Swiss singer Nemo performed at the 68th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night with “The Code,” an operatic anthem about a singer’s journey to embracing non-gender identity. won over.
Nemo won the title by winning the most points from a combination of national judges and viewers around the world, beating out Croatia’s Baby Lasagna.
After the results were announced, Nimmo said, “Thank you so much.” “I hope this contest fulfills its promise and continues to protect peace and dignity for all.”
Martin Silvest/Getty Images
The victory in the Swedish city of Malmö comes after a tumultuous year for the pan-continental pop contest, which has seen massive street protests against Israel’s participation. As a result, the feel-good music festival has turned into a chaotic pressure cooker in the shadow of the Gaza war.
A few hours before the finals Dutch competitor Joost Klein He was kicked out of the contest after a backstage altercation and was investigated by police.
Nemo beat out finalists from 24 other countries to perform in front of thousands of viewers worldwide, an estimated 180 million viewers. Each contestant had three minutes to blend catchy songs and spectacular sights into her performance, captivating the hearts of viewers. Musical styles ranged from rock, disco, techno, and rap, and in some cases, mashups of several.
Eurovision’s motto is ‘united in music’, but this year’s event has proved divisive. The protests and dissent have overshadowed the competition, which has become an eerie celebration of Europe’s diverse and sometimes inscrutable musical tastes and a forum for inclusion and diversity with a legion of LGBT fans.
On Saturday, thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through Sweden’s third-largest city with a large Muslim population for the second time in a week to demand a boycott of Israel and a ceasefire in the Palestinian conflict. Seven months of war in Gaza Some 35,000 Palestinians have died, according to the Hamas-controlled area’s health ministry.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the Malmö Arena before the final, shouting “shame” at arriving music fans and confronting police who blocked their way. Climate activist Greta Thunberg was among those taken away by police.
Half a century after ABBA won Eurovision with ‘Waterloo’, the sport’s most iconic moment, the contest has returned to Sweden, the home of last year’s winner Loreen. Although ABBA did not appear in person in Malmö, they did appear in the digital “ABBA-tars” of the stage show “ABBA Voyage”.
As the votes were counted and counted, the trio of former Eurovision winners Charlotte Perelli, Carola and Conchita Wurst took to the stage to sing ‘Waterloo’.
Swedish entries, identical twins Markus and Martinus, open the competition with their optimistically titled song “Unforgettable,” followed by Ukrainian duo Alyona Alyona & Jerry Heil, who head to the war-torn country. performed a powerful tribute to “Teresa & Maria.”
Eurovision organizers ordered her song’s original title “October Rain” changed. This is an apparent reference to the October 7 attack by the militant group Hamas that killed around 1,200 people in Israel and sparked the war in Gaza.
The show was typical Eurovision eclectic. Lithuania’s Sylvester Belt was an affable young crooner, while Estonia’s 5Miinust x Puuluup performed a pop-zombie folk hybrid featuring the traditional stringed instrument talharpa. Greek singer Marina Satti and Armenian Radaniva combined folk and dance elements with power pop, while Britain’s Olly Alexander provided the upbeat dance track “Dizzy.”
The nominees also included Finland’s Windows95man, which has a goofy 1990s nostalgia vibe. She emerged from a giant egg on stage with almost no clothes on. Irish gothic band Bumby Thug summoned demons on stage and brought a screaming coach to Malmö, while Spain’s Nebrossa boldly recreated a term used as a slur against women in Zola.
Nemo was a favorite to enter the contest along with Baby Lasagna. His song “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” is an upbeat rock number that deals with the problem of young Croats leaving the country in search of a better life.
Contest organizer European Broadcasting Union said Dutch actor Klein was expelled from the contest after complaints from female members of the production staff. The 26-year-old Dutch singer and rapper was popular with both bookmakers and fans for his song “Europapa”.
Jessica Gow (via Getty Images)
Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS, one of dozens of public broadcasters jointly funding and broadcasting the contest, filmed Klein leaving the stage after Thursday’s semi-final without his consent. He said that as a result, he made “threatening movements” towards the camera.
The station said Klein did not touch the camera or the camera operator and called his ouster “disproportionate.”
In the hours leading up to the final, the tension and tension was palpable. Several artists were absent from the Olympic-style artist entrance at the start of the final rehearsal, but all appeared for the final.
Leading French singer Slimane cut his ballad “Mon Amour” short during a dress rehearsal and called on people to “Yes, unite through music, yes, but with love for peace.” He did not repeat that speech during the evening’s final.
Several contestants mentioned peace and love at the end of their performances.
Last year’s Eurovision winner Loreen said the world situation was “traumatic” but urged people not to shut down the “community of love” that is Eurovision.
“What heals trauma? Does trauma heal trauma? Does negativity heal negativity? That’s not how it works,” she told The Associated Press. “The only thing that truly heals trauma is science. It’s love.”
