Dami Im to Launch Memoir And Perform At Sydney’s Darlinghurst Theatre

Australian singer and songwriter Dami Im, best know for her songs such as Sound of Silence, Gladiator, and Super Love, as well as crushing it at the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest, has written her first book, a memoir, titled Dreamer.

In a conversation with Star Observer, the musician spoke about growing up in Australia, Eurovision, and being a queer icon. 

Moved To Australia Thinking It Was A Holiday

Born in South Korea, Im moved to Australia at the age of nine. Initially thinking that she was just on holiday to Australia. 

“My uncle’s family was here and so I thought it was another one of those regular kind of Australia visits,” Im said. “Turns out, I had to go to school here.” 

“That’s when I realized ‘oh my gosh, this is not what I expected. I don’t speak English’ and wasn’t ready for it.” 

Talking about the challenges of starting a new school, in a new country, without knowing the language, Im explained, “Being a little introverted kid, being thrown into a classroom where, you know, all the faces looked different. 

“Everyone spoke another language. I didn’t have any friends. I didn’t know anyone… It was exciting, but also just super stressful at the same time. So, I had to adapt really quickly.”

Eurovision Like ‘Disneyland For Music Lovers’

In 2013, Im auditioned for the fifth season of X Factor Australia, singing Mariah Carey’s Hero. She would go on to win the entire season. 

In 2016, Im represented Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden. Performing her song, Sound of Silence, Im went on to place second, the highest an Australian has ever placed in the contest. 

“It was like Disneyland for music lovers,” Im said.  

Did She Feel Robbed By Second Place Finish?

Speaking on competing in Eurovision and whether she felt she was robbed of winning first place, Im said, “I knew I wanted to finish at the top. I wanted to beat the previous Australian representatives – That’s my competitive nature coming through.” 

She continued, “When the results were coming in, we were getting the top points from everywhere – we were right at the top. We’re going number one for so long until right at the end when the audience vote came in, we dropped back down to number two.

“It was such a rollercoaster. So in that moment, I did feel robbed, but I’ve had a little bit more time to process and I was like, ‘Hey, I got second place at the biggest song competition in the whole world.’ That’s pretty cool.”

See The Dress At The Australian Music Vault in Melbourne

The gorgeous silk couture dress Im wore, if you’re curious, is on display at The Australian Music Vault in Melbourne.

“It’s free so everybody can go and have a look at it,” Im said. “It’s sitting next to all these iconic Australian artists’ outfits and memorabilia.” 

When asked how she feels about being a Queer icon, Im humbly said, “It’s very flattering. I feel honoured to be so loved and accepted – it’s pretty awesome.”

When it came to writing her memoir, Im found the entire process cathartic. 

“I had a lot of things happen during my career, where I wasn’t able to answer my fans’ questions or tell them what was happening, because of certain situations with my label –it’s very complicated and messy.

“I actually got to write about that and talk about that. Finally, and that’s really nice… I get to be really open about it,” she teased. 

Currently, Im is working on new music. She is also working on things she is “not allowed to speak about yet because it’s not ready.”

“I have heaps happening until the end of this year. And then I’ve got a big year planned for next year as well.”

On November 14, Dami Im is launching her new book at the Darlinghurst Theatre, where she will also be performing.