[OSENWORLD] BigHit Music’s rookie boy group CORTIS has made its first mark on the Billboard charts, marking a strong start to their global career.
On Sept. 16 (local time), Billboard announced its latest rankings (for the week of Sept. 20, covering Sept. 5–11). The group’s debut album COLOR OUTSIDE LINES entered the World Albums chart at No. 15. Remarkably, the U.S. release came on Sept. 12 — after the tracking period had ended — making the early chart entry even more impressive. All eyes are now on whether CORTIS will debut on the main Billboard 200 next week.
The momentum was fueled by their viral breakout GO!, the album’s intro track. The song topped Spotify’s Daily Viral Songs Global chart for three consecutive days (Sept. 9–11) before holding at No. 2 for the next four (Sept. 12–15). In the U.S., one of the most influential music markets, GO! also peaked at No. 2 on the Daily Viral Songs chart (Sept. 11–14).
That virality translated into fast-rising streaming growth. By Sept. 14, the group had surpassed 3 million monthly listeners on Spotify — gaining 2 million more listeners within 13 days of surpassing 1 million. Their follow-up single FaSHioN added to the momentum, debuting at No. 9 on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart, a chart where only BTS, BLACKPINK, and Stray Kids appeared alongside them.
Physical sales underscored their popularity. COLOR OUTSIDE LINES recorded 436,367 copies in its first week, the highest among all rookies debuting in 2025 and the fourth-biggest debut album sales tally in K-pop history.
At home in Korea, CORTIS became the only rookie boy group this year to enter Melon’s Top 100 real-time chart, with GO! breaking into the rankings on Sept. 16.
CORTIS is BigHit Music’s first new boy group in six years, and their swift ascent shows no signs of slowing. With Billboard recognition, viral hits, millions of listeners, and strong sales both at home and abroad, the group is already positioning itself as a next-generation K-pop powerhouse.
/k_inside@osen.co.kr
Courtesy of BigHit Music
