‘BigHit Music trio’ BTS, TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT), and CORTIS assert a formidable presence in the U.S., the world’s largest music market

입력 : 2026.08.06 20:23
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BIGHIT MUSIC

BIGHIT MUSIC

The ‘BigHit Music trio’ that has taken the U.S. music market by storm has delivered overwhelming results across North America.

BTS, which ignited ‘BTSnomics’, drew 840,000 attendees with just the first leg of its North American tour, and TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT)’s Yeonjun has been flooded with invitations from broadcasters and live stages, setting a ‘first for a K-pop singer’ record. CORTIS led a 50,000-strong sing-along at ‘Lollapalooza’ and achieved an ‘all sold out’ status for its first tour.

At the center of the whirlwind is, unmistakably, BTS. ‘BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’’ which began last April at the main stadium of Goyang Sports Complex, has entered the second chapter of its North American tour. The two shows held on August 12 (local time) at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium (MetLife Stadium) drew some 157,000 attendees. The first North American tour, held in Tampa, El Paso, Stanford, and Las Vegas in the United States, and in Mexico City, Mexico, drew about 840,000 attendees.

BTS is creating such massive economic impact that the term ‘BTSnomics’ (BTSnomics) has taken hold. The UK daily The Guardian, citing Michael Mariano, head of economic development at Tourism Economics, projected that the ripple effect of the New Jersey concert will match or even surpass that of the ‘2026 FIFA World Cup™’ in North and Central America. This suggests that BTS have grown into artists whose influence can shake entire cities, going beyond merely moving audiences with music and performance.

BIGHIT MUSIC

BIGHIT MUSIC

‘BTS THE CITY ARIRANG’, held in Las Vegas and New York, was well received by residents and fans. It is a project that blends the artist’s music and narrative into city landmarks. Collaborations with Las Vegas’s ‘Sphere’ (Sphere), New York’s famed observation deck at ‘Rockefeller Center’, ‘Top of the Rock’ (Top of the Rock), and Grand Central Terminal left a strong impression. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority stated, “Aside from the Super Bowl (Super Bowl) and Formula One (F1), BTS is the first to mobilize an entire city for a single artist with a ‘city-wide activation’ (City-wide activation).”

Following BTS, TOMORROW X TOGETHER are expanding their footprint. Yeonjun, who released his second mini album ‘NO LABELS: PART 02’ in July, has been inundated with offers. Receiving such intense attention at the very outset of his solo activities points to unlimited growth potential. On the 5th, he appeared on ABC’s flagship morning news program ‘Good Morning America’ for its ‘Summer Concert Series’. He is the second K-pop solo singer ever to appear, following BTS’s Jung Kook. His steady building of an individual career alongside the team’s success mirrors BTS.

At the outdoor concert ‘Z100‘s Summer Bash Presented By Wells Fargo’, hosted by iHeartMedia’s radio station Z100, he became the first Korean singer ever to make the lineup, standing shoulder to shoulder with global pop stars such as Charlie Puth and Bella Kay. He will also throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Milwaukee Brewers game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on the 13th, making a strong impression on baseball fans.

CORTIS’s rise less than a year after debut is highly encouraging. With the identity of a ‘young creator crew’ and a distinctively textured sound, they are said to satisfy the needs of music fans thirsty for freshness. They were the only K-pop boy group to make Billboard’s ‘21 Under 21’ list announced last month. The list is selected by considering not only quantitative indicators such as album and track sales, streaming scale, social media exposure, and radio and TV reach, but also industry impact and growth momentum.

BIGHIT MUSIC

BIGHIT MUSIC

CORTIS is also standing out on the live circuit. On the 1st, at the major U.S. music festival ‘Lollapalooza Chicago’, they led a sing-along of about 50,000 fans. They then opened their first North American tour on the 4th in Toronto, Canada. After Toronto, they are set to visit New York, Atlanta, Irving, Los Angeles, and San Francisco in succession. The ‘2026 CORTIS TOUR <PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN>’ spans 14 shows across 9 cities in Korea, Japan, and North America, and all seats sold out early.

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