Just a bit ago, YouTuber and Twitch Streamer Tubbo released his first song, “Life by the Sea,” including a featured artist, CG5. 

A YouTuber and Twitch streamer that I frequently watch, Wilbur Soot, has also released many songs in the past and is now releasing songs with the band Lovejoy, so it took me by surprise that another person I enjoy watching had released a song too. I knew that Tubbo could play multiple instruments, such as piano, ukulele, melodica, and steel pan, but I never pictured him as an influential singer.     

I initially heard “Life by the Sea” on one of Tubbo’s Twitch streams. Even though I don’t typically watch most of Tubbo’s streams or videos, I happened to click on it just in time to hear the song newly played on the piano and without autotune. 

“Life by the Sea” quickly became a song that I would sing under my breath while doing homework; the lyrics were now paved into my head like cement. “If I’m gonna be honest, I need a little space to breathe” ran through my mind again and again, and when I have a song stuck in my head, I need to play it out loud to get rid of it, so I continued waiting for Tubbo’s music to be released. 

Just as the song was published, I was getting home from school. I had been waiting for six months, so I darted into my house and jumped into my bed just in time to pull out my phone and listen to the song that would soon be fastened to my brain once more. The more time I spent listening to “Life by the Sea,” the more substantial the hold it had on me.

Like most songs, the lyrics held a significant meaning. But when singing this tune, I didn’t think about the story behind the music. It was just an ordinary song that I continuously sang twenty-four-seven. “Life by the Sea” got so played out that the explanation behind the making of the music would only bring it back. 

While looking further into the words that Tubbo had written, it all made sense. His first line, “Man, if I’m gonna be honest,” shaped my understanding of why the lines were written. In his daily life, Tubbo says this “catchphrase” often, just like we have our own catchphrases. I know that I have certain words or phrases that I say frequently; even my own family gets irritated with me.

Another lyric that I found interesting, and one of my favorite lines, was, “Uh-oh, on the trending tab, hope this won’t be ending bad//Checking analytics is like working in a forensic lab.” As I sought deeper, I put the pieces together and realized that most popular content creators check the trending tab on Twitter, looking for their names. Tubbo recognizes the danger that comes with being on the tab due to various creators getting “canceled.” 

I also loved that the music was entirely my style. “Life by the Sea” had an upbeat rhythm and was an easy song to play loudly and dance to. Even my mom, who never admires my songs, approved.  

Lastly, I watched the music video after finally learning the lyrics so that I could relish Tubbo’s song even more. The video was entertaining and quite drab at the same time. How could this be, you ask? Well, it was essentially Tubbo running around performing odd tasks in a suit, such as dancing on a beach or walking along a cement wall.  Although it sounds pretty humorous, it was often the same action in the same place, so it got tiresome over time, as it was too repetitive.

While blowing my mind and satisfying me simultaneously, Tubbo’s song, “Life by the Sea,” had an admirable interpretation and a lively tune. It is perfectly fitting for a day “by the sea” or to cheer someone up.