The unusually funny and catchy song Baby Shark has now become the most viewed video ever on YouTube. It has surpassed Despacito‘s record.
According to The Guardian, the Baby Shark video just passed the mark of more than 7.04 billion views. South Korean company Pinkfong released it in 2016.
Luis Fonsi’s 2017 single Despacito was the previous record-holder.
History of “Baby Shark”, the global phenomenon
It’s not yet known who wrote this nursery rhyme four years ago. But it became a worldwide phenomenon when a 10-year-old Korean American singer Hope Segoine recorded it.
It didn’t create any buzz back in 2016 but gradually started to emerge on social media platforms. First, it went viral in south-east Asia and then swept the entire globe, including the US and Europe.
It also reached second and 32nd spots on the UK and US charts, respectively.
The repetitive “doo-doo-doo-du-du-du-du-du-du” has inspired many merchandises and books across the globe.
Interestingly, the song is not yet owned by Pinkfong. But the company was sued in 2019 by a children’s songwriter Jonathan Wright. He claimed that he recorded a similar version to this back in 2011. And that he owns a copyright on the material as well.
People on Twitter, Instagram, and especially on TikTok use this song constantly in various acts. Many viewers still enjoy it a lot and share it with their friends and followers.
In fact, singer Luis Fonsi also reworked the song in his own style. Moreover, it was used in promotional videos on handwashing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
YouTube witnessing competitions for most views
Currently, many videos are ruling the kingdom of views for the last few years. Songs like Despacito and Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You are other past champions.
Other highly viewed past videos include Wiz Khalifa, Charlie Puth’s See You Again, and Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ Uptown Funk.
Although there are still many clips going viral on the internet, only a few have crossed the milestone of billion views. And it happened less when compared to those trending in millions.
Going in history, it was Korean rapper Psy’s 2012 mega-hit Gangnam Style that first crossed a billion views on YouTube. After that, few more titles also went past it.
The success of Baby Shark does prove that viral clips and content attract a larger audience these days. No matter how weird and vague they are, people still watch them for entertainment purposes and to spread moments of fun and laughter among each other.
Image courtesy of Pinkfong! Kids’ Songs & Stories/YouTube Screenshot