On stage, South Korean boy group Cortis have a magnetic presence that you just can't look away. It's hard to believe the group barely debuted one year ago on Aug. 18. The group consists of five members: James, Juhoon, Martin, Seonghyeon, and Keonho. James and Martin, respectively, had a lot of buzz surrounding them before their debut. James is recognized for choreographing and writing songs for major K-pop acts like ILLIT and Tomorrow X Together (TXT). Martin is known for his writing and producing, notably ILLIT’s "Magnetic," TXT’s "Deja Vu," and LE SSERAFIM’s "Pierrot".
What sets Cortis apart from other K-Pop is that they don’t follow the typical formula. They don’t have flashy over-the-top visuals. Their sound is more westernized and global with motifs of rap and hip-hop. They have a youthful aura, viral dance moves and explosively addictive sound, so it’s no surprise they would also put on a fantastic show.
Cortis’ “Put Your Phone Down” Tour stopped by the YouTube Theater on Aug. 13. As the title suggests, the tour encourages fans, COER, to put their phone down and live in the moment. In honor of the theme of the show, the group created an app called "PYPW." The ‘PYPD’ app captures, in real-time, every movement and physical activity created together by the artist and fans at the venue. It encourages attendees to put their phones away and enjoy the show.
The show production is simple. It’s just them on stage with a couch on the side. This gave the show a more authentic vibe. There were no dress changes or VCRs, it was just them on stage dancing and singing to the music. The enormous screens behind them would light up and show the lyrics of the song in huge fonts. It felt more like an underground rap show than a K-pop show. The group focused on building up the energy of their fans. The group seemed very thrilled to be back in Los Angeles. Cortis created a lot of their music here in Los Angeles and mentioned at the show that they consider LA to be their second home.
All the members are so comfortable onstage; they would often run down through the aisles and interact with fans - dancing and singing along. Each member used handheld mics, giving them more control of their vocals. The delivery of each song was strong. Unfortunately, Keonho had to sit down on the couch for some of the choreographed moments as he suffered fractures in both pinkies due to a fall. That didn’t stop him from dancing along with his groupmates and showcasing his strong vocals.
Cortis only has two EPs in their catalog, so it makes sense why they decided to sing the same songs multiple times to fill in time and make the concert worth it for fans. It would have been nice for the group to sing song covers, especially since they are BigHit Music's third group after BTS and TXT. At times the show felt a bit repetitive, but no one in the venue seemed to mind too much, as each performance was different; for example, they performed an explosive remix version of “GO” and extended version of “TNT.” Keeping their set interesting. One of the most memorable moments was when they slowed things down with “Joy Ride” “Lullaby” and “Blue Lips,” highlighting their melodic vocals and group harmonies.
Towards the end of the night, the group gave some touching farewell speeches. James’ speech in particular was very sweet and endearing, ending the show on a high note. "You know LA is a very special city. It's in LA that we first put our heads together and wrote our first line of lyrics. It's in LA that we first rode into the practice room and choreographed our first choreo. It’s in LA that we made this album Color Outside the Lines that started our careers. LA is a melting pot of so many cultures all together. I see every single type of people, everyone beautiful. Everyone United, every single one enjoying music, enjoying life. This is why we’re on tour. To see every single one of you enjoying yourselves. LA, you are a very, very special city and you will always be our base,” finished James to thunderous applause.
Photo credit: BIGHIT MUSIC (HYBE)
