CORTIS turned their Lollapalooza debut on 1 August into one of the festival's standout moments, delivering an adrenaline-fuelled set that showcased exactly why the rookie quintet has been building momentum over the past year.
Despite persistent rain and delayed festival gates, fans flooded the T-Mobile Stage as soon as entry opened, filling the grounds ahead of the group's afternoon performance. By the time MARTIN, JAMES, JUHOON, SEONGHYEON, and KEONHO took the stage, chants of the group's name had already taken over the crowd.
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Opening with their breakout single 'GO!', CORTIS wasted no time establishing the pace. Backed by a live DJ, the five-piece powered through fan favourites including 'What You Want', 'REDRED', and 'ACAI', pairing razor-sharp choreography with commanding live vocals that rarely let the energy dip. Even festivalgoers unfamiliar with the group found themselves swept up in the performance, with singalongs growing louder as the set progressed.
The biggest surprise arrived midway through the show when hip-hop veteran Juicy J emerged to perform 'MOTION (feat. Juicy J)' live for the very first time, just days after the collaboration's release. The performance highlighted the chemistry between the artists, with MARTIN introducing the rapper as a "big brother" before the two acts celebrated together on stage.
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The set briefly shifted gears with the smoother 'JoyRide' before ramping back up through 'Mention Me', 'YOUNGCREATORCREW', 'Wassup', and 'TNT'. Closing number 'FaSHioN' brought one final surge of energy, as thousands of fans danced and shouted along until the last beat.
The performance capped off a whirlwind weekend for the group, who had also packed out a sold-out headline show at Chicago's House of Blues the night before. Together, the two performances underscored CORTIS' growing reputation as a formidable live act capable of translating their high-octane sound from studio recordings to festival stages.
Speaking after the performance, the members reflected on achieving a longtime dream,"Performing at Lollapalooza Chicago has been a dream of ours since we were young, so being able to experience this moment was truly special. While working on GREENGREEN, we imagined the kind of energy we hoped to create on stage, and seeing that vision come to life with fans made this experience even more meaningful."
Following their Lollapalooza debut, CORTIS are set to kick off the sold-out North American leg of their first headline tour on 4 August in Toronto. For more information, visit ibighit.com/ko/cortis/tour.
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