How does one write a song about a long-distance friendship? Do you package it in a jangly pop song, or in a melancholic ballad to mourn their absence? For Hacktick!, that longing easily translates to a playful, absurd, and seemingly candid ode to a close friend in “Sayang Awak”.

Over fluttery, sweet guitars — notably inspired by Ritchie Valens’ “Donna” and Skeeter Davis’ “The End of The World” — Hyke, vocalist and guitarist, opens the song by questioning the distance that separates him from Mun, a.k.a MoonVader666, his close friend and bandmate: “Kini ku sendiri / Tulis lagu ini / A four-fucking-chord song / With simple melodies.” This isn’t Hacktick!’s first song about friendships within the band, so it’s no surprise why the emotions behind it could blossom with this magnitude. The song later transitions seamlessly from swaying, slow dance mood to the good ol’ pop punk Hacktick!: teary, punchy guitar, perfect for a sweaty, jumping Hyke under the hot sun. Hyke refuses to accept any reasoning behind the distance, while also hinting the possible delay of their upcoming album: “What the fuck does that mean? / Kau dah lah jauh gila / Come move closer / Nak siapkan album lah fucker.” Immediately, Hyke dives into a classic guitar solo while breaking the fourth wall and laughing in the background.

“Sayang Awak” places its narrator and the subject at the centre of the world — or in Hacktick!’s “Wilayah Tong Sampah” — baring the transparent devotion from one friend to another, even if you couldn’t tell it from its absurdity. Indeed, there is no better way to express your platonic love than with over-the-top humour, inappropriate name-calling and sincere emotion. Hacktick! seems to understand this very well.

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