I’ve been trying to spend less time scrolling through Instagram Reels in an attempt to save my brain cells – but sometimes it really does come in clutch. During one doom-scrolling marathon, I came across @brielleetta covering a snippet of a song on acoustic guitar. The lyrics were poignant, and the melody immediately captivated me. After a little digging, I found The Hand by Annabelle Dinda.

Released as a single on November 7th, 2025, The Hand is a woody folk-rock track that places a microscope over the way men and women are portrayed in media and how those portrayals shape how we view each other and ourselves. Dinda’s guitar is accompanied by a simple, driving drum beat and a smattering of dramatic violin. What truly shines through are the masterfully poetic lyrics.

Verse One

Every time a guy writes a song, he’s a cowboy, a sailor
Playing with the world in his palm like the first pioneer

Repeated again in the second verse, these opening lines highlight how, historically, men often write or paint themselves as heroic, strong knights in shining armour, while female characters are reduced to meek, supporting roles.

Every time he opens his mouth, it’s a loud movie trailer
Clipping every image and sound he thinks proves he was here

“Clipping every image and sound he thinks proves he was here” feels like a critique of excess: music that is too big, too loud, too overproduced. Calling to attention that men are allowed to constantly announce their presence.

Chorus One

A hand, a spike, a physical fight
A flash of light, a curtain

This imagery evokes a thrilling battle, only for it to be exposed as embellishment when the theatre curtain falls.

A toll, a tithe

“Toll” is a word open to interpretation: the toll of a bell symbolising time, the emotional toll a situation takes, or a death toll, most often associated with disaster and violence. The latter stands out to me, particularly as I’ve been reading about femicide since Italy passed it as a separate class of crime in its judicial system in November last year. This meaning connects strongly to the violence suggested in the previous line.

A “tithe” refers to a percentage of earnings given to the church. Many religions, including Christianity, centre male figures, God portrayed as male, the Son, the Father, all of which are referenced throughout the track.

A height, a dive, a burden
A girl, a night, a typical type
A siren in the water

Here, Dinda creates a stark contrast between how men and women are depicted in media. Women are often reduced to symbols of sexuality or danger. The “siren in the water” suggests a threat to the male protagonist on his heroic quest.

Verse Two

Every time a guy writes a song, he’s a sailor, a cowboy
Holding out the world in his palm like he made it himself

“Holding out the world in his palm like he made it himself” immediately recalls the hymn He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands, reinforcing the godlike self-image often afforded to male creators.

Every time I open my mouth I think, wow, what a loud noise
Still on the soapbox, just hoping I seem underwhelmed

Here, the volume of her own voice surprises her, a nod to the phrase “women should be seen and not heard.” Despite speaking up, she hopes to appear underwhelmed, reflecting how women are socialised to be subdued, while men are encouraged to be bold and outspoken.

Chorus Two

The hand, the pen, the writing again
The wind around the willow

This chorus shifts into a calmer setting, acting as a contrast to the earlier depictions of violence and spectacle.

The now, the then, the thinking of “when”

“When” could refer to an imagined future where genders are treated as equals. Despite meaningful progress, women still suffer under systemic sexism.

The message from God
Forbid she shows emotion

Once again, Dinda references the silencing and dampening of female emotion.

Bridge

This isn’t rage, it’s worth a mention

Many women are angry about the current climate, yet historically their feelings have been dismissed as hormonal or hysterical, and therefore not taken seriously.

Sometimes I spread out one opinion
And stand on its back to gauge attention

Dinda admits to testing her beliefs, putting feelers out to see whether she’s genuinely speaking truth or merely standing on a soapbox making noise.

This isn’t rage, it’s too specific

The specificity is the point. This isn’t vague anger — it’s lived experience.

The reference to Joan of Arc is particularly evocative. When asked if she was in God’s good graces, she famously replied, “If I am not, may God put me there.” Joan stands as a heroic female figure who defied the limits of her time, only to be burned at the stake for heresy – a punishment disproportionately inflicted upon women accused of witchcraft.

Final Chorus

The final chorus repeats earlier imagery not just because it’s a chorus, but to symbolise the repetition of history itself.

Does that make me his daughter?

Is she not this male God’s daughter? The line also calls into question how women’s art is so often framed as derivative of their male counterparts’ work.

Closing Thoughts

The Hand is currently one of my most-listened-to songs. It evokes a collective voice for women encouraging them to not just to share their experiences, but to demand to be heard, and to write their own narratives.