Revealing our TIE for #1 of our top 10 songs this year: Switzerland!

U’s number 1 (C’s number 2) is Switzerland. Switzerland chose Nemo and their song “The Code” through an internal selection process. Nemo will be performing 4th in the second semifinal.

We were blown away from the very first viewing of this music video (how could we not be with that much tulle?). The song is in one of our favorite Eurovision styles of mixing operatic vocals with other music genres (see “It’s My Life,” “La Forza,” and “Zero Gravity” and we hope Nemo’s staging will be as incredible as these other examples). While incorporating operatic elements is not new to Eurovision, “The Code” is like no song we have heard before. The song moves and builds, combining many different styles to reach a satisfying crescendo.  

When the music video first came out, we questioned whether Nemo would be able to perform the wide range of vocal techniques required to pull this song off. The transition from pop to rap to opera to spoken lyrics and back seemed impossible for a human to pull off unaided. However, Nemo put those worries to rest at their very first live performance where they successfully performed the whole song with fully live vocals. From that point forward this song has been cemented at the top of our rankings (and at the top of the Eurovision odds, too).

We would also like to spare a thought for the Eurovision sound mixers who have the challenge of mixing this variety of vocal styles live.

Also Nemo is a fashion icon.

“The Code” is about Nemo’s path to finding acceptance outside of the binary. Beyond just the story of their journey to accepting their non-binary gender identity, the binaries in “The Code” extend more generally into the dichotomies of right and wrong, good and bad. The lyrics are clever, employing the metaphor of the code both as a set of rules to follow and as a function of the binary computer system of 0s and 1s.

From the song to the lyrics to the vocal performance to a lovely music video, this entry has it all. If Switzerland can do this masterpiece justice with its staging then Nemo has a solid shot at winning the whole contest. Regardless, we are sure to see them in the final.