Should fans put their phones down at concerts? This K-pop band thinks so

Should concertgoers set aside their cell phones at live performances? This K-pop group believes so.

The boyband Cortis has consistently encouraged their fanbase to put away their phones and engage directly with the show.

As their global tour commenced in Incheon, South Korea, the five members of the K-pop sensation Cortis casually walked onto the stage in stylish, streetwear-inspired attire, radiating an effortlessly cool aura.

"Put your phone down," one member commanded, prompting a wave of piercing screams. A multitude of glowing screens flickered in response.

"I told you, put your phone down," he reiterated, his voice louder this time.

While some fans complied, the packed stadium vibrated with even louder cheers as thousands of phones remained aloft.

It's unclear how serious this dramatic directive truly is.

"Put Your Phone Down" is also the title of Cortis's current concert tour, which began in Incheon on July 18th and is scheduled to visit cities like New York and Los Angeles before concluding in Seoul later this month.

This recurring phrase reflects a long-standing message from the band: that fans should stop experiencing concerts through small screens and instead immerse themselves in the live performance.

The message has elicited mixed reactions from their fanbase, as fan-recorded content holds significant social value in the K-pop world.

Park Ji-yeon, for instance, found herself unable to stop recording Cortis's performances. The 22-year-old specifically rented a new, high-end smartphone for both days of the Cortis concert to ensure she could film in the highest possible quality.

"I was standing right at the front, and I couldn't bring myself to put my phone down because I don't know if I'll ever get this opportunity again," she shared with the BBC.

"I usually film concerts because I know a lot of those memories will fade as soon as I leave the venue."

While fans like Park continued to film, others heeded the band's request. Kim Ga-eun, 25, who was seated in the amphitheater-style venue, observed the scene.

"People in the back of the standing section were having a great time dancing together. I thought that really reflected the intention behind the concert," she remarked.

Cortis recently performed at Lollapalooza in Chicago.

Cortis has experienced a whirlwind year since their debut last year under BigHit Music, the record label associated with the creators of pop sensation BTS. Most of its members are teenagers, with the oldest, James, being just 20 years old.

Their music videos have each garnered millions of views. Over the past weekend, they performed at Lollapalooza, the renowned music festival in Chicago.

The band's name, Cortis, is derived from the phrase "colour outside the lines," which, according to their record label, aims to embody the band's free spirit and their refusal to conform to societal norms—a stance that, in this context, appears to include encouraging fans to resist the urge of their phone cameras.

They join a growing number of artists globally who advocate for the same.

Singers such as Phoebe Bridgers and Alicia Keys have mandated that their concert attendees use lock pouches—sealed bags that allow individuals to keep their phones with them but prevent access.

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Few have gone as far as the Welsh rock group Suede, whose frontman Brett Anderson leaped over a barricade during a 2023 performance in Singapore to grab fans' phones.

Billie Eilish, who has defended filming as a way for fans to relive cherished memories after a show, gently cooed to her front-row audience during a performance in Amsterdam: "Put your phone down, I'm right here."

Even BTS, K-pop's global superstars, have made similar appeals. "Stop looking at your phone screen. Just look at me," BTS member Jungkook playfully told the audience at one concert.

"From the artists' perspective, interacting with fans is a really important part of performing, so I think they want people to focus more on that than on their phones," Park commented on Cortis's anti-mobile rallying cry.

After all, fancams—zoomed-in videos focusing on a single celebrity—are a highly valued currency in K-pop communities. Once shared online, people meticulously study the choreography, delighting in catching subtle movements and expressions from their favorite band members. These clips endure as material for collective admiration and fan-made montages.

Fans of BTS are accustomed to the band's occasional requests to put away their phones at concerts.

This is why Cortis's persistent calls for people to put down their phones have displeased some, particularly in a fan culture obsessed with capturing every moment. Following the first day of their concert, disgruntled comments emerged online among fans.

"I spent over one million won ($700; £520) attending both days," Park stated. "I think a lot of fans spent similar amounts of money, so constantly hearing them asking us to put our phones down made some fans even more frustrated."

These murmurs appear to have reached Cortis, as fans reported that the band toned down their message on the second day of the concert.

"On the first day, the message felt more like, 'Let's put our phones down and have fun together.' On the second day, it changed slightly to, 'We understand why you want to film, so let's just make sure we enjoy ourselves together,'" Kim recalled.

"They said filming was okay, but they wanted us to enjoy the concert together, and that 'Put Your Phone Down' was more of a mindset."

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