Dami Im releases her first new music for 2021, with the delightful pop overtones of ‘Lonely Cactus’ dropping today via ABC Music. It follows on from last year’s powerhouse single ‘Paper Dragon’, Dami’s first release after signing with her new label, and gives fans an exciting glimpse of what’s to come from her highly anticipated sixth studio album, confirmed for release later this year.
Written with Bri Clarke and Andrew Burford (aka One Above), ‘Lonely Cactus’ has been described as “a track with a hook that you hear once – and then spend the rest of the day with it running through your head!” Referencing her influences such as Emily Sandé, James Arthur, Benee and Julia Michaels , Dami explains “With ‘Lonely Cactus’ I wanted it to have enough production to keep it fun and interesting, but to be as minimalistic as possible and not overshadow the simplicity of the melody and the vocal textures”.
Reflecting on the inspiration behind the song, Dami says “While I was working on promoting my last single ‘Paper Dragon’, I became obsessed with cacti. I really wanted to write a song about a cactus and it started off as an idea about myself. On one hand I feel lonely and want to be around other people, and on the other hand I quickly get annoyed and prickly around people and just want to be left alone. I took the idea to our writing session and we tweaked it to mean it’s about a friend rather than myself because everyone knows someone who is that way.”
Both ‘Lonely Cactus’ and ‘Paper Dragon’ indicate the direction Dami is taking as she delves deeper and delivers sonic jewels that are somehow softer, gentler and more organic. They herald a new era for the X-Factor winner, as she draws on her pop past while demonstrating renewed creative growth.
Dami Im remains a trailblazer, a cultural icon, a shapeshifter and an artist that is completely in tune with her own pop self. She is considered ‘Eurovision Royalty’ (coming second in 2016) with her subsequent #1 global hit ‘Sound Of Silence’ charting in 38 countries. She has had four top ten albums on the ARIA chart and further hit singles with the likes of ‘Alive’, ‘Super Love’ and ‘Gladiator’. In 2019 Dami was the Women In Music Humanitarian Award winner.