Australia, Dami Im, 2, Australia Eurovision 2016
Australia, Dami Im, 2

Yesterday the Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of music unprofessionals — travelled to Australia and visited Melbourne’s laneways. Tucked away in a dumpling house, we discussed Dami Im‘s song “Sound of Silence”. Did we enjoy the sound? Or did it leave us craving silence? Read on to find out!

Dami Im – “Sound of Silence”

 

“Sound of Silence” reviews

Deban: Australia gets Eurovision!  Dami Im marks another bold internal selection choice. I love this entry now, but I was lukewarm at first. “Sound of Silence” thunders with killer vocals, and channels unadulterated emotion. There is a rawness here that stamps on the listener’s territory, and lingers beyond its airtime. Even with the harshest critics on board, this should dent the top 10.

Score: 7.5/10

Sami: “Sound of Silence” is a great song, but we have way too many female ballads in the contest this year. However, depending on the live performance, the audience might go for this instead of Albania or Switzerland in the same semi-final. I was expecting something uptempo from Dami, because from her discography, her uptempo songs are my favourite. Last year Australia totally deserved their top five placement, but I can’t see them repeating that this year.

Score: 7.5/10

Angus: If last year’s entry was all upbeat reality show winner, this year is overblown winning-song melodrama and I for one will be picking up my phone when lines open. Dami’s video may be low budget, but “Sound of Silence” is expensive. Tingling in the verses, and exploding through the chorus, it will draw comparisons to Sia but Dami puts her identity on it. There are a few songs in a similar space to Australia this year, but Dami has nothing to fear: she’s got this.

Score: 7/10

Josh: Just another day of Dami Im slaying my life. I’m thrilled that SBS have backed up “Tonight Again” with “Sound of Silence”. The consistency in their internal selections shows that they want to show the EBU that Australia should stay in the contest. I know Dami will nail the live performance, and if the staging is memorable and original, Australia will place top five yet again.

Score: 9/10

William: She keeps calling, calling, calling and I can’t help but answer. With “Sound of Silence” Dami rides the “dirty pop” wave, serving mystery, grit and soul with a heavy electro beat. She recounts her feelings of emptiness following a breakup, but fills the void with sultry vocals and some seriously raw emotion. Dami — a powerhouse vocalist — has the right material. With the proper staging and a bit of luck, she may soon have the Eurovision winner’s trophy too.

Score: 9.5/10

Antranig: “Sound of Silence” has one of the best build-ups of the contest but I am completely underwhelmed by the chorus. Dami is incredible and she can do better than rhyming silence with silence four times. It’s an amazing song though — the lyrics are my only criticism. Most viewers will overlook that and I expect Dami to keep Australia in the top 10.

Score: 8/10

Bogdan: Dami Im has an extraordinary voice, and that is Australia’s best asset this year. Unfortunately the same cannot be said of the song, which is only good. After promising verses, the chorus is quite tame and, what’s worse, it’s delivered identically throughout, almost copy/paste style, with just the right, calculated amount of vocal gymnastics overlaid after the bridge. There is hardly any organic growth and virtually no excitement whatsoever. Hopefully the live performance will change that. Until then, I am not blown away.

Score: 8/10

Chris: Dami Im has always been my pick for Australia at Eurovision — she was in 2015 and she was for 2016. Maybe that’s why I was ever so slightly underwhelmed by “Sound of Silence” when it first came out. After listening to it regularly though over the past few weeks, I’m happy to say I’m back in the Dami Army. I feel that the studio version won’t convey just how powerful Dami will bring it on stage in Stockholm; I still worry that it just doesn’t change it up enough in the final chorus though.

Score: 8.5/10

Padraig: Dami Im is one of those rare artists that could sing just about anything and make it amazing. She possesses a powerful voice that belies her petite frame, yet she always employs great control and restraint. “Sound of Silence” allows us to witness her capabilities to full effect. A dark, brooding opening gives way to a soaring chorus that lasts long in the memory. Admittedly, the song doesn’t reach its full potential. Alongside the exquisitely lush verses, the refrain feels a little anti-climactic. However, Dami elevates proceedings to such a level that you almost don’t notice the disparity.

