CORTIS Speak Out After Receiving Backlash For Lyric Controversy

Recently, rookie group CORTIS received online criticism over a part of their lyrics for the song “TNT.”

아니근데 시비거는것도아니고 억빠하는것도아닌데 CO2에 불켠다는건 걍 원래 이산화탄소에는 불 안켜지는데 거기까지 켜보겟다는의미로 의도한가사아닌가…..? 아님말고요 pic.twitter.com/NgAHd96jwm

— 네루리 (@nelolit) May 5, 2026

Ok, so I’m not trying to pick a fight or diss them, but saying to ‘light a fire on CO2’ doesn’t work because you can’t actually light a fire on carbon dioxide to begin with, so is this lyric just a metaphor to mean they are going to go that far…? Or not…

This ended up spreading quickly online, causing the members to clarify the misunderstanding.

Martin: The CO2 controversy: We were trying to say that we would light a fire with CO2 and not light a fire directly with CO2.

Keonho: They said that it would turn the fire off.

Martin: I wrote the lyrics.

Keonho: Lighting a fire with CO2.

Martin: It doesn’t matter what it means.

Juhoon: The stage special effect is called CO2.

With this, international fans felt that K-fans were trying to “cancel” them.

Kpop fan are really trying their best to cancel them ….even cortis small movement and mistakes are viewed as scandal…thats what it takes to debut in hybe …where as small company artist small mistakes are treated as small just what it should be.

— Hh (@ChudkiH21697) May 6, 2026

Others agreed that the members would not have let lyrics that don’t make sense make it on the album.

i hope this post goes viral as well cuz why would martin wrote a lyrics that doesn’t make sense …hes smart yall

— rain🩷#REDRED (@piinkrainydays) May 6, 2026

주훈 ㅈㄴ깔끔하게정리해서 한마디로 보내는거
주훈답다

— 뽀효이 (@Boowhooc) May 6, 2026

It’s so like Juhoon to summarize the whole situation with just one sentence.

우리애들 모지리아니다

— misa (@eommisae0) May 6, 2026

Our kids ain’t no dummies.

Meanwhile, check out the official music video below.