![[CORTIS3] The Group That Snatched Phones from Generation MZ Sets a New Milestone for K-pop](https://www.sportschosun.com/article/html/2026/07/14/2026071401000880000055271_w.jpg "[CORTIS3] The Group That Snatched Phones from Generation MZ Sets a New Milestone for K-pop")
[Sportschosun Baek Ji-eun] CORTIS has issued a declaration of war.
CORTIS will kick off its first world tour on the 18th. Starting with shows at Inspire Arena in Incheon on the 18th and 19th, the group will connect with global fans in Toronto, New York, Atlanta, Irving, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Yokohama.
The tour is boldly titled "Put Your Phone Down." It sends a cheeky, defiant message to Generation MZ, for whom the virtual world online often feels closer than reality and whose lives have become deeply intertwined with social media: put your phone down.
That confidence comes from overwhelming results.
With its mini second album GREENGREEN, CORTIS stayed on Billboard 200 for seven consecutive weeks. That marks the longest chart run for a single album by a K-pop boy group that debuted within the past five years. The group has also remained on Artist 100 for seven weeks, underscoring its global reach. Its title track, Red Red, has shown strong momentum on Billboard Global 200 and Global (excluding the U.S.) for nine straight weeks.
![[CORTIS3] The Group That Snatched Phones from Generation MZ Sets a New Milestone for K-pop](https://www.sportschosun.com/article/html/2026/07/14/2026071401000880000055272_w.jpg "[CORTIS3] The Group That Snatched Phones from Generation MZ Sets a New Milestone for K-pop")
The significance of CORTIS' long run on Billboard is substantial. While online virality has been the essential survival strategy for existing fifth-generation idols, CORTIS has expanded its base through live performance.
After dominating university festival stages in the first half of the year, CORTIS is now moving into overseas festivals. The group will take the stage at Lollapalooza Chicago, one of the major music festivals in the United States, on July 31 and Aug. 1. It will then appear on Sept. 20 at Rock in Japan Festival 2026 in Chiba, Japan, and on Oct. 9 at Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix 2026, stepping into the mainstream arena where rock fans and sports fans gather. Backed by an overwhelming command of the stage that cannot be captured in a 15-second short-form clip on a smartphone screen, the group has effectively declared its challenge to the global pop market.
CORTIS' trajectory is notable because it offers a new milestone for K-pop, suggesting that the genre must move beyond simple digital content consumption and return to spectacular live performance art. That is why anticipation is building for what the group will do next.
Baek Ji-eun, Sportschosun silk781220@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
