Eurovision Song Contest 2025: Austrias Song for Basel - „Wasted Love“ from JJ
With his song „Wasted Love,“ the Austrian-Filipino countertenor created a big show moment in Basel and and won the Eurovision Song Contest 2025.
Official Music Video:
Press photos:
- Pics of JJ (picdrop.com)
„Wasted Love“ was written by JJ in collaboration with Teya and Thomas Turner.
JJ: “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. It feels like being adrift at sea on a fragile paper boat—grasping at any sliver of hope, only to watch it dissolve beneath you. And yet, there’s something undeniably beautiful in that naïve devotion. Because, in the end, simply being able to love—no matter how wasted—is a beautiful thing in itself.”
What may initially be seen as the fusion of two worlds, opera and pop, is a cohesive whole for JJ. In „Wasted Love,“ he combines his countertenor vocal artistry with pop and techno elements, blending his classical roots with a modern artistic vision.
The music video for „Wasted Love“ reflects the emotional intensity of the song. Directed by Marek Vesely, it was filmed in various locations, including a pine forest near Wiener Neustadt, the Stadttheater Baden, and the “I Dive Diving School” in Vienna, where JJ submerged for underwater shots. Additionally, a forest with a water surface and snowy landscape was recreated in a studio in Lower Austria.
"The music video for ‚Wasted Love’ is intended to be a visual journey into the deep abyss of unrequited love, underscored by dramatic elements. It is structured in five acts and plays with the opera vibe as its underlying mood," says Marek Vesely.
JJ represents Austria in Basel
JJ, also known as Johannes Pietsch, was born in Vienna in 2001 and grew up in Dubai before moving back to Vienna in 2016. As a countertenor with a distinctive voice that reaches soprano heights, JJ has already made a name for himself with his exceptional range and emotional performances. He is also known to the audience from the ORF event show „Starmania“, where he made it to the final shows in 2021 with his extraordinary voice.
JJ is currently performing at the Vienna State Opera and has participated in numerous productions, including „The Magic Flute“, „From Love to Death“, „Tschick“ and many other classical masterpieces.
Offstage, he continues to refine his craft by studying classical music at the renowned Music and Art Private University of Vienna (MUK) under the guidance of Univ.-Prof. Kammersängerin Linda Watson, after completing his training at the Opera School of the Vienna State Opera.
With his rare singing talent and a performance that combines timeless artistry with contemporary energy, JJ aims to make an impression at the Eurovision Song Contest.
JJ: „Since 2014, the Song Contest has been a must-see event for me. My family and I have watched the ESC every year since Conchita's victory, eating together and discussing the contestants. It has brought us closer.“ And he continues: „It is a great honor for me to represent Austria in Basel. My heart beats for the big show - and there is nothing bigger than the Eurovision Song Contest.“
Interview with JJ in the Vienna State Opera:
„Wasted Love“: Lyrics
Verse 1
I’m an ocean of love
and your’re scared of water
You don’t want to go under,
so you let me go under.
I reach out my hand,
but you watch me grow distant
Drift out to the sea
And far away in an instant
Pre-Chorus
You left me in the deep end
I’m drowning in my feelings
How du you not see that?
Chorus
Now that you’re gone
All I have is wasted love
This wasted love
Now that your’re gone
Can’t fill my heart with wasted love
This wasted love
Verse 2
When you let me go,
I barely stayed afloat
I’m floating all alone
Still I’m holding on to hope
Chorus
Now that you’re gone
All I have is wasted love
This wasted love
Naw that you’re gone
Can#t fill my heart with wasted love
This wasted love
Bridge
Wasted love
This wasted love
Wasted, wasted, wasted, wasted
Wasted, wasted, wasted, wasted, love
Wasted love
„Wasted Love“: Credits
Song
- Song Title: Wasted Love
- Artist: JJ
- Lyricist(s): Johannes Pietsch, Teodora Spiric, Thomas Turner
- Composer(s): Johannes Pietsch, Teodora Spiric, Thomas Turner
- Producer(s): Pele Loriano, Thomas Turner
- Publisher(s): Kayser & Boss GmbH Co. KG , ORF-Enterprise GmbH & Co KG , Schneeblind Musikverlag
- Under exclusive license to Warner Music Group Germany Holding GmbH, (P) 2025 Manifester MusicAudio Primary
- Language: English
Video
- Directed by Vesely Marek
- https://veselyfilms.com
- Producer: Vici Vuksic
- DOP: Max Hofko
- Art Director/Prod Design: Nicole Frisch
- VFX Artist: Manuel Plach
- Concept & Idea by Vesely Marek
- Extras: Lara Fojt, Victoria Hybasek, David Tovilovic, Liv Schabert, Yasmin Pietsch, Ilona Köberl, Matthias Klammer, Nicole Frisch, Rebecca Graefe
Previous press release:
For more information, contact:
ORF Press Office
- Roman Horacek - roman.horacek@orf.at