The child star of the most watched video in YouTube history is back.
The boy behind the “Baby Shark Dance” has now released his first K-pop digital single, a decade after he first found fame.
Park Geonroung, who starred in the video when he was 7 years old, will make his solo K-pop debut under the name “Baby Shark Boy” and is backed by Pinkfong Company which owns the copyright for Baby Shark.
“Baby Shark Dance brought joy to people around the world, and I’m very grateful that so many people still remember me from 10 years ago. That made me want to come back and connect with people through music again,” he said.
In the years since the video, Park has starred in Pinkfong’s other shows. He said his new digital single, titled “WAVE”, opens with the familiar Baby Shark melody before shifting into an electropop sound, to which he contributed lyrics.
The catchy song, which is about a family of sharks, was released in 2016 and the video has since surpassed 17.2 billion views.
Its “doo doo doo” hook and hand-chomp dance moves helped fuel a global craze, with the song gaining traction in Asia before spreading worldwide through viral challenges and repeated viewing among young children.
It subsequently expanded into a broader franchise featuring the character of Baby Shark alongside Mama, Papa, Grandma and Grandpa, including a Nickelodeon TV series, Baby Shark’s Big Show!, in addition to mobile apps, books, and merchandise.
open image in galleryIt has been played at the White House and praised by U.S. President Donald Trump, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and celebrities, while prompting parodies and a dance craze.
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In 2019, the American children’s performer Johnny Only, real name Jonathan Wright, filed a copyright lawsuit in South Korea claiming Pinkfong’s version had copied his 2011 recording, including its melody and the distinctive “doo doo doo” refrain. The claim was dismissed by a Seoul court in 2021, which ruled that both versions were based on a long-running traditional chant and that Pinkfong had not infringed copyright.
Park added that he views the single as the start of a longer musical journey. “WAVE feels more like a new beginning than a one-off project. I hope to keep showing different sides of myself through music as well as other kinds of content,” he said.