Ottilie Wallace is 14 years old and has a swag all of her own. When I log into a video call with her and the artist and filmmaker Amalia Ulman, Wallace is hushing her mom, Rachel, telling her to stay off screen. This is her interview. After a little over a year of building a following on social media, Wallace has recently filmed a music video with Ulman for her song “Toy,” which we are featuring today on Nina.

There is something markedly different about Wallace from many other 14 year olds online. No skibidi, no “boom or doom.” There are no CapCut edits or fancy effects. Instead, she shares clips of herself in the studio alongside highlights from local performances at events that may or may not be talent shows. Her videos have a different patina than the rest of the feed. There is a genuineness to Wallace’s content that cannot be faked, bought, or coached, which is maybe what attracted Ulman to solicit her with an offer to make a music video—the artist’s first.

“I have never done a music video because I have a lot of respect for that format and I hadn't really found contemporary bands that I wanted to make stuff for,” Ulman told me. “I really like her music but I also think she has an amazing style. I reached out and thankfully they were down.” Wallace’s first teaser of “Toy” was posted last May and has over 200,000 likes. A half a year later, we get the fully realized vision.

“Toy” sounds like early Blur mixed with the raw energy of Suicide. I would be remiss to not mention "Pizza Man" by Old Skull, but I hesitate to do so. It feels unfair to compare Wallace’s work to those of groups who are primarily remembered as “bands featuring children.” Wallace does not disguise her youth.

Anything “childish” about Wallace’s performance in “Toy” seems to be intentional. Ulman staged her in a playground, which she navigates with confidence. The director remarked on how natural and captivating Wallace is in front of the camera. Over the course of the interview, her momager Rachel chimed in from time to time. She reminded her daughter of the different looks they brought to the shoot, and a lesson they learned regarding the importance of scouting locations near restrooms.

I asked Wallace about where her punk influences came from, and her answer was rather surprising. “I hadn't actually listened to any punk before writing ‘Toy,’ straight up. That was a first,” she said. “It was actually based on real experiences. It was after a friendship that didn’t end well.”

“Toy” is the sound of pure, raw, teenage frustration. There isn’t anything more rock and roll than that. Stayed tuned for her full record, Throughout The Day, out later this year.

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