From 'Blood, Sweat & Tears' to chill, CORTIS captures K-pop's new mood

Something about CORTIS just hits differently from other K-pop groups.

There is no sophisticated fictional universe or elaborate lore surrounding the members.

No mystique designed to keep fans on edge.

No metallic beats dominating their music.

Much of the formula that has come to define K-pop is conspicuously absent from CORTIS.

The decision to take a different path came from a bold acceptance of the fact that conventional methods, such as building elaborate lore around a group, could take CORTIS only so far in expanding its fan base.

And it paid off.

People in their 40s and 50s, a generation that has largely remained outside the core K-pop fandom, suddenly began to notice the group and, more importantly, like it.

To some, CORTIS represents change itself.

The most high-profile figure to make that connection was newly appointed Prime Minister Han Sung-sook, who quoted the group’s lyrics while pledging the change she intended to bring to the country.

The obvious question, then, is what exactly about CORTIS has won over so many middle-aged listeners and led them to embrace the group as a sy ...