CORTIS, KATSEYE and GIRLSET Earn Places on Billboard’s 2026 21 Under 21 List

CORTIS, KATSEYE and GIRLSET have been included in Billboard’s 2026 21 Under 21 list, placing three acts connected to the K-pop and global pop ecosystem among the publication’s young artists to watch. The annual feature highlights performers under 21 whose work has made a notable impression over the preceding year and whose careers appear positioned for further growth.

The three selections arrive from different corners of contemporary pop, but together they underline how quickly the boundaries around K-pop are continuing to expand. Chart movement, festival appearances, international collaborations and greater creative participation are all part of the picture for the acts recognized this year.

CORTIS builds on a breakthrough release

For CORTIS, the recognition follows a particularly strong period around the group’s EP GREENGREEN. The project opened at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, an early-career result that put the group in prominent company on one of the industry’s most closely watched album charts. Its lead track, REDRED, also gained streaming traction and reached the Billboard Global 200, giving the group another marker of growing overseas attention.

The combination of album sales and song-level performance is meaningful because it suggests interest across more than one format. A high album debut can reflect a concentrated fan response, while sustained streaming visibility can introduce an act to listeners who may not yet be following every release. For a developing group, having both signals at once can create a sturdier foundation for the next promotional cycle.

CORTIS’s appearance on the list also reflects the speed at which newer Korean pop acts can now enter international conversations. Digital platforms have made discovery more immediate, but converting that exposure into repeated chart appearances still requires a release strategy, a clear musical identity and material that can travel beyond a group’s core audience.

KATSEYE’s increasingly global year

KATSEYE was recognized after a year that has broadened the group’s profile in several directions. The group made its Lollapalooza debut, collected its first Grammy nominations, including a Best New Artist nomination, and added multiple Billboard Hot 100 appearances. Those milestones point to a schedule that has moved beyond a single market and into the wider global pop circuit.

Its 2026 releases have helped maintain that visibility. Internet Girl, PINKY UP and ICONIC BY MISTAKE, made with LE SSERAFIM and ILLIT, each reached the Hot 100, while pre-release track Animal became the group’s highest-charting debut on the tally so far. The collaboration in particular illustrates how projects can connect established K-pop audiences with a group built for a multinational pop audience.

The momentum is notable not simply for the individual placements, but for the range of platforms involved. Festival stages, awards attention, radio-facing singles and collaborative releases each bring different listeners into the fold. Maintaining a cohesive identity while moving through those spaces will be one of the central tests as KATSEYE continues its next phase.

GIRLSET moves forward as a quartet

GIRLSET enters the list following a period of reinvention. After reintroducing itself as a four-member group last summer, the act rolled out releases that connected it with well-known figures in hip-hop and R&B. Little Miss featured Missy Elliott, while Tweak incorporated a sample associated with SWV and reached No. 22 on the Digital Song Sales chart.

Beyond those releases, the group has emphasized a larger role in its own songwriting sessions. That shift can be especially important during a rebrand, when musical choices and member participation help define how a new version of a group is understood. It gives GIRLSET an opportunity to turn a transition period into a more distinct creative direction.

Billboard’s 2026 selections do not predict a single route to success. CORTIS, KATSEYE and GIRLSET represent three different approaches to building momentum, from fast-rising chart performance to cross-market pop expansion and a reworked group identity. Their inclusion nevertheless points to a shared reality: younger artists are finding increasingly varied ways to reach a global audience, and the next stages of their careers will be watched closely.