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Baby Shark phenomenon boy interview
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Geonroung Park, the boy in Baby Shark Dance, debuts as K-pop singer Baby Shark Boy with single Wave. The video's 17.2bn views made him famous, but now he seeks his.
Background
Baby Shark Dance, featuring Geonroung Park as a seven-year-old, became YouTube's most-watched video with over 17.2 billion views. The song originated from a folk chant and was turned into a viral hit by Pinkfong. Park is now 17 and launching a K-pop career, releasing his debut single 'Wave' featuring Joohoney of Monsta X.
How it unfolded
- 2015 -2016Pinkfong (then SmartStudy) uploaded an animated version in November 2015 and the choreography-led clip in June 2016.
- 2017The video exploded via the #BabySharkChallenge in Indonesia, later boosted by K-pop stars performing the choreography.
- 2019The song reached number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 6 on the UK singles chart; it became the walk-up song for the Washington Nationals during their World Series win.
- Aug 2025South Korea's supreme court ruled against a composer's plagiarism claim, affirming the song's ownership.
- Aug 2026Park, now 17, debuts as K-pop singer Baby Shark Boy with the single 'Wave' featuring Joohoney of Monsta X.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- The Pinkfong Company describes Park's single as a real-life growth story, not a conventional idol launch.
- Artist
- Park says being the Baby Shark boy isn't a past he wants to leave behind, but he wants to share his own voice and stories.