Who doesn’t even know the cute baby boy in the most-watched YouTube video of all time, the ‘Baby Shark Dance?’
From being the cute boy dancing to the famous children’s song, Park Geonroung is now entering the K-pop industry as he prepares to debut as an idol ten years after the hit children’s music.
‘Baby Shark’ creator The Pinkfong Company announced on August 10 that Park will debut as a recording artist under the stage name ‘Baby Shark Boy.’ The announcement came with a 17-second teaser of the young artist’s first single, ‘WAVE,’ which will come out on August 20 at 12:00 p.m. KST across streaming platforms in Korea and internationally. The song, with Park credited as the co-writer, will also feature Monsta X’s Joohoney.
According to Business Korea’s report, the single centers on the young singer’s experience and the strangeness of stepping back into the public eye a decade later.
“I’ve always been grateful that people still remember the video I was in as a child,” Park said. “Ten years ago, I danced next to ‘Baby Shark.’ Now I want people to hear my own voice and the story I wrote myself.”
10 years, still iconic
Most people consider 2016 an iconic year for releases—whether in music, movies, or pop culture. And the song ‘Baby Shark’ can certainly attest to that.
A decade ago, almost everyone knew the song’s famous line, “Baby Shark, doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo.” Its catchy tune and simple choreography quickly made it a global sensation, with people of all ages dancing along to it.
The music video, which now has more than 17 billion views on YouTube, which features a family dancing to the song while wearing shark-themed pajamas. It eventually became the most-watched YouTube video of all time, surpassing Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s ‘Despacito,’ which has more than 9.1 billion views.
When the company celebrated the song’s 10th anniversary with a short video featuring Park, the video garnered 24 million views and one million likes on Instagram alone. The milestone further proves the song’s lasting popularity, even a decade after its release.
Support
Netizens were delighted to see the young boy, now an artist who has found his own voice. They expressed their excitement over Park’s debut and showed their support for his new journey in the music industry.
Some also hoped that people would recognize him for his talent and artistry, rather than solely for his identity as the “Baby Shark Boy”
“I think this is a pretty smart and emotional transformation: from a viral kid to a real artist after exactly 10 years. The collab with JOOHEON not only pulls in K-pop fans but also keeps that familiar ‘Baby Shark’ vibe, and it sounds really fitting,” one netizen said. “Personally, I’m all for it—I hope he gets recognized for his talent, not just his cute past.”
This project serves as the company’s first artist project.
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