“Baby Shark” Now A Top 40 Hit
Viral challenges made our 9 Music Trends That Need To Die In 2019 list, but it appears our prayers have been left unanswered. Last year, a 2016 recording of the children’s song, “Baby Shark,” sparked a dance challenge among kids and weird adults. Now, the track bows at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 40.
Of course, this is far from the first time a viral challenge helped a song climb the charts (see: Drake’s #InMyFeelings challenge and the Bhad Bhabie-inspired “Cash Me Outside (#CashMeOutside)”). We probably should’ve seen this coming— kids have phones and adults are nostalgic.
The updated nursery rhyme comes from a South Korea-based educational brand called Pinkfong, but you probably remember “Baby Shark” from when you were a kid. “Baby shark doo doo doo doo doo” has ruled classrooms and encouraged nautical hand motions for decades.
According to Nielsen Music, the song earned 20.8 million streams in the latest streaming tracking week. Its music video is one the 30 most-viewed YouTube videos in the platform’s history, counting 2.1 billion global views. Check it out below. Let’s get “Baby Shark” to No. 1!
“The Baby Shark Challenge” is apparently a Facebook thing.
The parent in me can’t stop smiling at this video. pic.twitter.com/myou0ZMtSC
— K. ✨ (@LifeAsKris) August 18, 2018