Austrian singer JJ impressed the audience and the jury at the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland. In her winning performance of “Wasted Love,” JJ proved worthy of the coveted title. It was Austria’s third victory in the contest’s 65-year history! The win followed an edge-of-the-seat conclusion in which JJ raced past Israel’s Yuval Raphael, who had been in the lead until the last seconds.
JJ, a 24-year-old counter-tenor at the Vienna State Opera, recently carved out time from their hectic work schedule to join us. They said yes to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Their brilliant song, “Wasted Love” — an electro-ballad — explores the emotional dark side of unreturned affection, coming from a place of lived experience. The performance was a real wowser, both in grandeur and technicolor. In a climatic moment, JJ was shot encircled in a vortex of sand, which amplified the emotive power of the song.
The contest proved there’s a lot of fun, surprising performances to choose from across Europe. Notable acts included Mariana Conte from Malta, who made headlines for rewriting her song “Serving Kant” to eliminate potentially objectionable content. Estonia’s Tommy Cash brought a unique flavor with his disco anthem “Espresso Macchiato,” which included the memorable line: “Life is like spaghetti, it’s hard until you make it.” At the same time, Sweden’s KAJ did a comedic tribute to sauna culture called “Bara Bada Bastu.” France’s Louane delivered a tear-jerking ballad dedicated to her late mother, showcasing the emotional depth that Eurovision is known for.
JJ’s family was present at the event to provide support, including JJ’s 85-year-old grandfather and four-month-old niece. That personal connection was critical to the passion that drove their performance. JJ had been propelled to participate in Eurovision when he was inspired by Conchita Wurst. Conchita stole the show in 2014 when she won for Austria with her soaring anthem, “Rise Like a Phoenix.” Providing even further context, JJ’s victory meant so much more, putting them in the ranks beside Austria’s other famous victorious heroes.
In the last count, Israel’s Yuval Raphael took second place with his impressive entry, “New Day Will Rise.” In the meantime, Tommy Cash won third place with 356 total points. The United Kingdom’s Remember Monday went nowhere, finishing 19th with 88 points.
In an emotional acceptance speech after the victory, JJ talked about how love is a powerful message and a universal one.
“Thank you so much for making my dreams come true.” – Mark Savage, Music Correspondent
They provided an inside look into their songwriting approach, focusing on keeping it real and deeply relatable.
“Love is the strongest force in the world, let’s spread more love.” – JJ
JJ had done such a great job of communicating this message through their music, saying that they wanted to expand the definition of love.
“I wanted to let them have an insight on my deepest soul and how I felt when we wrote the song.” – JJ
As the confetti fell when the results were announced and celebrations began, a very tired JJ took it all in with his characteristic humor.
“What I’m trying to commit to is that there’s no wasted love. There’s so much love that we can spread around. It’s the strongest force on planet earth.” – JJ
As celebrations commenced following the results announcement, JJ humorously acknowledged the toll of the night.
“Honestly, I need to sleep now. I’m tired.” – JJ
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