Score: 9/10

Robyn: There’s room for a big diva ballad in the contest this year and “Sound of Silence” is a very strong contender. I admire the skill, emotion and drama that Dami Im brings to her performance. I don’t feel a connection with the song, but I know plenty of others will love it.

Score: 7.5/10

Tobias: Australia keeps on delivering strong songs! “Sound of Silence” is one my personal favourites to win this year. I do think the Eurovision crowd will like this as well, the song itself is a typical “Eurovision song” and I wouldn’t be surprised if Australia ended up in the top 3.

Score: 8/10

In the Wiwi Jury we have 40 jurors but only have room for 11 reviews. The remaining 29 scores are below.

Anthony: 7.5/10

Bernardo: 8/10

Cristian: 9/10

David: 9/10

Dayana: 7.5/10

Denise: 9.5/10

Diego: 7/10

Edd: 4.5/10

Forrest: 8/10

George: 9/10

Gökhan: 7/10

Jason: 10/10

Judit: 5/10

Kristin: 8/10

Liam: 10/10

Luis: 7/10

Marek: 9/10

Maria: 6.5/10

Mario: 5.5/10

Max: 8/10

Mike: 9.5/10

Mikhail: 5.5/10

Patrick: 8.5/10

Renske: 8.5/10

Rezo: 9/10

Sinan: 8/10

Steinunn: 8/10

William C: 8/10

Zakaria: 6/10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The highest and lowest scores are dropped prior to calculating the average score. This is to remove outliers and reduce potential bias. We have removed a low of 4.5 and a high of 10.

WIWI JURY SCORE: 7.92/10

SEE OUR CURRENT EUROVISION 2016 REVIEWS AND RANKINGS

86 Comments
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Cathy
Cathy
7 years ago

Dami’s voice and the song warms the cockles of my heart…unlike most of the other entries! Her voice is incredible and on par with the best!! Most of the other songs, the phony artists and performances leave me cold! I suppose we all have different tastes but the songs that sit in our minds and get sung all day are what count! Being smart about opinions is not what wins the hearts! Great singer!

Tim
Tim
7 years ago

Nicky91 & Marc, I do respect other’s opinion. I get it that everyone has different taste in music. I guess I was just a little annoyed by Marc and your repetitive negative comments, come on, 25% of total comments made at the time is quite a lot if think about it. I can understand if you two don’t like the song or the singer for that matter and makes a few unfavourable comments but 25% of total comments?

Anyway, I do apologize for my outburst. And Nicky91, we can be friends, I am normally not like that.

GermanQR
GermanQR
7 years ago

This is for me a potential winner. My number 1 without a doubt. Strong song, unabashedly modern, ready for radio stations everywhere, ready for the dance remix. Perfect production since the first second with those drums beating to the “sound of silence”. A bit cold, unimaginative chorus, but I find this a stronger entry than anyone else, really. Amazing vocals, amazing stage presence. Australia very proudly presenting their un-European, exotic side (even with a first generation immigrant from another wealthy country, South Korea). Dami Im is a true talent deserving of the world’s attention. So elegant, so classy, so modern,… Read more »

CookyMonzta
CookyMonzta
7 years ago

She is #7 after my first review, but this competition is likely to be as competitive as was 2011; so, it could be a bumpier ride for her to finish in the top 10 than it was for Guy last year.

