were to attend AAA 2026, what kind of award would you like to receive then?

▶Keonho = It would be a great honor to receive the Best Music Video Award because we organized and planned the music video in our first album. I think it will be more meaningful because we direct and plan ourselves.

▶Seonghyun = I think it will be completely later, but since we are a creative team, if we produce all the songs, I would like to receive a Producer of the Year award like Stray Kids.

-What was the most unexpected reality compared to before and after your debut?

▶Martin = I was surprised that more people liked our team than I thought. I worked on the album for a long time before my debut. While writing about 300 songs for two years, I had a lot of worries. There was also a lot of worry about 'what kind of music should I do to like' and 'some music may not be liked by someone'. In the end, it seems that many people saw the first album that appeared while expressing ourselves as it was and sympathized a lot with Cortis' honesty. Fortunately, I'm glad that our team did better than I thought.

-Do you feel pressured about Big Hit Music's Next Generation. The success of BTS and Tomorrow X Together will be a reliable lighthouse, but sometimes it seems like a high wall to overcome.

▶ Joo-hoon = Actually, the seniors are incredible people, so I can't say they're not burdened, but we seem to be trying to go our own way again. We are trying to focus on ours as much as possible while finding our own music color and preparing our own performance.

-BTS will make a comeback in March and Cortis in April. It's your first time promoting together since your debut. How do you feel?

▶Martin = As a fan who grew up watching BTS's performances since he was a child, the first time I saw their concerts was at Jamsil Stadium. While watching the stage at that time, I first dreamed of 'I want to be on that stage, too.' I want to learn how well you are on stage. I also watch a lot of senior artists' awards performances, but I feel that the scale is overwhelming, so I want to catch up with that part.

Recently, I was lucky enough to have a chance to run into him at the Hive HQ. While filming (different), we greeted each other in the middle, took pictures with BTS and chatted together. The seniors said, "How are you?" and "I hope you can cheer up." We had a lot of fun everyday conversations.

▶Joo Hoon = I haven't heard BTS's new song yet, so I hope the opportunity comes soon.

-Cortis' desire for a solo concert seems to have grown even greater as he was impressed not only by AAA's stage but also by BTS's concert before his debut. Is there a dream stage?

▶James = I wish I could have a solo concert. Right now, I'm preparing hard for the NBA stage in front of me. Many performances, performances, and new aspects will come out this year, so you can look forward to it.

▶Martin = If there is a chance in the distant future, my dream is to perform at Jamsil Sports Complex. I hope one day we can perform in the sports field.

-The group name means 'coloring outside the line' and 'thinking freely outside the standards and rules set by the world'. Then, in about six months after his debut, when did Cortis pride himself on "going out of the line most boldly"?

▶James = It seems like he's trying to get over the line naturally when he creates it. I keep thinking about continuing to try and create new things. I also always try to do that.

▶Martin = I don't like to be confined to somewhere. So when we all work, we do various things, such as places and what we usually wear. If you wore a punk yesterday, today you keep the variety as if you wear it hip-hop. Recently, I only worked in the studio, but it didn't work out well, so I worked as if I was camping in the hallway outside the studio with chairs and TVs spread out. In this way, it seems that they keep looking for new things in their daily lives.

-Cortis makes his own music, choreography, and videos, so he has a modifier called Young Creator Crew. At the debut showcase, Sung-hyun's way of working was said to be "putting his heads together" in one sentence, but since it is a co-creation process, there are likely to be times when five people disagree. Do you have Cortis' own rules for voting democratically, believing in a person's strong sense, or coordinating it?

▶Seonghyun = Most of them seem to have a majority vote.

▶Keonho = I compare a lot. I don't try to miss out on opinions one by one. Point it out one by one and try it. There could be something new there, too. So it takes a long time, but it seems that the results come out well only with this process.

-How would you say if you introduced Cortis in one sentence except for "Yunkk" and "Bibimbap"?

▶James = We are five young people who are living hard to continue to grow. Trying to keep widening the line and trying to find something new. Each member is still looking for their individual personality or thoughts. I continue to live with new experiences.

▶Juhun = 'No decorations' is a good word. When I'm the most myself, when I'm the most personable, I think the 'color outline'. Cortis seems to be showing our unadorned appearance.

-Then, who is the member who is the most different from his image on stage and his appearance in private?

▶Martin, Sunghyun, Keonho, Juhoon = James.

▶Martin = On the stage, I think he is very professional and has the charm of the oldest, but as soon as he steps down from the stage and wears glasses, he becomes a bank of wrong ideas. I think he becomes a quirky and funny brother under the stage.

▶James = We all seem to have some difference. First of all, I think professional appearance is the most important thing on stage, so I do my best to show it to you and stay fierce under the stage.

