[CORTIS4] Was Saying 'YOUNGCREATORCREW' Five Times Really a Shoddy Performance? A Challenge That Broke Idol Conventions

[Sportschosun reporter Baek Ji-eun] The bold challenge by the group CORTIS shook up the K-pop scene.

CORTIS held its first solo tour, "Put Your Phone Down," at Inspire Arena in Incheon on the 18th and 19th. It was the group’s first solo concert, but both days sold out well in advance, underscoring CORTIS’s overwhelming popularity.

True to the show’s title, which urged fans to put their phones away and enjoy the moment, the members delivered explosive energy and drove the audience wild. They ran across the cross-shaped extended stage and the stairs connecting the first and second floors, shaking up the entire venue. The highlight was the stage for "TNT," a track from the group’s second mini album. More than 20 dancers and the audience came together in a fierce mosh pit, creating a raw spectacle rarely seen on a K-pop stage.

After the first day’s performance, however, unexpected criticism surfaced. Some online communities voiced disappointment over the roughly 1 hour and 40 minute runtime and the repeated use of signature songs such as "YOUNGCREATORCREW" five times and "Red Red" four times. There were also complaints about the physical limits of a rookie group in its first year since debut, with only 12 released songs, as well as the 143,000 won ticket price.

Still, many saw the show not as "shoddy" but as a fresh rebellion in the K-pop world. Instead of relying on cover songs or guest appearances, CORTIS built its setlist entirely from its own creations. Much like Travis Scott, who whipped audiences into a frenzy by performing his hit "Pain" in succession, or Kanye West, who emphasized the core message of his concerts through stacked hit songs, CORTIS also chose to carry the show with only its own stories and voices rather than mechanically padding out the song count. The result was a more immersive performance.

The group even отказed to use flashy VCR segments or costume changes. It bet everything on raw live vocals and performances that moved as close to the audience as possible. With the addition of the mosh pit, CORTIS created a "culture of our own" that could only be seen and enjoyed at its concerts.

The members also showed flexibility by responding to the complaints of some fans. On the second day, they expanded the encore segment and the amount of speaking time. After the show, James thanked the audience, saying, "I’m really grateful to everyone who enjoyed every moment today with open hearts and eye contact. Let’s keep this momentum going and continue the tour."

"We are grateful and happy that we can fill such a big stage even though it has been less than a year since our debut. We exist because we perform on stage. Good culture and a good stage cannot be created without you. Please stay with us from now on," CORTIS said, and the message came across as sincere.

In this way, CORTIS shattered the K-pop concert stereotype that everything must be perfectly calculated and staged, using its wild energy instead. The group is now heading overseas. On the 31st and August 1, it will take the stage at Lollapalooza Chicago in the United States as the only K-pop boy group invited for a solo performance this year. It will then launch its North American tour starting in Toronto, Canada, on August 4. A debut first-anniversary concert will follow on August 22 and 23 at Korea University Hwajeong Gymnasium in Seoul.

Baek Ji-eun, silk781220@sportschosun.com.

This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.