ENHYPEN Under Fire: HYBE Boy Group Accused of Plagiarizing CORTIS Sound

ENHYPEN recently made their comeback with the album THE SIN: VANISH, led by the title track “Knife.” While the release drew strong attention from fans, it also quickly became the center of controversy as many turned critical of the group’s new sound. Shortly after the album dropped, netizens began comparing “Knife” to CORTIS‘s sound, a newly debuted boy group under BIGHIT MUSIC. Although ENHYPEN is managed by BELIFT LAB and CORTIS by BIGHIT MUSIC, both labels operate under HYBE. As a result, the connection intensified the backlash even more. Some framed the issue as part of a broader problem in K-Pop, claiming originality is becoming rare and that HYBE artists, in particular, lack a clear musical identity. However, ENHYPEN’s fans strongly pushed back against the plagiarism claims. Many argued that the group has explored similar sounds long before CORTIS debuted, pointing to multiple past tracks that align with the style heard in “Knife.” Others even claimed rumors that ENHYPEN had received the demo for “Knife” months before CORTIS officially debuted. As the debate continues, ENHYPEN’s “Knife” and HYBE artists’ recent concepts and sound remain a polarizing release.