“MY REALITY”
Last week, Eurovision 2016 runner up Dami Im released her long-awaited sixth studio album, “MY REALITY”. According to Dami, this album is the most authentic out of her previous discography, as it is a mark of how she has overcome challenges to become stronger, mature and more diverse as an artist.
With this album, Dami has taken the reigns by showcasing her ability as a songwriter to the world. It is her first (and likely not the last) album where she has written or co-written each track. Dami spoke with her collaborators on this album solely through Zoom and wrote most of the songs during the pandemic but this does not appear to have hindered her creative juices and her ability to benefit from face-to-face interactions. In fact, for Dami, ‘MY REALITY’ is perhaps the best thing to come out of the pandemic. She believes that the lengthy period of self-isolation at home has finally given her a chance to come out of her shell, go through a period of self-realisation and steer her music in a direction that she has always wanted to move towards.
“This album is about owning who I am. You shouldn’t shy away from the things people like about you. But you are who you are. Some parts on this record people might expect, some others show how much I’ve changed. With this album I’m just trying to be authentic in the way I know it, that’s my reality“.
Dami Im, ABC Music
THE SONGS
Dami is no stranger to power ballads that showcase her stunning and powerful vocals. However, “MY REALITY” is a breath of fresh air. Whilst is it is still an emanation of everything that is quintessentially Dami, her track list showcases how she has grown significantly ever since winning X Factor Australia in 2013. The album itself contains a breadth of different genres, evokes many different emotions and demonstrates Dami’s broad range.
In “MY REALITY”, Dami remains true to herself by retaining the classic image of her sitting at a piano and a microphone with tracks such as “Pray”, “Memories” and “Scared to Talk to You”. However, many of her other tracks, including “Lonely Cactus” and “Paper Dragon” demonstrates her ability to cover other genres and pushes her voice into directions she has not explored publicly before. “Pray” was released as a single earlier last week, along with a music video that can be viewed below.
Her deeply personal, powerful and story-like lyrics also provide an opportunity to delve into her personal experiences growing up and how she has become the person she is today. The authenticity Dami brings to the table shines through all of her songs, as each track delves into owning who she is, providing a closer than ever before insight into her “reality”.
TRACK LIST
The 10-song track list of “MY REALITY” can be found below. Some songs may sound and look familiar. “Paper Dragon” was meant to be Dami’s entry for Australia Decides 2021, and “Marching On”, which was performed at Australia Decides 2020.
- Pray
- Scared to Talk To You
- Lonely Cactus
- Marching On
- Memories
- Crying Underwater
- Paper Dragon
- Alone
- Kiss You Anyway
- Fire
Last Sunday, Dami gave the world a chance to experience an intimate live music launch of her album on YouTube. Feel free to explore or revisit her concert for yourself below.
What’s next for Dami?
Ever since winning X Factor Australia in 2013, Dami has continued to expand her musical horizons. We can’t forget to mention her short stint on Celebrity MasterChef Australia, where viewers had the chance to witness her multifaceted skillset.
Although Dami was set to participate in Australia Decides 2021 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, she has unfortunately since cast doubt on her participation in the 2022 edition.
“It’s such a big commitment I am just not sure if I am ready to do that just quite yet.”
Dami Im, ABC Wide Bay Breakfast
Feel free to hear from Dami herself about her thoughts on a potential return to Eurovision in an interview with David Dowsett on the ABC Wide Bay Breakfast radio show here.
In the meantime, fans can continue to hold out hope and enjoy Dami’s unique and raw album on whatever streaming platform you own.
What do you think of “MY REALITY”? Let us know! Be sure to stay updated by following @ESCXTRA on Twitter, @escxtra on Instagram and liking our Facebook page for the latest updates! Also, be sure to follow us on Spotify and YouTube to see our reactions to the news in the run up to the 2022 national final season!