Opera-pop never sounded so good. JJ will be hitting the high notes for Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, with his song ‘Wasted Love.’

JJ wrote a song

When JJ went to a songwriting camp where the goal was to write Austria’s Eurovision entry, he might have hoped for a ticket to Basel. And his dreams came true.

The best songs from the camp were all considered by a jury of 30 experts, as well as representatives from Eurovision fan clubs and the Eurovision editorial team from Austria’s broadcaster ORF. When all the votes and evaluations came in, JJ’s song Wasted Love came out on top. Move over Mozart, Austria’s got a new virtuoso.

As well as JJ, there’s another Eurovision star behind Wasted Love. Teodora Spiric, also known as TEYA, has been great friends with JJ for a long time, and they put their minds together to co-write the track. TEYA competed at Eurovision in 2023 alongside SALENA with the song Who The Hell is Edgar? And she’s since collaborated with Czech Eurovision 2024 artist Aiko on the song Hunger.

JJ says: “This song perfectly captures my experience with unreciprocated love. There’s a unique kind of heartbreak in having so much love to give but nowhere for it to land. In the end, simply being able to love – no matter how wasted – is a beautiful thing in itself.”

The music video captures all these emotions, and we can’t wait to see how he puts that on the stage.

Swapping opera for Eurovision

Austrian-Filipino singer JJ, whose real name is Johannes Pietsch, was born in Vienna and grew up in Dubai, before returning to Vienna towards the end of his teenage years.

And he knows a thing or two about performing to an audience. You’ll usually find him at the Vienna State Opera, where he’s known for his incredible counter-tenor voice that can reach soprano heights.

He’s performed in operas including Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), and is continuing his classical music studies at the The Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna (MUK).

He’s also had success on Austria’s talent show Starmania, where he made it to the final in 2021.

Learning from the best

JJ needs no time at all to decide on his Eurovision hero. It’s Conchita Wurst. Conchita won Eurovision for Austria in 2014 with the iconic Rise Like A Phoenix, and has been a much-loved Eurovision idol ever since.

JJ says: “Conchi is my mother. I would die for her. She shows me that no matter who you are, you are important and loved.”

Watching Conchita take the win for Austria is JJ’s earliest memory of the Eurovision Song Contest. And just recently, JJ, Conchita, and TEYA sat down together for dinner.

Austrian Eurovision royalty aside, if JJ could have dinner with any 3 famous people in the world, he’d choose Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga, and Ariana Grande. We would pay good money to be at the karaoke bar afterwards.

Popstar of the opera

Wasted Love throws together opera and electro-dance music. Take a look at what JJ’s playing on repeat, and it’s clear where his inspiration comes from.

He’s a big fan of Charli xcx, especially Von Dutch, Mean girls, and B2b, and loves Lady Gaga’s Disease and Just Dance. He also loves more laid back pop songs like breathin by Ariana Grande and It Ain’t Me from Kygo and Selena Gomez.

Also on the playlist, is a good helping of opera, including Mozart’s Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen , performed by Diana Damrau. Even Eurovision fans with no classical music knowledge will recognise this one. And we would love to hear you all singing along. Maybe.

Get set for Basel

JJ can’t wait to get to Switzerland, for cheese, chocolate, and most importantly – the Eurovision stage.

Listen out for JJ on the Official Eurovision Song Contest Podcast .

You can learn more about JJ from Switzerland right here .