Baby Shark star Park Geon-roung takes K-pop leap with WAVE
The child performer who became globally recognised through the viral “Baby Shark” phenomenon is now preparing for a new chapter as a K-pop artist.
Park Geon-roung, now 17, is set to enter the Korean music scene under the stage name Baby Shark Boy (BSB). His debut digital single album, WAVE, is scheduled for release on August 20, 2026.
The upcoming track will feature Joohoney, a member of the popular K-pop group Monsta X. Park has also contributed to the song’s lyrics, giving him an opportunity to establish an identity beyond his childhood fame.
Park first attracted international attention when he appeared in the “Baby Shark” video as a young child. The song went on to become one of the biggest digital entertainment phenomena in history, reaching audiences far beyond its original target of young children.
The Pinkfong Company, the South Korean entertainment company behind the franchise, is supporting Park’s transition into music. According to the company, WAVE will include musical elements inspired by “Baby Shark” as a nostalgic connection to the performer’s early career.
However, the new release is intended to present Park as a young musician in his own right rather than simply revive his childhood role.
The original “Baby Shark Dance” became the most-viewed video on YouTube in November 2020 after overtaking Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito.” It later became the first video on the platform to cross the 10-billion-view mark.
The video has since accumulated more than 16 billion views, demonstrating the extraordinary global reach of the children’s song.
Its popularity was largely driven by repeated viewing among children, with young audiences often replaying the short video multiple times. That high level of repetition helped transform the song into a global digital phenomenon.
The track also moved beyond children’s entertainment and became a major social media trend. The #BabySharkChallenge encouraged users around the world to recreate its distinctive choreography.
International celebrities and major K-pop acts also participated in the trend, helping the song reach audiences that extended well beyond its original demographic.
Now, nearly a decade after his appearance in the viral video, Park is attempting to build a career in a very different part of the entertainment industry.
