Cortis becomes triple million-seller, second act this year after BTS

Cortis, a group that has broken from the conventional K-pop idol mold with raw energy and a distinct personality, has set a significant record in less than a year since its debut.

According to Big Hit Music and Circle Chart on Thursday, Cortis' second mini album "GREENGREEN" has surpassed cumulative sales of approximately 3.099 million copies, achieving triple million-seller status for a single album — a milestone reached just 11 weeks after its May release.

This year, only two acts have crossed the 3 million mark in domestic album sales with a single release: BTS with their fifth full-length album "ARIRANG" and Cortis.

Combined with their debut album "COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES," which sold 2.15 million copies, Cortis has logged total career sales of 5.25 million copies in just 11 months.

The group's rapid capture of fans at home and abroad comes down to differentiation — a deliberate departure from the standard K-pop idol template.

Rather than the precision choreography, elaborate fictional universes and capital-intensive production that have long defined K-pop groups, Cortis has pursued the kind of unconstrained freedom suggested by their debut album's title. Members took a deep hand in songwriting and visual concept development, channeling the honest, occasionally offbeat sensibility of teenagers and young adults rather than polished perfection.

The response has extended to overseas charts. Cortis debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, the highest position reached by a K-pop boy group that debuted within the past five years. The group did not stop at a brief entry, spending 10 consecutive weeks on the chart in a display of sustained commercial momentum.

Cortis will take the stage at Lollapalooza Chicago on July 31 — the only K-pop boy group invited to the major music festival this year. The group will then launch a North American tour, "2026 CORTIS TOUR IN NORTH AMERICA," beginning Aug. 4 and hitting six major cities including Toronto and San Francisco.