ESCaddict
ESCaddict
7 years ago

I love the power & the emotion of Sound of Silence. I always get excited when the song commences because I know there will be fireworks to come. It never disappoints. Not every singer could deliver this song but Dami has the vocal talent. She is an amazing singer.
Currently I rank Sound of Silence 8 of 43.

oli
oli
7 years ago

Make an experiment. Take Australia and Czech Republic and change names: Australia: I stand – Gabriela Gun Czech Republic: Sound of silencie – Dami In?íková Now listen to the songs. Thoughs? Mines: Both have great voices. Sound of silence has a better producion, but it sounds more mainstream and unoriginal. I’m bored after two minutes. I stand: also a typical ballad, but has more soul, it’s edgier, and at the end it has really touched me. Conclusion: They are very similar, but I personally like “I stand” more. That’s why I don’t understand why there is such a big gap… Read more »

Nicky91
Nicky91
7 years ago

@Tim i’m not a hater or a troll, and neither is Marc, i trust him with his opinion of course you can like Dami, everyone can have a different opinion I’m a big fan of Ira, like you are a big fan of Dami, and i respect you for that Tim 🙂 i only said this song is overrated, by the wiwi juries, but don’t look too much at the hateful comments, you’ll only get annoyed, i had that last year, i was really nervous for Malta, because Amber didn’t have a catchy rhythm, and her staging was a big… Read more »

Cathal
Cathal
7 years ago

It annoys me that a lot if songs get crap for being generic yet the song most guilty of it (I.e this song) gets a free pass.

Marc
Marc
7 years ago

@Tim
Congrats for the most stupid comment!
You know that not everyone has to think the same way right? Deal with it.
Bye.

Hugh
Hugh
7 years ago

I’m happy for this to be our representative this year, but I have this weird feeling that this song was written for (and maybe somewhat co-written by…?) Delta Goodrem and I kind of wish it was performed by her. Not because Dami isn’t very talented, but because this just isn’t quite the right fit for her. Still, hopefully it’ll go well at Eurovision and do Australia proud. 8/10

Tim
Tim
7 years ago

Nicky91, I respect people and their opinion but if it is really about opinion then most people would leave 1 or 2 comments and be on their way. But you and Marc, are haters or worst, a troll. At the moment, there 80 comments and you two racked up exactly 25% of the comments saying something negative about this song or Dami or another that you don’t support. I’m not from Australia but I love this song and Dami Im. It’s a powerful ballad sang by a beautiful person with a powerful vocal to match. I think this song can… Read more »

Panda
Panda
7 years ago

A fair score. I actually think this song is better than their entry from last year. They’ve definitely up their game. Now we wait for the live show

2016
2016
7 years ago

Good, but not a winner.

Veitunas
Veitunas
7 years ago

Not winner material, but this is quality production. Lyrics are quite bland and not very emotional. Here’s where it misses the opportunity to win.

Should finish around 4th-8th position.

Bis
Bis
7 years ago

8,5/10 A strong effort which should do very well. But it lacks that extra spark that would really make it stand out. Top 5, but not a winner for me

cutie
cutie
7 years ago

It’s too much of a dark ballad to win, Australia want a top ten but don’t want to win it.

Slightly Biased ESC Fan
Slightly Biased ESC Fan
7 years ago

I have to agree with Eugene here… And I’m a fan of Dami. Was expecting something more upbeat/explosive for her, but she’ll sell it well on stage no doubt.

sonic0201
sonic0201
7 years ago

It almost looks like this song was written for a voice contest, and not for a song contest. The song itself is modern, but sounds so ordinary. The verses are flat, the refrain is repetitive and kind of annoying.
If I try to think of the staging and the performance of this entry in Stockholm, I can imagine a very inferior version of Polina Gagarina – A million voices as a result…

blondboybc
blondboybc
7 years ago

This rating is well deserved, but I’d have it a tad higher. Currently Dami is in my top 3 overall, but that could change depending on her live performance/staging in Stockholm. One thing is certain for sure, however: she has a stellar voice, one of the best in the competition! I predict another top 5 finish for Oz, maybe even top 3! Go, Dami! 😀

www.damiarmyworld.com
7 years ago

What makes Dami different from nearly every other Artist? Yes she has the most phenomenal vocals, most powerful voice, Angrlic tones, technically pitch perfect we all ready know that , Dami resonates so much passion , she engages the listener & viewer in a hypnotic way , transferring emotions that run deep, some people call this goosebumps while others call it spine tingling or hair raising or jaw dropping, wherever she performs LIVE it’s bound to happen, she’s done it to her Fans & she’s done it to reality TV judges & she’s done it to celebrities, Eurovision Fans who… Read more »

