Dami Im Gladiator

Dami Im has announced that her brand new single -Gladiator' will be released on August 8 through Sony Music Entertainment Australia, and will be serviced to radio this Thursday July 31.

-Gladiator' is yet another anthemic pop track that showcases Dami's powerhouse vocals at the same time as exploring emotional themes embedded within lyrics, including the notion of female empowerment and the need to 'fight for your love". -Gladiator' was written and produced alongside Swedish songwriters Trinity Music; the team also behind Dami's ARIA accredited Gold selling single -Super Love' released earlier this year.

The incredible video for -Gladiator' was shot in Sydney last week and is as epic, colourful, and emotional as the single itself. Perfectly complementing -Gladiator' with a super visual composite, the video is set to premiere on August 7.

Almost a year after winning the 2013 series of The X Factor, Dami has continued to grow as an artist beginning work on her forthcoming studio album set for release later this year. Keeping with her unique style combined with her incredible powerhouse vocals, Dami Im is evidently ready to dominate the world of pop.

 

Watch the Gladiator video on YouTube.

Interview with Dami Im

Question: How would you describe Gladiator?

Dami Im: I'm so excited that Gladiator has been released. I co-wrote Gladiator with the Trinity boys who wrote Super Love.


Question: What was your main motivation behind the song Gladiator?

Dami Im: Gladiator is about a girl wanting to fight for the love of a boy; it's very much about a girl deciding she likes a boy and making him love her. Gladiator is usually associated with males rather than females but I believe this song is very much to do with female empowerment and being a strong women who fights to be loved.

Gladiator also has a double meaning which is showcased in the video. The clear message is that you are fighting for yourself meaning females should fight to love themselves as sometimes it's hard to accept yourself for who you are. I find there are things about myself that I sometimes don't really like especially when I compare myself to other people. I feel as if as females we have to keep fighting to accept and love ourselves for who we are. I think the -secret' message behind Gladiator is very important.

Question: Why is it important for you to sing about female empowerment?

Dami Im: Yes, I think I have a lot more female fans than males (laughing) but I love both equally. I don't have the classic blonde beautiful features and it has been a journey for me to fight to realise my individual beauty. I've had to train myself to love myself despite being different to other people which I'm sure a lot of females can relate to. There is a such a small population of people who look like the models in the magazines and because of that, we have to be at peace with who we are, not just in regards to appearance but personality. It's important to accept ourselves for who we are.


Question: What's your number one tip for teenage girls in terms of female empowerment?

Dami Im: Speaking from my own experience, I still struggle with the way I look and the way I am as a person. What I've learnt from my experiences including X Factor is I am liked for who I am. I was very self-conscious that I'm not -cool' or -funny' but I realised that people can relate to be being a little bit awkward and looking imperfect. I want to encourage teenage girls to realise that we don't all want to see perfection, people love those of us who are relatable and everybody has their own weaknesses and insecurities.

Our insecurities are important if only to understand other people's insecurities. I want teenage girls to be confident and proud of themselves inside and out. We are all different and accepting yourself as who you are, is the best way to be.


Question: Has there been a time where you had to 'fight for your love" whether with Noah or another person?

Dami Im: Yes, Gladiator is a song about Noah and myself but I wanted to stop saying that because I don't want everyone to think that I only write songs about Noah. When I was 13 years old I met Noah and he was five years older than me but I had a crush on him, he didn't have a crush on me though because I was so young. For many years it was a one sided love until I was 18 years old and then Noah returned to Australia from Korea where he had been for Military Service and we fell in love.

I fought for Noah's love for many years, I kept persevering to make him like me (he didn't know though) and by the time I was 18 I'd succeeded (laughs).


Question: Tell us about the video clip for Gladiator?

Dami Im: The video clip for Gladiator was so much fun, the whole process including creating ideas and planning the clip was very exciting. The video clip is very special because I got to work with stuntmen and I had my own stunt double, a double-Dami, who was a male dressed up as a female outfit doing Ninja fighting. It was very special to see the wiring and green screen process.
In the video clip I also got to dress up in beautiful outfits although this video clip is a lot more stripped back than what I have done in the past with Super Love and Alive. To a degree the film clip is more natural than extravagant as I wanted people to focus on the message of the song rather than the outfit. I didn't want distractions with this video clips, I wanted the storyline to be evident.


Question: When you do get time off from your busy schedule – how do you spend it?

Dami Im: I love shopping and sitting at a nice café with friends or reading a book. These days I don't get to do that much, but whenever I get a chance I get on a bus and go out to the city to find a nice café.


Question: What inspires your outfits and style?

Dami Im: I like wearing what looks good on my body! These days I look in magazines and shop windows for inspirations but mostly I wear what suits my body best.


iTUNES: http://smarturl.it/DamiGladiator
JBHiFi:  http://smarturl.it/DamiGladiatorJBHiFi  
SANITY: http://smarturl.it/DamiGladiatorSanity

 

Interview by Brooke Hunter