Love it or loathe it, you just cannot ignore the viral song ‘Baby Shark’, which has now made history by becoming the first YouTube video to reach 10 billion views.
The children’s song and dance video has two kids imitating various members of a shark family, with their hands making the same movements as a shark’s jaws. The child actors play the titular baby shark, as well as mommy, daddy, grandpa, and grandma sharks.
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The two-minute song, which has since gone viral, is performed by Korean-American singer Hope Segoine. It first became popular in 2016 due to Pinkfong, a South Korean educational band.
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In November 2020, the clip won the distinction of being the most-watched YouTube video, beating out Louis Fonsi’s iconic track ‘Despacito’. Since then, ‘Baby Shark’ has remained just as, if not more, popular, with numerous parents playing the song to occupy their children in the bath, at the doctor’s office, or during their commute.
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The pop-cultural ramifications of ‘Baby Shark’ go much beyond the initial video. In 2019, during the Lebanon protests, a mother posted a video of protestors surrounding their car and singing ‘Baby Shark’ to the bemused child.
Further, there is an animated series on ‘Baby Shark’ apart from a stage show. It also has a cereal named after it. The song made its presence felt in the Washington Nationals’ anthem during the World Series-winning season too. ‘Baby Shark’ has also inspired a parody of itself on ‘Ted Lasso’ the Apple TV series and reached position 32 on Billboard’s Top 40.
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Currently, Pinkfong has decided to celebrate the viral success of the video reaching 10 billion views by inviting fans to share their favourite moments involving ‘Baby Shark’. They said “share your Baby Shark Dance moments with us”, but so far most people have responded with puns and messages to congratulate them.