Everything you need to know about Austria’s 2025 Eurovision entrant JJ and his song, Wasted Love
Austria’s 2025 Eurovision entrant JJ. (Patricia J. Garcinuño/Getty Images)
Austria's 2025 Eurovision entrant JJ. (Patricia J. Garcinuño/Getty Images)
With the Eurovision 2025 grand final around the corner on Saturday (17 May), fans are deciding who to throw their support behind, and Austria’s entry is already seriously popular.
And with no shortage of incredible queer artists at this year’s song contest – from Australia’s Go-Jo, to Czechia’s queer party-inspired entry, to Malta’s already iconic song referencing the phrase “serving c**t” – it can be hard to pin down one act to root for.
Just one of many LGBTQ+ artists vying for the top spot at this year’s Eurovision is JJ from Austria, hoping to make it to this year’s grand final and earn the coveted trophy. And JJ has a better chance at winning than many: the current bookmakers’ odds have Austria second most likely to win, after Sweden.
So who is JJ, and what do you need to know about his song “Wasted Love”?
Who is Austria’s entrant?
Classical singer JJ (Johannes Pietsch) has been chosen as Austria’s entrant, and as an impressive countertenor who can reach soprano heights, the queer singer is noted as one of the favourites to win.
The 24-year-old reportedly has a 22 per cent chance of winning as of 6 May 2025, which would make him the first Austrian winner since drag icon Conchita Wurst in 2014.
The Austrian-Filipino artist is no stranger to competition, having taken part in The Voice UK in 2020, and performing at the Vienna State Opera.
“I’ve always been surrounded by music growing up – it’s been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember,” he told The Independent.
“I started singing at a very young age, and over time, I realised that expressing myself through music felt the most natural. I began performing in school and local events, and eventually started writing my own songs. That’s when I knew I wanted to pursue music professionally.”
What is Austria’s 2025 Eurovision song about?
JJ’s entry, “Wasted Love”, is reportedly about unrequited love, with the heartbreaking lyrics: “I’m an ocean of love and you’re scared of water. You don’t want to go under, so you let me go under.”
JJ explained in an interview: “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.”
He added: “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.”
The singer has also spoken out about representing the LGBTQ+ community at Eurovision, telling queer.de in March that hate is “the most horrible thing”.
“My personal message would also be just to love each other, because love is the most beautiful thing in the world, and hate is the most horrible thing,” he explained.
“When you’re there for each other, everything can work great.”
The Eurovision Semi-Final 2 takes place on Thursday (15 May) and can be viewed at 8pm on BBC One. The Grand Final is on Saturday (17 May) and also starts at 8pm.
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