This is how CORTIS celebrates their first anniversary after a breakout year

CORTIS celebrates the first anniversary of their debut on August 18, 2026, after a year with important milestones and achievements. The five-member team, made up of Martin, James, Juhoon, Seonghyeon, and Keonho, debuted on August 18, 2025, and quickly burst onto the KPop scene thanks to their explosive style and self-made music, videos, and choreography. The team has also embraced the “Young Creator Crew” name, reflecting their focus on creativity and involvement in the production of their music.

The quintet’s second EP, “GreenGreen,” reached #3 on the Billboard 200 chart dated May 23, 2026, and remained on the chart for 13 consecutive weeks. Meanwhile, the project’s lead track, “RedRed,” also performed strongly in Korea and overseas. By August 13, 2026, Cortis had passed 1.1 billion total Spotify streams across 14 released songs. The group also completed the North American leg of their sold-out “Put Your Phone Down” tour in San Francisco.

In a Q&A with the Korean Herald, the members looked back at songs that defined their first year. Martin and Seonghyeon highlighted “RedRed.” “I felt there was something different about the song, and once the rough mix was finished, I became certain. I think that’s also how our iconic ‘floppy ears’ dance was born while we were creating the choreography together,” Martin said.

Meanwhile, James mentioned “GO!,” which is the first track from their debut EP. He said that “It’s incredibly meaningful because it was our beginning.” Juhoon chose “Young Creator Crew” because “it pushed our group’s boundaries even further.” Keonho agreed and said that the song was “a lot of fun,” as they turned the title into the nickname “Young keu-keu,” giving the track a comedic touch.