Eight months after their explosive debut, CORTIS prove they are not interested in playing it safe. While many rookie groups spend their early years trying to perfect a marketable sound, CORTIS are already tearing apart the blueprint entirely. The five-member group — Martin, James, Juhoon, Seonghyeon, and Keonho — return with the six-track EP GREENGREEN, a project that feels chaotic, emotional, experimental, and strangely connected all at once.
The EP opens with “TNT,” an aggressive, high-energy track that immediately throws listeners into the group’s unpredictable world. The production feels intentionally messy in the best possible way. Distorted synths, abrupt beat switches, and explosive rap sections collide together without ever fully losing control. It is the kind of song that should not work on paper, yet CORTIS somehow makes it addictive.
Pre-release single “REDRED” serves as the centerpiece of the album and is easily one of the strongest K-pop title tracks of 2026 so far. Built around rough synth textures and repetitive hooks, the song captures the identity CORTIS have been building since their debut: rebellious, youthful, and unapologetically unconventional. The “red versus green” concept becomes a metaphor for the things the group rejects versus the creative direction they want to pursue.
What makes GREENGREEN especially impressive is how personal it feels. Tracks like “ACAI” and “YOUNGCREATORCREW” sound less like polished idol music and more like pages taken directly from the members’ lives. “ACAI” transforms something as random as their favorite açaí bowls during Los Angeles songwriting sessions into a carefree anthem, while “YOUNGCREATORCREW” reflects on the strange reality of being both artists and products within the entertainment industry.
The emotional highlight of the album arrives with “Blue Lips.” Originally developed from a demo written by Martin, the song strips away much of the loudness heard earlier on the EP and replaces it with vulnerability. The layered vocals and melancholic atmosphere create one of the project’s most memorable moments, proving that beneath all the experimental production and chaotic energy, CORTIS are capable of delivering genuine emotional depth.
What separates CORTIS from many other rookie groups is that their artistic identity already feels fully formed. Every member participated in songwriting and production throughout the EP, continuing their reputation as a “young creator crew” rather than a traditionally manufactured idol group. The result is an album that feels alive — imperfect at times, but intentionally so.
If their debut EP Color Outside the Lines introduced CORTIS as one of the most exciting new groups in K-pop, GREENGREEN confirms they are here to push the genre somewhere unfamiliar. This is not an album designed for easy listening. It is loud, strange, occasionally overwhelming, and completely confident in its own identity.
And that is exactly what makes it so good.
Overall Rating: 10/10
