CORTIS on the Verge of 'Million Seller' Milestone with Debut Album 'COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES'

Rookie group CORTIS is rapidly approaching a monumental achievement: becoming a 'million seller' with their debut album.

The debut album ‘COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES’ by CORTIS (Martin, James, Junghoon, Sunghyun, Gunho) has surpassed 960,000 copies in cumulative sales as of the Circle Chart's October monthly album chart. This marks the highest album sales among groups that debuted this year, a remarkable feat considering the members are not from audition programs or previously debuted teams.

Released on September 8th, ‘COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES’ sold over 420,000 copies in its first week alone, according to Circle Chart data. This secured them the top spot for initial album sales (sales within the first week of release) among all groups debuting in 2025. Within its second week, the album achieved 'half-million seller' status, and now, surpassing one million cumulative sales is within reach.

While album sales typically see a sharp decline after the initial sales period, CORTIS has demonstrated a different trajectory. Two months post-release, the album's cumulative sales have significantly exceeded double the initial sales figures (420,000 copies), showcasing a consistent sales curve. Even after the official promotions for their debut album concluded, sales comparable to the initial week's figures continued to pour in, indicating a steady influx of new fans.

CORTIS's popularity was anticipated early on. As a 'young creator crew' that jointly produces music, choreography, and visuals, they generated a fresh buzz with their self-created content. Their solid vocal abilities and overwhelming performances fueled word-of-mouth success. On short-form platforms, their songs like ‘What You Want’, ‘GO!’, and ‘FaSHioN’ were played daily, with ‘GO!’ even being brought back for music show performances due to its immense popularity. Furthermore, every aspect of their activities, including fashion, photography, video shooting styles, and self-produced content, became a topic of conversation. In October, they expanded their reach by accepting invitations from the US and Japan, captivating international fandoms through large-scale performances, events, radio, and broadcast appearances, rapidly elevating their status.

All indicators point towards them being the 'Rookie of the Year'. CORTIS's debut album surpassed 100 million cumulative streams on Spotify, the world's largest music streaming platform, in the shortest time among groups that debuted in 2025 (as of October 12th). Their popularity in the US rivals that of established boy groups. The album debuted at number 15 on the Billboard 200 main album chart (as of September 27th), setting the highest entry position for a debut album by a K-pop group, excluding project teams. Additionally, they boast the most followers on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram among all rookies debuted this year, highlighting their overwhelming popularity.

Netizens are expressing amazement and support, commenting, "Are they really rookies? This is legendary progress," "CORTIS is truly amazing! Let's hit 1 million copies!", and "It's never boring because they always show us new sides."