SEOUL — A global promotional campaign teasing BTS’s return with the album ARIRANG has pulled in sister groups TXT and CORTIS, prompting sharp fan divisions. Billboards and digital displays posing the question “What is your love song?” have popped up in Seoul, New York and London. Now, members of TXT and CORTIS have posted their answers on Instagram, tying directly into the BTS push under BigHit Music, a HYBE subsidiary.

The inclusions surfaced just weeks after BigHit Music announced comebacks for all three boy groups within a single month. BTS leads with ARIRANG on March 20, 2026, ending a hiatus driven by members’ mandatory military service. TXT and CORTIS follow close behind, a scheduling clash that already drew complaints of favoritism toward the flagship act.

Online forums exploded with reactions. Some TXT and CORTIS fans accused HYBE of exploiting the younger groups to hype BTS without offering equal promotion in return. “If they’re using our boys to boost BTS, where’s the reverse?” one commenter wrote on a fan site, echoing widespread frustration. Others hailed it as a smart HYBE-wide strategy to build cooperation across labels.

Speculation runs hot on collaboration prospects. Fans point to the Instagram posts—where TXT’s Yeonjun named a classic ballad and CORTIS members shared personal picks—as hints of features on ARIRANG. “This screams joint tracks,” a popular theory on X claims, with thousands of likes. BigHit Music has not commented on the posts or any planned team-ups.

The backlash builds on earlier tensions. Earlier this month, fans slammed the compressed comeback timeline, arguing it dilutes attention for TXT and CORTIS. HYBE’s structure amplifies the stakes: BigHit Music houses BTS, while TXT sits under a dedicated label and CORTIS operates via a newer HYBE imprint. Critics say the parent company prioritizes BTS revenue, which topped $1 billion in 2023 despite the hiatus.

Supporters counter that cross-promotion benefits everyone. “It’s family support, not exploitation,” one defender posted. Past HYBE efforts, like joint stages at year-end shows, have blended acts successfully. Still, demands grow for clarity on whether ARIRANG will spotlight juniors or if their solo promotions get a BTS-level boost.

ARIRANG marks BTS’s first full-group release since 2022’s Proof anthology. The campaign’s viral question has trended worldwide, amassing millions of user responses. As enlistments wrap—Jimin and Jungkook discharged last month, others by June—attention fixates on how HYBE balances its roster amid fierce competition from JYP and SM Entertainment.

Fan debates show no signs of cooling. Hashtag #HYBEFairness has surged past 500,000 uses, blending praise for BTS hype with calls for equity. BigHit officials stayed silent on the controversy, focusing statements on ARIRANG’s theme of universal emotions.