In our current music era that pushes out polished pop releases, Annabelle Dinda proves that grounded authenticity remains one of music’s most powerful tools with her latest single, “Whatever You Wanna.” Before the song’s official release, it had already gained immense love on TikTok. On May 21, Dinda posted a video of herself and her friends sitting on the ground, performing the track with nothing more than a garlic shaker, a couple of acoustic guitars and a table casually tapped for percussion. The TikTok’s DIY nature resonated immediately — eliciting countless demands to release the full song, which also led Dinda to release both the studio and live versions. Listening to it now, it’s easy to understand the fans’ passionate persistence.
Over the past several years, Dinda has quietly cultivated a devoted following through her blend of folk storytelling and homespun acoustic charm. Raised in Pennsylvania — a place that weaves its way into her songwriting inspiration — and now based in Brooklyn, Dinda has consistently refined her craft across projects like Nostalgion, Sad Songs for Dancing and Sixth Sense, with her January album Some Things Never Leave being her “official” debut album. Her breakthrough moment came crashing in when her song from that album, “The Hand,” began spreading across TikTok, captivating listeners with its poetic, intimately enlightening lyricism. The same fearless vulnerability lies within “Whatever You Wanna,” but with a cheerful coating.
The song embraces you in a glowing atmosphere. It’s almost as if each note is wrapped up in a golden light, reveling in unapologetic joy. “Whatever You Wanna” has such a natural element that listening to it feels like you’re simply sitting next to Dinda as she plays and you can hear her subtle, giddy smile in every line she sings. With warm-toned vocal flips, sunny acoustic strums and communal harmonies, it builds an authentic and encompassing soundscape that feels both intimate and lively.
Capturing the butterfly-filled experience of diving heart-first into a crush, whether romantic or simply a friend crush, the track portrays the hopelessly devoted character we all become when we’re so entranced with a person — blushed cheeks, fluttering eyelashes and all. More than that, it finds lighthearted empowerment in the mindset that it’s OK to embarrass yourself on your journey for human connection; it’s not lame to care loudly with stars in your eyes. Not caring if you look like a fool — in fact, leaning into it — is threaded through every lyric, especially in the chorus:
“I will go wherever you wanna / I’ll become a champion runner / Follow like a dog in the summer / I will go wherever you wanna.”
Dinda on her May headline tour – Photographed by Lia Whitman
The repetition of the chorus offers an inviting energy, as if Dinda is smiling and nodding at you to come join in. It’s impossible not to catch yourself swaying your head to her wavy vocals or bopping your shoulders to the snare-like garlic shaker. The organic musicality shines through every detail, highlighting her down-to-earth approach that feels so refreshing in today’s music landscape. Small touches paint the song’s picture even more vividly, like the boxing ring gong that rings in the back after the immersive lines, “The streetlights go at five am / But you and I are sat on this bench / Debating who would make a better boxer.”
There is sweet, genuine admiration at the core of “Whatever You Wanna” — a love-filled pinky promise personified into a song. The bare-boned instrumental break filled with percussive, dead strumming and table taps welcomes a bridge that transports you to closing night at a bar, singing with your buzzed and gleaming friends, “I will be whoever you dare me / Rita, Tina, Sandra or Mary!” Every element works together to create a track that embraces vulnerability, celebrates connection and makes joy feel effortless.
As Dinda’s followers grow, “Whatever You Wanna” is a charming ode to infatuation that serves as a reminder that some of the most meaningful songs are the ones both feel like and were made among friends — continuing to foster a community that finds solace in her sincerity and bright storytelling.
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