Darren
Darren
7 years ago

Well, Austraila, currently the most overrated country at Eurovision along with Russia. I don’t think I will ever except the fact that Australia is in Eurovision. It’s just not right and it never will be. It was nice to have them as a guest last year, but they really shouldn’t still be here. Song wise: I love Dami I’m, she’s got such a powerful voice and I love her quirky persona. Sound of Silence is a good song, but that’s all it is, I have heard it all before a thousand times. But it’s pleasant and I wish Dami well,… Read more »

Digital Style
Digital Style
7 years ago

Dami is like a living doll. She can sing really well, and her stage presence is excellent too. I don’t know how it will be staged, but I hope it’s something that adds to the intensity, power, emotion and strength in the song and lyrics.

Azotman
Azotman
7 years ago

Bonsoir Stockholm,

Australia is not Europe. It was nice to invite them last year, but why again this year ? I don’t particularly like the song and for me it shouldn’t qualify.
In my opinion, there is much better than Australia in second semi-final, in alphabetical order :

Belarus
Belgique
Danemark
Irlande
Macédoine (A.R.Y.)
Norvège
Pologne
Roumanie
Slovénie
Suisse

My vote 3/10
Ranking 12th/19 in semi-final

Cordialement,
Maxime

MF
MF
7 years ago

The song is not catchy. It might score high with the juries and with all the hype might convince some televoters, but won’t win. . Last year at least they had a catchy song even if not original. She’s great but the song is just ok.

Ben Rafter
Ben Rafter
7 years ago

10/10
This is amazing

Briekimchi
Briekimchi
7 years ago

@Pollaski – Personally, I was really excited for Australia being in the contest and enjoyed their song from last year. Having said that, if somebody strongly thinks Australia should not be in the contest, that is an opinion I can understand. I mean, I can definitely see the logic behind it!

I like just to be able to call songs as I hear them and Australian fans do tend to get *slightly* defensive when somebody criticises this song!

Nicky91
Nicky91
7 years ago

@Holden

hi, from the Netherlands, what do you think of our dutch song from Douwe Bob, and what do you think of Ira’s Walk On Water, also a powerful track, right? 🙂

anyway, love this blog about sharing my opinion on here 🙂

Holden
Holden
7 years ago

Powerful pop track indeed. I love it. 9.5/10.

Nicky91
Nicky91
7 years ago

@Leo

let’s first hope they both qualify, last year i was really nervous for Malta, because they didn’t have a good rhythm in their song, which is i think why they didn’t qualify, not memorable enough

Dami was good on the x factor Australia, and i like her song Gladiator, but this song misses something what i liked in Gladiator 🙂

cheesecake
cheesecake
7 years ago

“Tonight Again” was much better than this. I feel like we have heard “Sound of Silence” a million times before, furthermore the chorus gets hella annoying. I’m not saying it’s a bad song, I’m just obviously not a fan. And I also wouldn’t be if any other country sent this.
Shouldn’t make the top 5.

Pollaski
Pollaski
7 years ago

@Briekimchi

I think it depends on why you dislike the entry. If you legit think its a mediocre (or worse) song, then yes, it is your opinion. If it’s because Australia shouldn’t even be here because this is a EUROPEAN contest so GTFO… yeah, that does kinda make you a hater.

All in the context, really. But most the people in this thread fall into Category A for sure.

