The Code (Nemo song)

"The Code" is a song by Swiss singer Nemo. It was written by Nemo along with three other songwriters and was released on 29 February 2024 through Better Now Records. It represented Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, where it won the contest with 591 points. In the process, the song became the first victory for the country since "Ne partez pas sans moi" by Celine Dion in 1988 and the first winning song in the history of the contest by a non-binary artist.

It has been described by Nemo as a song that details their experience with accepting their non-binary identity. "The Code" enjoyed widespread acclaim upon its release, with praise being given towards the mixture of multiple musical genres and styles within the song, becoming a favourite to win the contest in the months heading into the competition. However, while the performance was also met with praise, its victory was met with mixed, highly polarized reactions amongst various social and political groups. The song drew commercial success, peaking at number one in its native country of Switzerland and Greece, and peaking within the top five in a further six countries.

"The Code" was written by Benjamin Alasu, Lasse Midtsian Nymann, Linda Dale, and Nemo Mettler, and was composed at a SUISA songwriting camp. BBC's Mark Savage described the song as a "drum and bass EDM opera" and said its chorus was inspired by The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In press statements, Nemo stated that the song details their realization of their non-binary identity, stating that realizing they are non-binary has given them "freedom" and that by entering the Eurovision Song Contest, they can "stand up for the entire LGBTQIA+ community". According to Nemo, when accepting that they didn't "feel like a man or a woman... I had to break a few codes"; the song references binary code, which is meant to represent the binary classification of genders. Nemo also declares within the song that they have found their "kingdom come", refusing to conform to traditional gender classification norms and stick to only one musical style. Nemo later added in Eurovision World, "being non-binary is a big part my truth... You're always learning about yourself. It never ends."

Along with the song's release upon its announcement, an accompanying music video was released on the same day. To further promote the song, Nemo confirmed their intent to participate in various Eurovision pre-parties throughout the months of March and April, including Pre-Party ES 2024 on 30 March, Eurovision in Concert 2024 on 13 April, and the Nordic Eurovision Party 2024 on 14 April. They also performed it during other occasions before the contest, including on Swiss television show MusicStar – Die Revival-Show on 31 March, and a performance at the Embassy of Sweden in Bern to honor ABBA's 50th anniversary of winning the Eurovision Song Contest 1974.

A remix of "The Code" by German DJ Felix Jaehn was released on 26 April 2024. An orchestral version of the song with accompaniment by the Biel Solothurn Symphony Orchestra was released on 10 May 2024, alongside a video where Nemo wears an outfit similar to the one worn by Canadian singer Céline Dion when she won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1988, also representing Switzerland.

"The Code" has been largely well received. Michel Imhof, writer for Blick, wrote that the song was "an epic anthem that can be perfectly staged on stage... they can go really high. Nemo, I wish you lots of 12 points!" Tages-Anzeiger's Martin Fischer declared the song to be "spectacular... in these three minutes Nemo goes through all the genres that the musical talent masters.... Ballads always work at the contest, but other songs remain memorable. 'The Code' will be one of them." Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen's (SRF) Luca Koch described the song as "pompous", describing the song as "James Bond meet[ing] Hans Zimmer".

In a Wiwibloggs review containing several reviews from several critics, the song was rated 8.83 out of 10 points, winning the site's annual ranking for that year. ESC Beat's Doron Lahav ranked the song eighth overall out of the 37 entries competing in Eurovision 2024, praising Nemo's vocal abilities but admitting that the song's subject matter and fusion of musical styles "might be too complicated to digest". Glen Weldon, writer for National Public Radio (NPR), deemed the song a favourite to win the contest, praising the blend of multiple styles within the song and declaring that it had "all the earmarks of a showstopper". The Independent's Roisin O'Connor also listed the song as a potential favourite, drawing comparisons to the Georges Bizet opera Carmen and the "James Bond Theme". Erin Adam of The Scotsman rated the song 10 out of 10, and dubbed it a "veritable smorgasbord of a song" due to its mix of styles. In contrast, Jon O'Brien, a writer for Vulture, ranked the song 22nd out of 37 songs, stating that while the song had a "great message of freedom, self-identity, and acceptance", he thought that "it gets lost in a cut-and-shut mix of drum and bass, pop opera, Eurorap, and The Greatest Showman that may leave you reaching for the Ibuprofen".

In the months heading into the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, "The Code" was considered one of the favourites to win the contest based on betting odds. Hours after the song was released, it was placed 10th on the first set of betting odds that were released after "The Code" came out. By 10 March, it increased to fourth place, threatening Italy's Angelina Mango for third. In the beginning of April, directly after Nemo's performance of the song in Pre-Party ES 2024, they increased to first, becoming the favourite to win the contest with 7-to-2 odds. Before rehearsals, "The Code" also had a 93% chance of qualifying from the second semi-final. In response to becoming the favourite, Nemo stated to Aussievision that they weren't "focus[ed] too much on [the odds]".