Watergun (song) explained

Watergun
Cover:Watergun-Remo-Forrer.png
Alt:The official cover for "Watergun"
Border:yes
Type:single
Artist:Remo Forrer
Ep:Favorite Kind of Lonely
Language:English
Released:7 March 2023
Genre:Pop[1]
Length:2:52
Label:Manifester Music
Prev Title:Out Loud
Prev Year:2022
Next Title:Not Okay
Next Year:2023
Misc:
Embed:yes
Song: "Watergun"
Year:2023
Country:Switzerland
Artist:Remo Forrer
Language:English
Place:20th
Points:92
Place Semi:7th
Points Semi:97
Prev:Boys Do Cry
Prev Year:2022
Prev Link:Boys Do Cry (song)
Next:The Code
Next Year:2024
Next Link:The Code (Nemo song)

"Watergun" is a song by Swiss singer Remo Forrer, released as a single on 7 March 2023.[2] The song represented Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 after being internally selected by SRG SSR, Switzerland's broadcaster for the Eurovision Song Contest.[3] The song reached number two in Switzerland.

Background

The song is described as a power ballad "about powerlessness in the face of conflicts in this world." In an article, Forrer said: "My generation has to live with the consequences of decisions that we didn't make. It's frustrating, but I still have hope that changes are possible." The song is further described as an appeal for peace.

Release

The music video for the song was released on 7 March 2023 on the official YouTube channel of the Eurovision Song Contest. The song was also released on digital platforms on the same day.[4]

Eurovision Song Contest

See main article: Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.

Selection

SRG SSR opened a submission period between 25 August 2022 and 8 September 2022 for interested artists and composers to submit their entries. Artists and songwriters of any nationality were able to submit songs; however those with a Swiss passport or residency were given priority.[5] Songs shortlisted from the received submissions were then tested by their music producers with various artists and the combination of a 100-member public panel (50%) and the votes of a 23-member international expert jury (50%) selected the Swiss entry. The members of the public panel were Swiss residents put together according to selected criteria in cooperation with Digame, while the international jury consisted of members who had been national juries for their respective countries at the Eurovision Song Contest.[6]

Remo Forrer was announced as the Swiss entrant for the contest on 20 February 2023.[7] Forrer had previously participated in and won both the third season of the Swiss reality singing competition The Voice of Switzerland and one episode of German music game I Can See Your Voice.[8] [9] Forrer's song for the contest was revealed on 7 March 2023.[10]

At Eurovision

According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big Five" (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete in the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final progress to the final. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into five different "pots" based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot. On 31 January 2023, an allocation draw was held to place each country into one of the two semi-finals, and determine which half of the semi-final show they would perform in. Switzerland was placed into the first semi-final and scheduled to perform in the second half of the show.[11] At the end of the first semi-final, held on 9 May 2023, Switzerland qualified to the final,[12] being the third nation to be announced as qualified and set to perform in the final on 13 May 2023. For the grand final, Switzerland was drawn to compete on the first half.[13] Switzerland was subsequently placed to perform in position 3, following the entry from Portugal and before the entry from Poland.[14]

Charts

Chart (2023)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[15] 70
Iceland (Plötutíðindi)[16] 27
Lithuania (AGATA)[17] 27
Netherlands (Single Tip)[18] 17
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[19] 1

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2023-03-07 . Remo Forrer tritt mit Pop-Ballade an . 2023-03-09 . persoenlich.com . Persoenlich . de.
  2. Web site: 2023-03-07 . "Watergun" von Remo Forrer - Wie viele Punkte holen wir mit diesem ESC-Song? . 2023-03-07 . srf.ch . Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) . de.
  3. Web site: 2023-02-20 . «The Voice»-Gewinner - Eurovision Song Contest 2023: Remo Forrer singt für die Schweiz . 2023-03-07 . srf.ch . SRF . de.
  4. Web site: 2023-03-07 . Cassellini . Stefano . Switzerland: Remo Forrer releases Watergun! . 2023-03-07 . esctoday.com . ESCToday . en-gb.
  5. Web site: 2022-07-12 . ESC - Herzlichen Dank für die zahlreichen Songs! . 2023-03-07 . Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) . de.
  6. Web site: Granger . Anthony . 2022-11-29 . Switzerland: Final Round of Jury Assessment for Eurovision 2023 Entry Underway . 2023-03-07 . Eurovoix . en-GB.
  7. Web site: 2023-02-20 . Remo Forrer will represent Switzerland at Eurovision 2023 . 2023-03-07 . eurovision.tv . en.
  8. Web site: 2020-04-07 . St. Galler gewinnt "The Voice of Switzerland" . 2023-03-07 . Blick . de-CH.
  9. Web site: Bernet . Remo . 2022-08-01 . Corona versaute "The Voice"-Sieger den Durchbruch . 2023-03-07 . Blick . de-CH.
  10. Web site: Bijuvignesh . Darshan . 2023-03-07 . Switzerland: Eurovision 2023 Entry to be Revealed on March 7 . 2023-03-07 . Eurovoix . en-GB.
  11. Web site: 31 January 2023 . Eurovision 2023: Allocation Draw results . 7 March 2023 . eurovision.tv . en-gb.
  12. Web site: 9 May 2023 . Eurovision 2023: The First Semi-Final Qualifiers . 10 May 2023 . eurovision.tv . en-gb.
  13. Web site: 2023-05-06 . Eurovision 2023: The Grand Finalists draw their halves in the running order . 2023-05-12 . Eurovision.tv . EBU . en-gb.
  14. Web site: Eurovision 2023: The Grand Final running order . 2023-05-11 . 2023-05-12 . Eurovision.tv . EBU . en.
  15. Web site: Single Charts vom 23. Mai 2023. 8 November 2019 . Ö3 Austria Top 40. 23 May 2023.
  16. Web site: Tónlistinn – Lög. The Music – Songs. is. Plötutíðindi. 21 May 2023.
  17. Web site: 2023 20-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100). AGATA. lt. 19 May 2023. 19 May 2023.
  18. Web site: Dutch Single Tip 20/05/2023. dutchcharts.nl. nl. 20 May 2023.
  19. Web site: Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 20. Sverigetopplistan. 19 May 2023.