The Code

Nemo, whose real name is Nemo Mettler, has been cranking out tunes in Switzerland since 2015. They (Nemo's preferred pronoun) even had a stint on the Swiss version of The Masked Singer, belting out ballads while disguised as a panda (who knew pandas could pack such a vocal punch?). In late 2023, Nemo finally shed a different kind of disguise, coming out as non-binary in a Swiss newspaper interview. This openness and self-acceptance would become a defining theme in their music career.

In February 2024, Nemo was chosen to represent Switzerland in Eurovision with their song "The Code." The lyrics are a powerful exploration of self-discovery, specifically Nemo's journey of coming to terms with their non-binary identity. "'The Code' is about the journey I started with the realization that I am neither a man nor a woman," said Nemo. "Finding myself has been a long and often difficult process for me. But nothing feels better than the freedom I have gained by realizing that I am non-binary."

The song has a clever metaphor woven into the lyrics. Irgendwo zwischen den Nullen und Einsen Dort habe ich mein Reich gefunden Mein Herz schlägt wie eine Translates as: Somewhere between the 0's and 1's That's where I found my kingdom come My heart beats like a drum This is a reference to the binary code of computers, which consists of 0s and 1s. The male-female gender identity is often called "the binary," and since Nemo identifies as non-binary, they are saying they don't fit neatly into the traditional categories of male or female. "It's about the path I took after realizing I wasn't a man or a woman," Nemo explained. "Finding myself wasn't easy, but the freedom I've gained by embracing being non-binary is incredible."