From Eurovision to Arthouse: Nemo’s debut album
Keystone-SDA
A year and a half after winning Eurovision in Sweden’s Malmö, Nemo unveils Arthouse – a bold debut blending pop and experimental sound.
“There’s only one first album,” Nemo tells Swiss news agency Keystone-SDA. “It had to reflect everything I wanted to say.”
After his Eurovision victory with The Code, the artist took the time to refocus in order to build an album faithful to his vision. “I had to devote a lot of energy to promoting The Code, which delayed the release. But it was worth it,” the artist states.
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The song closes the album, conceived as a journey: “I see the album as a house. And this song is the garden, the last room. It’s a way of taking a step back from media exposure.”
A musical house between pop and experimental
The word Arthouse, borrowed from independent cinema, becomes a musical concept for Nemo.
“I wanted to create a space between the mainstream and the experimental,” the artist notes.
Each track corresponds to a room: a ballroom for Casanova, a club bathroom for God’s a Raver, an attic for Unexplainable. An interior place, a refuge and a field of contrasts.
“It’s a universe in which I feel at ease, but in tension with a harsher, more standardised world outside,” the artist notes.
The album plays on these contrasts. Some songs are danceable, others darker. “Music doesn’t always have to be pleasant. Like in the cinema, it can be uncomfortable. That’s what makes art alive.”
A queer manifesto at the crossroads of genres
A queer, personal and political project, Arthouse also explores the reactions provoked by the artist’s staging. “When people are confronted with the unexpected, they can be irritated. But it can lead to questioning. And that’s how a lot of queer people feel today.”
Nemo asserts this position on the fringes: “I’m on the border. This album is about that. “
On tour from autumn, Nemo intends to bring this house to life on stage. And the pink hat with the rabbit ears will also be back. “I really like it. It’s like a wig that embellishes my head,” says the artist.
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