Cortis, Katseye named to Billboard's '21 Under 21' list

K-pop acts Cortis and Katseye have both been named to Billboard's annual "21 Under 21" list, making them the only K-pop acts to appear on this year's roster.

The US music publication announced its 2026 "21 Under 21" — a list of 21 artists and groups aged 21 or younger — on Friday via its official website, with Cortis and Katseye featured among the honorees.

Billboard compiles the list annually, evaluating artists on a combination of quantitative metrics — including album and single sales, streaming performance, social media reach, and radio and TV exposure — alongside industry influence and growth potential.

Cortis — comprising Martin, James, Juhun, Seonghyeon and Geonho — is the only K-pop boy group on the list.

The group debuted last year with "COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES," which entered the Billboard 200 at No. 15 — the highest chart position ever achieved by a K-pop group's debut album, excluding project groups.

Their second mini-album, "GREENGREEN," released in May, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. The title track "REDRED" has spent 13 consecutive weeks on both the Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. US charts as of the latest chart dated Aug. 1, while also holding the No. 1 spot on Spotify's South Korea weekly chart for 14 straight weeks and charting on the platform's global daily chart for 100 consecutive days.

Cortis also dropped a surprise digital single Friday — "MOTION," a collaboration with Southern hip-hop legend Juicy J. The group is set to take the stage Sunday at Lollapalooza Chicago, one of the United States' largest music festivals.

Katseye, the global girl group formed through a joint venture between HYBE and Geffen Records, earned a spot on the list for the second consecutive year.

Billboard highlighted the group's achievements, saying it had "its biggest year yet since its debut."

Katseye's second EP, "BEAUTIFUL CHAOS," released in June last year, debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and has remained on the chart for 56 consecutive weeks. Four of the group's songs — including "Gnarly" and "Gabriela" — have charted on the Hot 100. Their latest release, "Animal," reached No. 9 on Spotify's global chart and No. 16 on the UK Official Singles Chart. The group earned two nominations at the 68th Grammy Awards in February, then swept three awards at the 2026 American Music Awards in May, including New Artist of the Year.