Seoul (AFP)

The children's song "Baby Shark" and its heady tune became the most watched video on YouTube on Monday, overtaking the track "Despacito" with more than seven billion views.

A pity for parents around the world, the highly repetitive track produced in South Korea has grown out of simple childish settings into a worldwide viral phenomenon, with colorful imagery adding impact to a catchy melody and lyrics.

"Baby Shark Dance", the English version of the song, surpassed seven billion views on YouTube Monday at 04:00 GMT, dethroning "Despacito", the single from Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.

Basically, the song that was uploaded to YouTube in June 2016 is a remix of an American song by the Seoul-based production company Pinkfong.

Its success on YouTube was followed by a triumph in the music charts, with the track reaching 32nd place on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 2019.

Two of the last four songs to have the highest number of views on YouTube are now South Korean.

Before "Baby Shark Dance", the psy rapper had also panicked the counters with "Gangnam Style" which had led the number of views for three years before being dethroned by "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa.

© 2020 AFP