DAMIANO DAVID TURNS HIS 'FUNNY LITTLE FEARS' INTO 'FUNNY LITTLE DREAMS'

The musician has teamed up with Tyla and Nile Rogers on Talk To Me

Image: Supplied.

Damiano David has always walked the tightrope between vulnerability and spectacle. Now, with the release of FUNNY little FEARS (DREAMS), he fully embraces both. The expanded edition of his debut solo album arrived today, adding five new songs that blur the line between confession and performance, pop and personal mythology. It’s less a reissue and more a reintroduction to an artist no longer interested in playing it safe.

Heralded by the new single Talk To Me, David opens the door to a richer sonic world - one where pop, funk, and soul intersect without apology. Featuring Grammy-winning South African star Tyla and legendary producer-guitarist Nile Rodgers, the track balances smooth sensuality with infectious groove. David’s cinematic intensity meets Tyla’s airy, honeyed vocals, while Rodgers injects his unmistakable guitar tone; playful, rhythmic, and unmistakably his.

“When I received the song from Damiano and Tyla, I really loved the vibe of it and I wanted my guitar to be the third voice,” Rodgers explained. “‘Talk To Me’ was a fun one to work on!” Tyla was equally enthusiastic: “Damiano sent me this record and I instantly fell in love with how nostalgic it felt. I heard myself on it straight away. Excited about how new it feels for me, my tygrs gonna luv ittt.” Talk To Me captures the core of this deluxe release. Fearless collaborations, emotional risk-taking, and an artist who’s less interested in genre boundaries than he is in emotional truth.

The new tracks that follow continue in that vein. Cinnamon, featuring Albert Hammond Jr of The Strokes, is a jangly, serotonin-laced slice of indie pop with real grit. On Naked, David strips back the theatrics for something disarmingly intimate; a ballad that proves he can be just as powerful in a whisper as in a roar. Mysterious Girl veers into dark-pop territory, drenched in drama and hooks, while the final track, Over, lifts the entire record into catharsis. Heartbreak alchemised into something hopeful.

If there’s a through line here, it’s transformation. In announcing the album earlier this week, the musician wrote: “I turned my fears into dreams. This is my gift to you and to everyone joining me on tour.”

David will return to our shores, playing the Enmore Theatre on October 22 and Forum in Melbourne on October 24. Final tickets to the Sydney show are on sale now.

FUNNY little FEARS (DREAMS) is out now.