Road to Basel: Austria
Road to Basel: Austria! As the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel approaches, we continue our daily spotlight on this year’s contestants. Today, we focus on Austria.
ORF/Thomas Ramstorfer
JJ
Johannes Pietsch, known professionally as JJ, is a 23-year-old Austrian-Filipino countertenor born in Vienna in 2001. He spent his early years in Dubai before returning to Austria in 2016. JJ studied at the Vienna State Opera’s opera school and currently attends the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna. His musical style blends classical opera with contemporary pop elements. JJ gained national recognition as a finalist on the Austrian talent show Starmania in 2021.
“Wasted Love”
JJ’s Eurovision entry, “Wasted Love,” is a pop-opera fusion track co-written by JJ himself, Teodora Špirić (also known as Teya), and Thomas Thurner. The song delves into the emotions of unrequited love, starting with minimal instrumentation and building to a techno-influenced climax. The accompanying music video, directed by Viennese filmmaker Vesely Marek, features symbolic imagery set in a forest, reflecting the song’s themes of sadness and solitude.
Internal Selection Process
Austria’s national broadcaster, ORF, opted for an internal selection process for Eurovision 2025. Interested artists submitted their entries between July and September 2024. A songwriting camp was held in Vienna in August 2024 to create potential songs for the contest. From eight shortlisted entries, “Wasted Love” by JJ was selected by a panel comprising 30 music industry experts, 30 international OGAE fan club members, and the ORF Eurovision editorial team. JJ was announced as Austria’s representative on 30 January 2025 during the radio show Ö3-Wecker, and the song was released on 6 March 2025.
Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest
Austria has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 56 times since its debut in 1957. The country has won twice: in 1966 with Udo Jürgens‘ “Merci, Chérie” and in 2014 with Conchita Wurst‘s “Rise Like a Phoenix.” Austria has experienced varying success over the years, with several last-place finishes and instances of receiving zero points.
A Random Austrian Entry
Reflecting on Austria’s Eurovision history, random.org chose 1997. Bettina Soriat represented Austria with the song “One Step”. It was not one of Austria’s biggest successes, with a 21st place. Before Eurovision, Bettina had a career in musical, with roles in “Robin Hood,” “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “Sweet Charity”and “Grease”.
Betting Odds
As of now, JJ’s “Wasted Love” is one of the most succesful songs in the odds. It has a 2nd place with 17% chance to win the contest. The song is 3rd in the odds in order to win the 2nd semifinal.
We eagerly await the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel and look forward to witnessing JJ’s performance on the grand stage.
