ESC 2024: Non-Binary Artist Nemo Competes For Switzerland with «The Code»
The official announcement confirmed earlier reports: non-binary artist Nemo (24) will compete for Switzerland in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest.
Yesterday, the Swiss newspaper «Blick» reported, citing multiple sources, that Nemo (24) will compete for Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, Sweden. The Swiss public broadcaster SRF did not comment on the report, as the official announcement will be made on Thursday, including the song's premiere.
As we now know, the reports were confirmed by the annoucement that Nemo will participate with the song The Code. Watch the video clip here:
According to the initial report, SRF's show director, Yves Schifferle, announced on Instagram that Switzerland would not be represented by a man with a ballad, as was the case for the previous three years.
Last year, Nemo announced that they identify as non-binary—followed by the single release This Body.
On Instagram, Nemo wrote: «I haven’t opened up about it publicly, but some of you already know: I don’t identify as a man or a woman. I’m just Nemo. I love thinking of gender as a galaxy, picturing myself as a little star floating somewhere within. That’s where I feel most like myself.»
With his participation, the former rapper Nemo Mettler, who lives in Berlin and started focusing on English lyrics, follows in the footsteps of Luca Hänni (4th place), Gjon's Tears (3rd place), Marius Bear (17th place) and Remo Forrer (20th place) and is fighting for the fifth Swiss ESC final qualification in a row.
The 68th Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Malmö from 7 to 11 May 2024, after Loreen won in 2023 in Liverpool with the song Tattoo.
From Dialect Rapper To Sensitive Singer-Songwriter
The song own sh¡t, released in May 2022, already signified a path towards quirky pop music, away from Nemo's origin in dialect rap sound.
The artist, born in 1999, showed early talent in music—playing the violin, the piano, and drums. With a celebrated participation at the SRF Bounce Cypher in 2016, only 16 years old, Nemo jumped into public consciousness.
2017, Nemo's single Du reached platin status.
