Exclusive: CORTIS Talks About Their Inspirations And Forming Their Identity Through Honest Music At Press Showcase For “GREENGREEN”

CORTIS is gearing up for their highly-anticipated comeback!

On April 20, CORTIS held the press showcase for their second mini album “GREENGREEN.”

In the Q&A session at their press showcase, the members emphasized being honest and raw in expressing themselves for their latest album—discussing how they’ve grown through the comeback while experimenting with different sounds and genres.

The members began by sharing how they came to choose the themes “GREENGREEN” and “REDRED,” which blossomed from James’s initial suggestion and was developed to further represent the dichotomy of what CORTIS dislikes versus what they support.

Regarding the title track “REDRED,” Martin shared, “I’m confident that it will do well.” Seonghyeon further mentioned that all five members participated in producing the album, capturing the members’ various tastes. Keonho reflected on the group’s growth and CORTIS’s experiences since their debut such as headlining the NBA Crossover concert series in Los Angeles, expressing how their thoughts and preferences became more clear over time.

Keonho discussed working on the album simultaneously while being busy with promotions for CORTIS. He shared, “We were out of ideas at one point, but we tried to make new experiences in our daily lives together.” Seonghyeon elaborated they refreshed themselves by going for walks, playing basketball, going to the theaters and eating popcorn, and working in open places. When the MC jokingly mentioned Martin’s advantage when it came to basketball, Martin added, “I’m working hard on my dunks.”

Regarding the catchy choreography, James commented, “When making the choreo, the hook is the important part. We thought it should be easy to follow along like the song’s hook.” Martin brought up the importance of originality in their self-produced music video for “REDRED,” such as wanting to capture the old streets of Seoul and their raw selves. Seonghyeon mentioned, “Keonho and Martin wore the restaurant owner’s apron, and the people walking past were curious about what we were filming.” Martin added, “I remember someone tried to say it was for a college project.”

The members elaborated on the “raw” concept of the upcoming album, which reflects their desire to be honest—an element Martin wanted to highlight as CORTIS’ strength. James shared, “When you look at the concept photos, you can see our natural skin. We did just the minimum makeup while taking the photos as we wanted to show our real selves—it was okay if our dark circles showed.”

Juhoon also talked about performing as their strength saying, “It’s one of our favorite parts. Performing in front of fans face-to-face is what we enjoy.” James further talked about how the group can communicate more with fans through the album, saying their workflow became much smoother through producing this second mini album. The members also touched upon receiving strength from TXT while filming a challenge together, saying they told CORTIS to promote in good health.

On CORTIS’s new achievement of surpassing 2 million stock pre-orders for “GREENGREEN,” the members talked about how they heard the news, such as Keonho getting a call from his mom while Seonghyeon got a message from his dad. Keonho added, “I feel so grateful and happy to receive so much love and interest so early.”

When asked about the group’s popularity abroad, Martin reminisced about the NBA Crossover stage, sharing, “Fans abroad knew our songs well. We showcased ‘YOUNGCREATORCREW’ for the first time, and they jumped along.”

Finally,answering the question about when they feel inspired, James emphasized, “Rather than waiting, first, we start creating.” Martin remarked, “We get inspiration everywhere from our daily lives,” adding, “We want to make people think, ‘I want to see their performance.’” Juhoon added, “We get our inspiration from scheduled activities, performances, and activities abroad. ‘Wassup’ is one of our B-sides, and we portrayed our inspiration there.”

CORTIS will make their comeback with “GREENGREEN” on May 4. Ahead of the comeback, they will release their title track “REDRED” on April 20 at 6 p.m. KST. Check out teasers here!

Photo Credit: BIGHIT MUSIC