Photo credit: SRF/Ella Mettler
Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR) have once again selected their Eurovision 2024 representative internally and now it’s time to say hello to Nemo and their song ‘The Code’! Read on to learn all about Nemo, their career so far and their journey to Eurovision.
Who is Nemo?
Nemo Mettler, who performs mononymously under the name Nemo, is a 24-year-old rapper, singer and musician from Biel/Bienne, Switzerland. At just 15-years-old, they released their debut EP ‘Clownfisch’ which peaked at number 95 in the Swiss music charts. This was followed in 2016 by their second EP ‘Momant-Kids’, from which their debut single ‘Himalaya’ peaked at number 27. However, by far Nemo’s most successful single to date is their 2017 effort ‘Du’ from their third EP ‘Fundbüro’. ‘Du’ peaked at number 4 in the Swiss singles charts and in 2018 was certified platinum. You can listen to this song below:
In November 2023, Nemo came out publicly as non-binary, making them the second openly non-binary representative to compete in Eurovision 2024 alongside Bambie Thug who is representing Ireland with ‘Doomsday Blue’. Their single ‘This Body’ and its accompanying music video explore their feelings about their gender identity: ‘This body is a doubt, creeping in my mind/Trying to tell me how I’m supposed to feel inside.’
In German, Nemo prefers to use their name in place of pronouns, whereas in English they prefer the gender neutral pronouns they/them.
The Journey to Eurovision
In July 2023, SRG SSR announced they would internally select their Eurovision Song Contest representative which they have done since 2019. Prior to this, Switzerland had used the annual SUISA songwriting camp to craft potential Eurovision entries which included such attendees as Teya (one half of Austria 2023 representatives Teya & Salena), MGP participant and prolific songwriter Elsie Bay and Linda Dale, who helped compose Norway‘s 2023 entry ‘Queen of Kings’ and Switzerland’s entry this year, ‘The Code’.
With SRG SSR confirming in December 2023 that the song would not be “a male ballad”, all eyes were on Switzerland to see what they would produce, having been synonymous with this genre since 2020. However, ‘The Code’ is anything but: a genre-blending bonanza that combines pop, opera, rap and drum & bass elements to produce something we don’t normally expect from Switzerland. It perhaps makes sense that the song does not comfortably fit into one genre given its subject matter. Having helped write the song, Nemo confirms the song is about their journey in coming to terms with their gender identity:
The Code’ is about the journey I started with the realisation that I am neither a man nor a woman. Finding myself has been a long and often difficult process for me. But nothing feels better than the freedom I have gained by realising that I am non-binary.
Nemo on ‘The Code’, Eurovision.tv
Unlike ‘This Body’ where Nemo explores the feelings of “doubt” that initially came from their gender identity, ‘The Code’ sees Nemo fully come to terms with it. This can be seen in the song’s lyrics, which refer to the basic binary coding system used in computing consisting of the numbers 0 and 1. Between these two ends of the spectrum, Nemo has found their truth and safe space as a non-binary person: “Somewhere between the 0’s and 1’s/That’s where I found my kingdom come.”
Nemo will perform in the first half of the second semi-final on Thursday 9th May. While it’s still too early to say how they might fare, it’s certainly true that we don’t have anything quite like ‘The Code’ in the competition so far. We’ll certainly be wishing Nemo the best of luck in May!
You can follow Nemo on social media:
Instagram: @nemothings
TikTok: @nemothingsss
Twitter/X: @nemothingsss
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