Image Credit: SRF // Lukas Maeder
Switzerland often keep very quiet about Eurovision until their announcement day, and this year was no different. It wasn’t until February 20th 2023 that broadcaster SRF confirmed that they’d be represented by Remo Forrer. On March 7th 2023, his entry ‘Watergun‘ was released, and he’ll be hoping that it’ll keep Switzerland in the final for the fourth year in a row.
Here’s all you need to know about Switzerland’s 2023 artist!
Who Is Remo Forrer?
Remo Forrer was born on September 5th 2001 in Hemberg, St Gallen, Switzerland. As a child, he played traditional Swiss folk music on the accordion, before turning his musical talents to the guitar and the piano.
The Voice Switzerland 2020
In 2020, Remo entered The Voice Switzerland, auditioning with ‘Someone You Loved‘ by Lewis Capaldi. He got all four chairs to turn, joining the team of Swiss Pop-Rock singer and Pegasus member Noah Veraguth.
After a performance of ‘Say You Won’t Let Go’ by James Arthur and another cover of his audition song, Remo found himself in the Final. Taking on Harry Styles’ ‘Sign Of The Times’, his rich vocal tone and impressive ability to carry such a vocally challenging song clearly impressed viewers, seeing him win the whole show.
After the show, he released two singles titled ‘Let It Go’ and ‘Sweet Lies’, and also took part in I Can See Your Voice Germany, which he won. Before ‘Watergun’, he released his third single ‘Out Loud‘.
Eurovision 2023
When he was announced for Eurovision in February, Remo said this about his entry:
The song means a lot to me. It definitely has catchy tunes and has been following me for months. It demands everything from my voice. It goes from very low to very high.
Remo Forrer, SRF
After a few teasers were released to build up hype, his song ‘Watergun’ was revealed on March 7th 2023. It’s a song about peace, with an anti-war statement which is more than relevant not only with the current situation in Europe but also under ther context of Eurovision 2023 – Ukraine are unable to host due to the Russian invasion, with the United Kingdom taking on hosting duties on their behalf. He had this to say about the songs message:
We are currently faced with global crises and war. And we must live with the consequences of decisions we didn’t make. But I still hope we can change things.
Remo Forrer, Eurovision.tv
Over on TikTok, Remo has been embracing the Eurovision experience, covering songs from the 2023 contest and hanging out with Austria’s artists Teya & Salena. He’s also headed out onto the preparty circuit prior to the start of rehearsals, performing at both PrePartyES in Madrid and Amsterdam’s Eurovision In Concert.
At Eurovision, Remo will perform in 8th position in semi final 2, starting the second half of the show. He’ll perform after Croatia’s Let 3 with ‘Mama ŠČ!’, and before Israel’s Noa Kirel with ‘Unicorn‘. Remo has teased his staging, revealing that he’ll be joined by 4 dancers on stage. His rehearsals prior to Liverpool are going ahead in Stockholm, Sweden where hes working with staging director Sacha Jean-Baptiste. With ‘Watergun’ having such a relevant message, it’s likely to connect with viewers at home. Coming after Let 3, who are known for their eccentric performance style could help him if people are after something a little more balanced and a traditional ‘Eurovison ballad’ sound, and with ‘Unicorn’ likely to be a big show straight after, Switzerland have the opportunity to stand out with a powerful, slower song.
We wish Remo & Switzerland the best of luck in Liverpool this May!
You can follow Remo Forrer on social media!
TikTok: @remoforrer.ch
Instagram: @remoforrer
Facebook: @remoforrer01
Twitter: @ForrerRemo
YouTube: @remoforrer1734
