Dami Im releases her most personal music video yet for latest single 'Proud of Me'
Image: Glenn Hunt
Published: 21 August 2026
Dami Im today releases the official music video for her latest single ‘Proud of Me’, her most personal song and video to date.
Written by Im with Amela Duheric and Josh Beattie, the song is a vulnerable, raw and at times heart breaking examination of perfectionism, self-doubt and the constant quest for validation - from both others and also yourself.
“I grew up trying so hard to be perfect, to meet expectations and some kind of moving standard that I could never reach,” Im says. “This song came from a place of questioning: What would it take for me to feel truly seen? Truly enough? It’s about the pressure to perform, to fit a mould, and the quiet, painful truth that often the harshest critic is the voice inside my own head. At its heart, this song is a cry for self-acceptance - a longing to finally be proud of myself, just as I am.”
The song is a powerful, anthemic piano driven ballad with Im’s incomparable voice at times breaking in a way that reinforces the melancholic and despair in her story: ‘I’ve spent my life nervous that I don’t deserve it /
I’d give the whole world just to be proud of me’.
Directed by Jacquelynn Auger and shot by Laz Smith at Queensland Conservatorium, the music video shows Im playing the piano on stage in an empty theatre and struggling to hold it together backstage. Mercy S stars as a young Im, with the two coming together at the end of the video as Mercy applauds Im from the stalls.
"'Proud of Me' is about the constant pursuit of perfection,” Smith says. “We wanted the visuals to convey a feeling of discomfort - cutting off-beat in the edit to give you a sense of unresolved feeling, like something doesn't quite feel right. It's a really transparent look into someone who does creative things for a career and feels trapped in this never-ending loop of seeking approval."
‘Proud of Me’ features on Im’s latest EP Stormy Weather which sees her return to where her love of music was first born - at the piano and through the soundscape of jazz and classical. Recorded with a live jazz trio and strings, the EP features five original tracks, from the bossa nova of ‘Sight of You’ to the breezy, summery ‘Blue Chalk (fly)’ and a cover of the classic jazz standard ‘Stormy Weather’.
“This EP captures a stage of life where everything feels suspended between two truths - the quiet confidence that comes with growing older, and the lingering ache for the wonder and freedom of childhood,” Im says. “It’s about feeling settled, but still restless; learning to love who you are, while still battling that inner critic. There’s a tension between contentment and yearning, self-acceptance and self-doubt, and all of it lives in these songs. Musically, it’s a return to where it all began for me: a love of timeless melodies, jazz influences, and honest storytelling. After years of touring, evolving, and exploring different musical paths, this feels like coming back to the house I grew up in- familiar, imperfect, and full of heart.”
Im has become one of Australia’s most successful and celebrated artists since she shot to stardom in 2013 after winning The X Factor Australia. She has since scored four top 10 albums, won multiple music awards and in 2016 came second at the Eurovision Song Contest with ‘Sound of Silence’, Australia’s best result in the competition to date.
A compelling singer with a true musical versatility that includes jazz, electro-pop and power ballads, Im is an artist that never fails to create a truly exceptional listening experience ‘Proud of Me’ is a truly moving song and another gem in Im’s portfolio.
Stormy Weather is out now via Dami Army. You can download and stream here.
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