Ten years after helping make “Baby Shark Dance” a global phenomenon, Baby Shark Boy is making his own splash in music.

The performer who famously appeared in the original video for Pinkfong’s “Baby Shark Dance” as a kid has officially launched his recording career with “WAVE,” a song that features JOOHONEY from K-pop group Monsta X. The single is an earworm of electropop, transforming the melody millions of kids have had stuck in their heads into a full dance track.

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This isn’t just a nostalgic callback, either. The original “Baby Shark” became a bona fide Billboard hit, peaking at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 2019 and also reaching No. 12 on Billboard‘s Streaming Songs chart.

Now, the performer who helped bring that phenomenon to life is getting his own chance to make an impact on the charts. “WAVE” opens with the recognizable “Baby Shark” melody before shifting into an energetic blend of dance and trap. Baby Shark Boy (real name: Park Geon-roung) also participated in writing the lyrics, using the song to reflect on the full-circle journey that began when he was just a child.

“For me, Baby Shark Dance was like the first wave that began 10 years ago,” Baby Shark Boy said in a statement shared with Billboard. “I grew up riding that wave, and now I’m standing at a new starting point as Baby Shark Boy.”

The new single also gives the former child performer a decidedly K-pop introduction. JOOHONEY of Monsta X appears on the track, adding his rap vocals to Baby Shark Boy’s performance, while choreography comes from TEAM SAME, led by Young-jun Choi, whose credits include BTS, SEVENTEEN and TWICE.

The accompanying performance draws inspiration from the original “Baby Shark Dance” moves, but gives them a bit of a K-pop makeover designed to be just as easy to follow and equally hypnotizing.

The timing is fitting considering just how enormous the original song became. “Baby Shark Dance” has surpassed 17.2 billion views on YouTube, making it the platform’s most-viewed video ever. Baby Shark Boy also made a surprise return to the franchise’s 10th-anniversary short-form content in 2025, with his appearance racking up more than 22 million views.

And while the original “Baby Shark” was once an unlikely Billboard hit, Baby Shark Boy now has a very different goal: to introduce audiences to the person behind the viral childhood segment. “I put that sense of moving forward into ‘WAVE,’ and I hope people can see who I am today in a new way,” he added.

The launch won’t end with just the single, either: The Pinkfong Company is preparing WAVE: Becoming Baby Shark Boy, a behind-the-scenes documentary chronicling his growth from a child performer in “Baby Shark Dance” to the artist behind his debut single. Additionally, The Pinkfong Company is considering additional collaborations, including a potential appearance in an upcoming Baby Shark film expected in winter 2026.