That's Just How It Is, and No Other Way

Who's in the shot and what's written

The image is a close-up of a tiger sitting in water up to its neck. Its fur is wet, its gaze is direct and slightly displeased, and blurred splashes are visible in the background. Overlaid on the image in white letters is "SHOMA" on the left and "THE TIGER" on the right, with the animal's head positioned right between the two words. It's a cover or intro image for the track, not a film still: the caption is deliberately split across the edges so the tiger ends up framed between the words.

The photo itself says nothing about where the animal is from or where it was taken, and for the meme that doesn't matter. The tiger plays the role of the song's "hero" here, even though the lyrics have nothing to do with an actual tiger.

The song's backstory

The track "Shoma the Tiger" was recorded by a musician from North Ossetia, Aslan Osmaev, who performs under the names Asyan, A$YAN, and asanrap. According to reference materials, the song came out in February 2021 and was re-released on a video platform and digital services that May. This information comes from a single source, and the exact release dates haven't been officially confirmed.

The lyrics humorously describe a guy's frustration in a relationship. The artist deliberately chose a playful delivery, and the catchy chorus suits short clips well. The track became a mass trend in late June and early July 2021: people filmed comedic skits to it, and the ironic line "that's just how it is, and no other way" broke off into a quote of its own.

How the phrase works

The expression sounds like a stubborn final verdict. The first half is delivered casually, as a conclusion someone's reached after some thought, while the second half adds deliberate bluntness. The speaker seems to be drawing a line under the matter while also preemptively shutting down any objection; that comic certainty is the basis of the joke.

Taken out of the song, the words fit any argument where the discussion is over but someone wants the last word. That's why the phrase can be used on its own, without the music, as a comment.

Captions that work

These are original made-up examples.

"Decided I'll have dinner at eleven at night. That's just how it is, and no other way." The wet tiger's unflappable stare seems to confirm: the decision is trivial, but the character has no intention of changing it, and it's exactly that mismatch in scale that's funny.

"Mom: let's cut back on unnecessary purchases. Me, with three shopping bags: that's just how it is." The tiger sitting in water up to its neck, with that same direct, slightly displeased stare, reads like the face of someone who's already made up their mind and isn't about to argue.

"Said I'd start running on Monday. It was some Monday." The tiger in the water works as the narrator's deadpan face: calm, while the text points out that the resolutions were never very firm to begin with.

"Picked the couch in five minutes. That's just how it is." An inverse example: speed is presented as a virtue, and the tiger's unflappable gaze as proof there was never any doubt about the decision.

Tips for using it

A short caption built around one everyday situation plus the key phrase at the end works well. The tiger image is best paired with sound, or at least a nod to the song, otherwise some viewers will just see it as an ordinary animal photo. Don't attach specific personal stories to the artist: the song is a joke, and its narrator's story shouldn't be mistaken for the artist's biography.

Another trick is using it as a reply to someone else's message: in a chat, someone asks a question, and the answer is just the tiger picture with no explanation. The animal's unflappable stare reads as "I've said all I'm going to say," and that makes the phrase more convincing than any argument.