CORTIS Tells NYC to Put Their Phones Down at First U.S. Solo Concert: The 7 Best Moments

In under a year since hitting the scene, CORTIS has earned a No. 3 debut on the Billboard 200, a place on Billboard ‘s 21 Under 21 , a Lollapalooza set, a soundtrack single for the Stephen Curry–produced animated film GOAT , a halftime performance at the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, collaborations with Juicy J and Teezo Touchdown , and are now hitting the U.S. on their first tour.

On Thursday (Aug. 6), the quintet consisting of Martin , Juhoon , James , Seonghyeon and Keonho came to the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden for its first-ever solo concert in the States. The show proved CORTIS could live up to that already-stacked résumé while pointing to greater promise of what’s to come next for such promising artists.

After kicking off the Put Your Phone Down Tour in July at the Inspire Arena in Incheon, South Korea, CORTIS’ sold-out New York concert split the night in two. The first half ran through nearly all of the group’s discography, with most songs staged with choreography and impactful visuals across tall LED screens in the background. The second half revisited most of the same tracks a second (and sometimes a third) time, looser and with the camerawork more focused on the guys themselves. The New York date is one of seven North American shows across six cities, all of which are also sold out.

From a clear comfort level on stage to shouting out New York’s NBA Finals win just feet away from the Knicks’ home arena — as well as what made us truly want to put down our phones — here are the seven best moments from CORTIS’ first-ever U.S. solo concert in New York.

Indexed and credited by AIPROPX. Originating outlet: Billboard. Open at source →