'Baby Shark' passes 'Despacito' to become the most-viewed YouTube video ever, with more than 7 billion plays

• "Baby Shark," and its accompanying dance, has now been played 7.05 billion times on YouTube, making it the most-viewed video on the platform.
• The song has overtaken "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, which has over 7.03 billion views.
• It was recorded by Pinkfong, a subsidiary of South Korean company SmartStudy, and originally uploaded to YouTube in 2015.
• Pinkfong then released a second version in June 2016 titled "Baby Shark Dance," starring two children performing the dance. It's this version that has shot to the top of YouTube.

"Baby Shark," the catchy children's song that became a smash hit in 2018, is now the most-viewed video ever on YouTube.

The song and accompanying dance has now been watched 7.05 billion times on YouTube — that's nearly one view for every person on Earth.

It was recorded by Pinkfong, a subsidiary of South Korean company SmartStudy.

The song, which began as a summer-camp campfire chant, has surpassed the previous record holder, "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, which has over 7.03 billion views.

Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" sits third, with 5.05 billion YouTube views.

Back-to-back, "Baby Shark's" 7.05 billion views would play for 30,187 years straight.

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Min Seok Kim, CEO of SmartStudy, said in a $4: "Without the love and support of fans around the world, Baby Shark's new record would have been impossible.

"We're very honored by this record and will continue to focus on delivering high-quality entertainment beyond the digital platforms," he said.

The "Baby Shark" song was originally sung by 10-year-old Korean-American singer Hope Segoine, and uploaded to YouTube in 2015 by Pinkfong.

South Korean bands such as Red Velvet started to incorporate the memorable lyrics and dance moves into their tracks. Pinkfong then released a video in June 2016 titled "Baby Shark Dance," starring two children performing the dance.

The video boomed in popularity in 2018, and triggered the #BabySharkChallenge on social media, which went viral all over the world.

The song reached Number 32 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in January 2019. A "$4" tour across cities in North America soon followed.