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On December 24, CORTIS shared a Christmas-themed video on TikTok. In the clip, members appear in streetwear. Meanwhile, the holiday track, It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas by Michael Bublé plays in the backdrop. So, while the idea itself drew little concern, certain moments sparked criticism. Near the beginning, Martin is seen using hand gestures.
As a result, some online users claimed the movements resembled signs linked to the Crips. Notably, the Crips are a US street gang associated with violent crime and drug activity. Because of this, critics argued the video borrowed from street culture without understanding its real-world weight. Some went further and accused the group of treating Black identity as an aesthetic. Many are comparing the situation to that of KISS OF LIFE. The quartet faced backlash for similar reasons.
"You really just have to debut in hybe to get away with everything cus this is no different to the kiss of life live that ruined their careers…..," an X user commented.Netizens are saying there is no excuse for this behavior.
being in a boy group is so fun because you have black cortis fans defending this and avoiding the term (racism) by saying they are not making exaggerated racial stereotypes.
Man I don’t like Tarzan but how comes he is bullied but they aren’t?!! There is no excusing for this behaviour! throwing gang signs, the obnoxious sagging pants and the overall niggaboo behaviour is just disgusting! the more you guys excuse this behaviour! the worse it gets! 😒
They were trained and force fed a “hip-hop” image for their debut ,it’s not their real personality at all. Just look at how they were before debut and you can tell. Cultural appropriation, street cosplay. But of course they’ll be forgiven anyway, because they’re men lol. Poor KOF
At the same time, others pushed back on the criticism, saying they were just having "fun." Many also noted that similar movements are common in online trends among teenagers.
These are teens acting like any other teens on the Internet why are we coming this to what kof did???
Relating everything to black people is js tryina victimize urself at every point possible bro calm down and stop forcing the hate
I don't see anything mocking in this just kids having fun. What do you mean? Even blacks don't have problem with this .
CORTIS closes breakout rookie year with global impact
CORTIS is wrapping the year with rising attention from the United States music market. Their debut album, COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES, ranked fourth on World Albums. Notably, the record has remained on the chart for fifteen consecutive weeks. At the same time, it reached number thirty-five on the Top Current Album Sale.
CORTIS (Image via X/@cortis_bighit)Meanwhile, the intro track GO! placed second on The 25 Best K-pop Songs of 2025 list. According to Billboard, the track leaves a lasting impact after one listen. As a result, GO! entered the Global 200 chart for two straight weeks in late September and early October.
Beyond the U.S., British outlet Dazed featured the song among 2025’s top K-pop tracks. Similarly, NME, Apple Music, and Spotify included it in their year-end selections. In addition, Teen Vogue named the debut album among the best non-English releases of 2025.
As year-end approaches, CORTIS will perform cover stages at major music festivals. These include SBS Gayo Daejeon, Music Bank Global Festival in Japan, and MBC Gayo Daejeon. Shortly before that, they will appear on a Nippon TV annual music broadcast. Looking ahead, the boy band will open the NBA Crossover concert series during the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend in LA.
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Edited by Shreya Jha
English (US)