CORTIS breaks 100 million streams with GO
In a move that underscores the growing influence of Korean music on the global stage, the group CORTIS a remarkable milestone in their career, with their hit song "GO" surpassing 100 million streams on Spotify. This figure is not merely a statistic; it represents a true testament to the rise of this emerging group, which has managed to secure its place among the top K-pop stars in record time.
Record numbers in record time
The song "GO" achieved this exceptional milestone on the 2nd of this month, just four months after its official release. With this achievement, CORTIS has recorded the fastest time a K-pop boy group song has reached this number since last year, surpassing many competing releases. These figures are doubly significant because CORTIS is the only rookie group that debuted in 2025 to break this barrier with a single song, placing them at the forefront of the new generation of K-pop groups.
The success wasn't limited to the single; the band's first album, "GO!", surpassed 100 million cumulative streams on Spotify, reflecting a cohesive and growing fan base looking for the band's content.
Artistic identity: the secret to success
In the Korean music industry, which often relies on massive production teams behind the scenes, CORTIS's success stands out as a unique case, reflecting early artistic maturity. This achievement derives its true value from the fact that every member of the group is involved in the creative process, from writing lyrics and composing music to choreography and music video production. This model of "producer idols" enhances the group's credibility and creates a stronger emotional connection with an audience that appreciates artists who tell their own stories.
Dominance on global and local lists
The success of "GO" extended far beyond streaming platforms, securing its place on prestigious global charts. It held a top spot on the Billboard Global 200 for two consecutive weeks, a chart considered the gold standard for measuring global popularity based on streaming and sales data in over 200 countries. Domestically, the group proved its strength by topping the daily, weekly, and monthly charts on the Korean platform Melon—a rare achievement for a boy group in its first year, combining domestic success with international reach.
Global critical acclaim
This meteoric rise did not go unnoticed by critics and the global media. The song ranked second on Billboard's list of the 25 best K-pop songs of 2025, as selected by the editorial team, achieving the highest ranking for a male artist on the list. Praise also poured in from prestigious platforms such as the UK's NME, Dazed magazine, Apple Music, and Spotify, all of which included "GO" on their lists of the year's best releases, confirming that CORTIS is not just a digital phenomenon, but a high-quality artistic project.