-I also wonder if there is a routine that fans don't know well, that they always keep to themselves before going on stage.

▶Martin = 'Victory Pose' has a pose with both arms above the head together with the members. I've been doing this since I've seen an academic study showing that raising both arms for about 20 seconds increases confidence.

-As Martin said earlier, I've been working on more than 300 candidate songs for about 2 years preparing for my debut album, how are you working on it this time ahead of our comeback in April?

▶James = We are preparing very hard. I try to be as honest as I can. I'm trying to make beautiful, most me, and most cortis-like music.

▶ Joo-hoon = I think we have changed a lot when we worked on the first album and when we made the second album, so I think listeners will feel that change a lot.

▶Martin = It seems that the way they work is different. In the first album, each person entered the booth, but in the second album, most of the songs are all entered the booth together and improvised as they feel in freestyle.

-Martin and Gunho also appeared in the YouTube content 'Salon Drip 2'. Do you think you're talented after filming a variety show? I'm also curious about the reason why the two went out.

▶Keonho = Actually, I was very nervous at first, but Jang Do-yeon was kind, very close, and comfortable, so I was able to relax quickly and have more fun talking as time went by. I thought I wanted to go on other entertainment shows more.

▶Martin='Salon Drip 2' PD called us both because he said, "The youngest and the leader have a good fighting chemistry." It was fun because it was a new experience for me and Gunho to go out on entertainment shows and do something. Like Gunho, I was able to proceed comfortably and well thanks to Doyeon.

-In "Salon Drip 2", Martin called Gunho "Jjing Jjing" and said, "He's showing too much of the youngest." Keonho strongly denied it, what do other members think? Does Keonho actually whine a lot?

▶Seonghyun = He's a little whiny. (laughs)

-Martin is likely to feel a lot of pressure as a producer. When you hit a wall while working on a song, who is the first member to seek feedback from?

▶Martin = When we all work together, we often get stuck. Sometimes I'm too tired to lead, when I'm very tired, and burnout comes, but it seems to be different for each situation. I think it's Ju Hoon who can say things like "It's like this these days when I work" and "I hope it's like this." It seems that they are the same age and have something in common. While talking with the members, they often have conversations such as "how to work efficiently" and "what content to solve anew."

-James made his debut as a singer after playing ice hockey for 10 years. If you compare the moment of scoring with the moment on stage?

▶James = Both are nervous but happy at the same time. It's hard to say that either side is more nervous. These are all important moments for me. I think I'm always nervous because I put a lot of time and passion into it to achieve it.

-Gunho recently said in his YouTube content 'What's in My Bag' that he doesn't steam other members because he's afraid of picking them. Do you have an item that you secretly bought to buy by yourself?

▶Keonho = I always have a lot of things that I secretly saved. They are secretly buying one by one. (laughs)

▶Martin = The other members show it by saying, 'I bought this' before the delivery arrives, but Gunho always shows it after buying it.

-Ju Hoon is too young, but he seems to have a high understanding of costumes and concepts thanks to his experience as a kid model. Is there any styling that reflects your ideas during this activity? Or which member has great fashion potential that you think would be good for this member to do this style?

▶ Joo-hoon = When we sang "FaSHioN" in the last music broadcast of our debut album, we wore clothes we actually picked up on a second-hand trading platform and went on stage. Each member has a lot of personality, but I remember choosing clothes in a skinny and bloody style that I liked at the time. The member with great fashion potential is Martin. I think it will look good on you even if you try colorful colors or unconventional styling that you don't usually wear.

-Sung-hyun said he worked on more than 100 tracks when he was a trainee. Is there a song that you think "This is Cortis' title even if I release it now?" What do you think is the standard for a good song?

▶Seonghyun = At that time, I think I just did what I wanted to do rather than popular music. I don't think there's a song that can be called a title. (laughs) I think the minimum standard for a good song is that you have to enjoy it once you hear it. Whether it's a beat or a melody, I think there should be at least one point that sticks to your ears.

-The so-called "bbongjjak version" challenge, which rearranged "fashion" into a trot through various social media, was popular. BTS JUNG KOOK and JENNIE from BLACKPINK joined the team. Have you seen it?

▶ Martin = Thank you so much. It was so amazing that you even knew the point dance. He's such a senior and a world star. In a way, he's very sharp. I was so thankful that I got a shout out. All I can say is "thank you." I think I was actually happy as a fan, too.

-Finally, I am also curious about Cortis' goals and plans for this year.

▶Keonho = We are preparing hard for the 2nd album. I can't wait to show you because I'm expressing my authenticity with a different feeling than what I experienced in the first album. When the second album comes out, there are many songs, so I want to perform a lot of songs. I'm also curious about the listeners' reaction to the second album.

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*This content was translated by AI.