‘Baby Shark Boy’ returns as K-pop singer with new single
MANILA, Philippines — The child performer who rose to global fame as “Baby Shark Boy” is set to make his K-pop debut next week, nearly a decade after appearing in the viral “Baby Shark Dance” music video.
The Pinkfong Company, the global family entertainment company behind Pinkfong and Baby Shark, announced that “Baby Shark Boy” will release his first digital single, “Wave,” on August 20.
The single is a Korean-language track featuring Joohoney of K-pop group Monsta X.
Now 17, Park Geon-roung first appeared in the “Baby Shark Dance” video in 2016. The viral children's song has since surpassed 17.2 billion views on YouTube.
Park made a surprise return to the Baby Shark franchise last year through a series of short-form videos celebrating the song’s 10th anniversary. The videos collectively garnered 22 million views.
For Park, his upcoming release marks a new chapter as he steps out of the shadow of the viral childhood character and introduces himself as an artist in his own right.
“I've always been grateful that people still remember a video I appeared in as a kid,” he said in a statement.
“Ten years ago I was dancing next to Baby Shark. Now, I wanted to share my own voice and a story I wrote myself. I'm happy to start something new with the people who've remembered me all this time, and I want to keep showing how I grow from here,” he added.
Park also co-wrote the lyrics of “Wave,” giving him a more personal role in the project.
“Baby Shark Boy grew up alongside Baby Shark and built a special connection with fans around the world. This isn't just about bringing back the boy from the video. It's about him telling his own story, and we want to carry that new beginning forward authentically,” a representative of The Pinkfong Company said.
The project also reflects The Pinkfong Company’s efforts to expand the Baby Shark brand beyond children's entertainment and explore opportunities in the wider K-pop market.
However, the company clarified to The Korea Herald that Park's debut should not be viewed as a conventional K-pop idol launch.
Instead, his upcoming single is a one-off project, with decisions regarding Park’s future activities to be made after its release.
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