From appearing in one of the biggest viral sensations in internet history to finding a voice of his own, Park Geonroung is ready to introduce himself to a new generation of listeners.

The 17-year-old South Korean, remembered by millions as the young boy featured in the hugely popular “Baby Shark Dance” video, is making the leap into music with his first digital single, “WAVE,” set for release on August 20.

Rather than simply revisiting the childhood moment that made him recognizable around the world, Geonroung is using the project as an opportunity to show audiences who he has become nearly a decade later.

“WAVE” will feature MONSTA X member Joohoney, while Geonroung also took part in writing the song’s lyrics. The Korean-language track marks his first opportunity to present himself not as the familiar face from a children’s phenomenon, but as a young artist beginning to develop his own musical identity.

Geonroung was still a child when he appeared in Pinkfong’s “Baby Shark Dance” video in 2016. What followed became an extraordinary piece of digital history as the colorful sing-along grew into a worldwide phenomenon and eventually became YouTube’s most-viewed video.

The video has accumulated more than 17.2 billion views, turning the children who appeared in it into familiar faces for families across the globe.

Years later, Geonroung returned to public attention through short-form content created around the song’s 10th anniversary. Those videos reportedly generated around 22 million views, proving that audiences still remembered the child behind one of the internet era’s most recognizable songs.

But his upcoming release signals something different.

Geonroung wants audiences to discover the teenager behind the “Baby Shark” association and hear the music and stories he now wants to tell for himself. His involvement in the songwriting process gives “WAVE” an especially personal dimension as he begins exploring his potential as a recording artist.

The Pinkfong Company has also positioned the release as an introduction to Geonroung as an individual performer rather than an attempt to simply recreate the success or nostalgia surrounding “Baby Shark.”

For now, “WAVE” is being treated as a standalone project, with decisions about possible future activities expected to come after its release.

Whether it eventually develops into a full-fledged K-pop career remains to be seen. But for Geonroung, August 20 represents an important first step—from being remembered as the little boy in a video watched billions of times to finally having the chance to make audiences remember his own name.