Leo M
Leo M
7 years ago

I don’t get the hype about this song Dami Im has a good voice but the song is nothing special She will get through to the final but I don’t think it will make the top 10

Pollaski
Pollaski
7 years ago

Okay- first the positives- Dani Im is a fantastic singer, and she really adds life to this song- which heavily reminds me of “Battlefield” by Jordin Sparks. But the lyrics are… not very good, and I think its only fair we hold English speaking countries to a higher standard here. Its still a good song by any stretch of the imagination, but there are a good chunk of others that I like better right now. This has a good chance to win me over in the live shows, but right now I have it midpack in the finals. I understand… Read more »

georgekirkas
georgekirkas
7 years ago

@Briekimchi I totally agree with you!

Briekimchi
Briekimchi
7 years ago

It still surprises me that somebody immature enough to call somebody else a “hater” for having a different opinion is old enough to own a computer.
If everyone had the same opinion, there would be no point having a Eurovision song CONTEST now, would there?

Leo
Leo
7 years ago

I love this ,it’s my favorite along with Malta ,I hope it wins

Nicky91
Nicky91
7 years ago

@jPod

haters, no just people who have a different opinion, just keep supporting your favourite

of course i respect Dami as a person, but you must respect that people can have different tastes of music 🙂

jPod
jPod
7 years ago

I love how all the haters are coming out in full force about “Sound Of Silence”. Australia is perhaps one out of ten countries that has pulled out the stops to produce a high quality and professional song. You can hate the song as much as you want, but, at the end of the day, Dami Im will slay in May!

Leaf
Leaf
7 years ago

Great voice, very stylish video BUT….. The song – ZzZz

Nicky91
Nicky91
7 years ago

@Michael Myrt

well she can have a good voice if you like that sort of voice, to me and Marc, it’s overscreaming like a diva, and the sound of silence is no sound haha

georgekirkas
georgekirkas
7 years ago

It’s a really good song and Dami has an amazing voice!

Andy
Andy
7 years ago

that Edd: 4.5/10 such a hater! lol kidding well Dami proves how good she is live singing a song like this! can’t wait for the performance in may. btw it is funny how some people don’t like the song and they say “overrated” just because is not their type of music or song. what are you afraid of? what do you even bother to see a post about dami im if you don’t like her song or her or both the entry.. oh yeah ” i have an opinion ” well the jury also has one and it is what… Read more »

Michael Myrt
Michael Myrt
7 years ago

Sound of Silence a powerful ballad, Dami a powerful singer. Dami Im singing Sound of Silence LIVE !!!!!! Have you s surprise coming up !!! ENJOY !!

Nicky91
Nicky91
7 years ago

@Joao Teles

too bad Portugal won’t be in eurovision this year, and i’m not overreacting about this song, i just don’t like it

@jumper

well it would need some massive staging, to bring this song to a higher level

João Teles
João Teles
7 years ago

this is another song that while not bad i think people are overreacting about it, i think it’s an ok song but not that great as many people claim it to be and certainly far from last year’s Australian entry completely, in my opinion.

Aussie
Aussie
7 years ago

Aussie Aussie Aussie oi oi oi GO DAMI!!! I can’t wait to see her on screen at 5am in Australia # oh DAMI ljubav ta 😉

jumper
jumper
7 years ago

with a good staging act, i will forget its repetitive chorus. Go Dami !

Bhrister Cjorkman
Bhrister Cjorkman
7 years ago

9.5/10
2nd/43

Officially dethroned as my front runner. However, there is no doubt that the production is extremely good and Dami can sing. Barring the repetitiveness this was perfect, and I cannot imagine the juries not placing her top 3. With a good performance this has the potential to snatch the trophy from “Europe”

beccaboo1212
7 years ago

One word: AMAZING!!!!!
10/10

Juan
Juan
7 years ago

Close to perfection. Could do it great in Top 40 radios and with dance remixes. Dami’s voice is excellent.
On my personal top 3: 9/10