Wordplay or mockery? Cortis’ new song draws mixed reactions over Hanroro reference

Cortis’ new track “MoneyMoneyMoney,” released Monday, has sparked online debate over a lyric referencing singer-songwriter Hanroro and her song “0+0.”

The controversy centers on the lyric, “I want to become someone who earns money while playing, like Pororo / Add another zero to my bank account, just like Hanroro.”

Some listeners criticized the reference, arguing that it reduced Hanroro’s song “0+0” — a track about two people choosing not to abandon one another and dreaming of eternity together — to a punchline.

One Hanroro fan on X wrote that the reference stripped “0+0” of the meaning it held for many listeners.

“Hanroro’s music helped people through difficult periods in their lives and using her name in the context of ‘making money’ merely as a rhyme in a song about money and success felt disrespectful rather than complementary,” the fan wrote.

Another X user argued that while such a reference might have worked if “0+0” were a song about wealth, Cortis’ lyric left little room for interpretation, saying it was “clearly about adding more zeros to a bank account.”

Others, however, viewed the lyric as “wordplay rather than mockery,” arguing that the criticism had been “overblown.”

“Fans’ emotional attachment to Hanroro’s music should not automatically be interpreted as evidence that the lyric was disrespectful,” wrote an X user. “I think it’s important to judge the lyric based on its context and intent first. Equating any mention of Hanroro or any other artist’s name with a lack of respect feels like an overinterpretation.”

As criticism grew online, Cortis member Keonho posted a message on the fan platform Weverse, saying the lyric was intended as a “shout-out” to Hanroro, not as a derogatory reference.

“I’ve recently started reading books as a hobby and I find myself even more immersed in (Hanroro’s) music than when I first heard it,” he wrote. “Her lyrics read like poetry and I love her music because I can relate them to my own experiences.”

Keonho added that he had closely studied Hanroro’s lyrics in hopes of improving his own songwriting and thanked her for “always writing beautiful lyrics.”

“I wanted to express my respect one more time personally,” he wrote. “I hope this message reaches her.”

Following Keonho’s Weverse post, some users instead shifted the focus to Big Hit Music’s handling of the issue, arguing that the company — rather than Keonho — should have addressed the controversy. As of Tuesday, Big Hit Music had not issued an official statement regarding the lyric or whether Hanroro or her agency had been consulted before the reference was included in the song.

Meanwhile, Hanroro later responded on her own fan platform, saying she had received messages from her fans about “MoneyMoneyMoney” and Keonho’s message.

She added that she viewed the lyric as a positive gesture.

“I believe there’s nothing more meaningful than musicians communicating with one another through music and filling each other’s hearts,” the singer-songwriter wrote. “That’s why I’m accepting the mention in their new song with good intentions.”