What makes a hit a hit? Every year, music fans, industry players and artists alike ask themselves this question. Three stylistically very different productions have been nominated in the “Best Hit” category of the Swiss Music Awards 2025, each of which has generated ample feedback in its own way. A music-anthropological approach can show how musical composition, cultural context and audience expectations interact.
Nemo – “The Code”
“The Code” by Nemo combines electronic production, orchestral elements and spoken vocal passages to create a complex arrangement with a clear dramaturgy. The three-part form – from a calm introduction to a build-up to the final discharge – supports the narrative of self-empowerment and gendered self-positioning. The song utilises stylistic devices from pop, rap and musicals without submitting to convention. This formal openness in connection with a current social issue contributes significantly to the broad impact.
Songwriters: Nemo, Linda Dale, Benji Alasu, Lasse Nymann
Raffa Guido – “Famax”
The track “Famax” by Raffa Guido is based on rhythmic repetition typical of the Afrohouse genre. Subtle variations in percussion, bass line and sample layering create a trance-like effect that works particularly well in a club context. The production largely dispenses with melodic development in favour of a clearly structured sound architecture that can be experienced physically. The high streaming resonance can be explained not least by the international compatibility and connectivity of this aesthetic.
Songwriter: Rafael Guido
Linda Elys – “House On Fire”
“House On Fire” combines a pop ballad-like song structure with electronic soundscapes and dynamic tension development. Harmonically, the song moves within the familiar pop framework, whereby it achieves a dramatic effect through the staggered instrumentation and the targeted use of sound compression. In terms of content, an emotional crisis scenario is thematised, which is reinforced but not sentimentally exaggerated by the production. The hook is catchy without being formulaic – a key feature of successful pop songs.
Songwriters: Linda Elsener, Tom Oehler, Danielle Lamb, Benji Schmid
Conclusion
The three nominated songs are exemplary of current trends in popular music: stylistic hybridisation, targeted emotional appeal and a distinctive production aesthetic. Despite being different, they show how successful musical content can be when it combines both formal quality and cultural relevance.
The Swiss Music Awards will be presented on 28 May 2025 at the Hallenstadion Zurich.
SUISA is a member of the Press Play association, which officially presents the Swiss Music Awards, and supports the Swiss Music Awards as a sponsoring partner.
