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Upcoming Artists : A Track-by-Track Review of CORTIS's EP
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
Written by Nguyen Hoang Ngan
With a raw, upbeat and playful tone, the group was able to encapsulate the concept of teenage freedom. It’s rather refreshing to see how they were able to blend an early 2000s rock aesthetic with a new sound that is rather fresh considering the music generally being produced by the K-Pop industry. They were able to showcase their creativity and have that authenticity that we as humans crave, especially in a time where AI is starting to debut in many creative industries. They were able to highlight the raw, messy and unpolished sense of human nature in their MVs, which really contrasts the more produced, artificial standards set in their industry. This makes them really stand out to listeners, providing their listeners with a more “human” take that contrasts the K-Pop industry standard.
Track 1 – GO!
In the first track, listeners are hit with the group’s full force/energy; this gives listeners a real taste of the group and their style. This had been expressed by Juhoon in his interview with Rolling Stone [linked HERE!] that he believes “GO!” was the perfect introductory song to the group, as it was authentically them. The track was able to highlight what they, as artists and people, want. It highlights how we are actively watching them work to achieve their goals as a group and how this is just the very beginning. It shows how they aren’t waiting for anyone else to tell them when they can step forward in the industry and how they are ready to create a new style, a new standard, and their own path forward in this harsh industry. How they are ready to break the general expectations of what people expect K-Pop to sound like or be like. It highlights how they want their music to not be generic but emphasise them as the creatives they are. Overall, this is a great introductory track, as it really enhances their character and shows how they want to grow as a group, showing how they don’t want to be followers but to go their own way. This helps viewers empathise and relate to the group, as they aren’t doing it to just be another K-Pop artist but to express themselves as artists and be able to fully be their own group.
track 2 - What You Want
What You Want was a song that was able to very successfully convey the idea of finding yourself, the creation of you as an individual. That feeling of freedom and choice that you have, to build you as a person. The essential moments that help you realise what you really want in life and who you truly are. This is supported in Martin’s interview with Weverse Magazine [linked: HERE!], where he expresses how in his life, he realised that he wanted all of these things and chased after them. But as he grew older, he was able to understand what he was truly chasing. He was able to understand that fame may be knowing your name, but making an impact on these people and connecting with his audience is what really denotes true fame and success. This just further shows how they conveyed this feeling of maturity, the ability to find and build yourself, and the ability to understand yourself. The song shows their want to be remembered. It gives them purpose, it gives them passion, and it gives them life. We can analyse how, in this song, their vocals are purposely more natural and raw, abandoning the clean, put-together aesthetic, further conveying the message they’re trying to send. This track solidifies their hunger for self-definition, making it a high-energy centrepiece that evolves their intro vibe into something more introspective yet defiant.
track 3 - FaSHioN
Listeners get swept into a playful yet abrasive flex on self-made style, inspired by thrift shopping and contrasting absurd luxury boasts with bouncy trap beats. They used a nice synth to bring you into their world. The repetitive “FaSHioN” hook and tinny percussion create a self-aware parody of trends, nodding to their Odd Future influences while being able to highlight them as their own people in their fashion. The repetitive hook—"FaSHioN, FaSHioN"—drills into your head in a hypnotic sense, delivered in monotone chants by members like Juhoon and Sion that mock luxury flexes ("Dripped in Gucci, but it's thrift store real") while celebrating their DIY ethos, straight out of thrift hauls. What elevates FaSHioN is CORTIS's personality shining through the visuals and performance. This is emphasised with the chaotic choreography with exaggerated poses, pristine outfits unravelling into rugged streetwear, mirroring the track's harsh-soft contrasts. Verses bounce from abrasive delivery to melodic whispers, with ad-libs layering hype that connects with the audience, promoting their listeners. The song encourages its listeners to stand by their group and be true to their authentic self. This reiterates the group’s main purpose: to celebrate authenticity, to highlight individuals and to celebrate the ugliness that creates our humanity. This song is a direct statement to mock the empty, fake, polished standard that the K-Pop industry and many mainstream industries have. It promotes and supports authenticity, the main drive of the whole group.
track 4 - Joyride
Joyride takes a break and a step back from the upbeat style that the group has been leaning towards throughout the EP. Although it’s not as upbeat as the other songs, it still has an impact. It felt like a more personal song for CORTIS, instead of what people usually imagine when they think of joyrides; CORTIS strays away from the reckless standard that people have. The song conveys a calmer, gentler feeling. It still expresses the underlying feeling of freedom and exploration that is evident in all their songs in this EP. But this just really shows a new side to the group, a calmer, more understanding side. It shows that not everything in your life has to be “get up and go do and give it everything you have”, but you are allowed to have moments where you can just take a break, be calm and take a step back from chasing your goals and just enjoy where you are right now and enjoy the time you have with other people. It creates a relatable atmosphere and really humanises the group. Additionally, this song reminds listeners to just enjoy and live their life, reminding them to take a break.
track 5 - Lullaby
This is our final track on this EP. And with Lullaby, CORTIS uses this as a parting piece. It continues on with what Joyride offered but puts more emphasis on taking breaks and working towards something at your own pace. It is so common nowadays to just see people, especially public figures, work themselves to the bone to please the harsh standards their industry has for them. We see people crumbling under the unrealistic demand for perfection, and that causes us to lose talented artists in the industry. To continue on that note, the members of CORTIS fully understand this and define their own version of perfection. To quote from the Rolling Stone interview mentioned previously, “perfection is not to be perfect.” Not everything needs to be perfect; not everything needs to be correct. Because sometimes you don’t need perfect; you need something with character, something that has a clear sense of humanity. This song is a reminder to not only the group but also to us as an audience to take a break. Even if you have work, even if you have things to do; sometimes everyone should just sit back, enjoy the calm, enjoy your own presence, and enjoy the quiet.
Ultimately, CORTIS's first EP is more than just a series of songs—it's a statement of purpose, a declaration of raw, unbridled humanity in an industry that obsesses and demands perfection. Whether it's the pure passion of "GO!", the representation of maturing and becoming who you are in "What You Want", the celebration of individuality in "FaSHioN", the gentle release of "Joyride", or the representation of humanity in "Lullaby", they tell a story of youth, liberation, and the search for one's own identity. In doing so, they prove that the raw, imperfect aspects of human creativity—imperfect vocals, homemade production, and unapologetic attitude—are still far more compelling than any AI-generated piece. CORTIS is not striving for perfection; they're forging their own way, and they're inviting the world to come along for the ride on their own terms. This EP marks the beginning of a new act in K-Pop, one that seeks to redefine the genre one authentic beat at a time.
References:
Juhoon. (2026). CORTIS on breaking K-pop norms: "GO! is authentically us" [Interview]. Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 11, 2026, from [linked].
Martin. (2026). Finding true fame: Chasing purpose beyond the spotlight [Interview]. Weverse Magazine. Retrieved February 11, 2026, from [linked]
Genius Lyrics (English Translations)
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