Sydney-based artist Holly Wild turns the uncomfortable reality of friendship envy into something funny, self-aware and irresistibly catchy with new single So Annoying, out Friday 25 September alongside an accompanying music video. The punchy indie-pop rock track arrives ahead of Wild’s debut album Technicolour, due in October, and sees the artist embrace a grittier, more playful side of her developing sound.
Holly Wild
Rather than disguising the less flattering thoughts that can creep into even the closest friendships, So Annoying puts them front and centre. Wild takes the familiar experience of comparing yourself to someone who appears to have everything effortlessly under control and exaggerates it into a sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek anthem about jealousy, pettiness and the absurdity of knowing you are being completely unreasonable. It is, in Wild’s words, an anthem for “friend-vy” — the envy that rarely gets admitted out loud.
Musically, the track pushes Wild into more garage-rock territory. Distorted electric guitar riffs and pounding drums provide the foundation, while lo-fi spoken-word vocals initially deliver the song’s observations with a deliberately conversational quality. As the track develops, those restrained vocals give way to a raspier, more forceful performance, creating a chaotic burst of frustration that mirrors the emotional escalation at the heart of the song.
The contrast between the catchy indie-pop sensibility and rougher rock textures gives So Annoying its distinctive character. It is bright and energetic on the surface, but underneath sits a knowingly messy internal monologue — the kind of thoughts that are usually kept firmly to yourself. Wild explains that the song began with the idea of that seemingly perfect friend who makes everything look far too easy.
The writing process turned increasingly ridiculous as Wild and her co-writer imagined all the petty thoughts someone might have in that situation, ultimately transforming those feelings into the song itself. The result is less an attack on the supposedly perfect friend than a humorous examination of the person doing the envying. That self-awareness is central to So Annoying. Wild recognises that jealousy can be irrational and even ridiculous, but rather than attempting to rationalise it away, she gives those feelings a voice and lets them become part of the joke.
The accompanying music video brings the song’s scrappy energy into a series of street-art-inspired settings. Wild and a friend wander around while shopping, with the relaxed, candid footage contrasted against direct-to-camera sequences that feel more like private confessionals.
Wild’s exaggerated facial expressions and deliberately petty lip-syncing give the video the same mischievous personality as the track, allowing the visual to play with the divide between what we think and what we actually say. The grungier surroundings reinforce the song’s garage-rock edge, while the playful performance keeps it firmly rooted in pop.
So Annoying marks another step forward for Wild, who has been developing her musical identity since releasing her debut single in 2021. Alongside her own music, she has built experience across music, television and international collaborations, working with established producers and artists as her profile has grown.
Her developing catalogue has also seen her explore different sides of contemporary pop, while So Annoying demonstrates an increasing willingness to embrace distortion, rawer vocals and a more irreverent attitude. That sense of experimentation will continue into Technicolour, Wild’s forthcoming debut album, which arrives in October and represents the next major chapter of her artistic development.
Holly Wild
With So Annoying, Wild finds a particularly relatable subject and refuses to take it too seriously. The song acknowledges the awkward truth that even friendship can come with comparison, insecurity and envy, turning those less-than-perfect emotions into something listeners can laugh at — including themselves.
Rather than presenting jealousy as something shameful to hide, Wild makes it the punchline, the subject and ultimately the source of the song’s energy.
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