Austria has once again chosen its Eurovision entry internally: meet Johannes Pietsch, known artistically as “JJ”, who will represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with his song “Wasted Love”.
This year’s contest will be held in Basel, Switzerland, from 13 to 17 May 2025, and Austria is ready to make an impact with an opera-pop entry that’s already generating buzz among Eurovision fans.
“Wasted Love” was co-written by Teodora Špirić, better known as Teya, who previously represented Austria in Eurovision 2023 with the viral hit “Who the Hell is Edgar?”, finishing 15th in the Grand Final.
JJ will perform “Wasted Love” in the first half of the second semifinal, aiming to secure Austria a spot in the Saturday Grand Final, following in the footsteps of Kaleen, who reached the final in Malmö 2024 with “We Will Rave”.
Who is Johannes Pietsch (JJ)?
Johannes Pietsch, also known as JJ, was born on April 29, 2001, in Vienna, Austria. With Austro-Filipino roots, Johannes spent much of his childhood away from his hometown, growing up in Dubai until the age of 15, before returning to Vienna in 2016.
Thanks to his multicultural upbringing and education at the German International School in Dubai, JJ is fluent in German, English, Tagalog, and French.
From a very young age, JJ was captivated by the world of opera. At just 11 years old, he attended a performance of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” at the Vienna State Opera—a moment that would inspire his artistic path. In a full-circle moment, he debuted on that very stage in 2022, at age 21.
Currently, JJ appears in a new production of “The Magic Flute” at the Vienna State Opera, playing the role of the First Child. This production was broadcast on ORF2, Austrian television, on 7 February, showcasing JJ’s impressive vocal abilities.
JJ’s journey through music competitions
JJ’s first major breakthrough came in 2020, when he auditioned for The Voice UK—after missing the deadline for The Voice Germany. Appearing in the show’s fourth episode during the blind auditions, he impressed all the coaches, but only Will.i.am turned his chair and added JJ to his team.
During the Battle Rounds, JJ faced the girl trio Evergreen with a rendition of “Songbird”. It was a closely contested duel, but JJ emerged victorious and moved on to the Knockout stage.
In the Live Knockouts, JJ performed “The Winner Takes It All”, delivering what would be his final performance in the competition, as he didn’t make it to the finals. Nevertheless, he became one of the most beloved contestants of the season thanks to his powerful vocals.
A year later, at just 20 years old, JJ made waves in Starmania 21, Austria’s iconic singing competition, also broadcast in Switzerland. The show, similar to Idol or X Factor, returned in 2021 after a brief hiatus. JJ appeared in the fourth episode, wowing the judges—Tim Bendzko, Ina Regen, and Nina “Fiva” Sonnenberg—with his ability to blend pop and operatic vocals, earning a spot in the next round. He reached the final show, though he narrowly missed qualifying for the Grand Final.
Interestingly, it was during Starmania 21 that JJ crossed paths with Teya, who is now part of his Eurovision team as the co-writer of “Wasted Love”.
Since then, JJ has performed in various productions at the Vienna State Opera as a countertenor, including notable works like “Of Love to Death”, “Tschick”, and the aforementioned “The Magic Flute”. He continues to hone his craft, currently studying at the Vienna State Opera Opera School at the Private University of Music and Arts Vienna (MUK) under the tutelage of Linda Watson.
What is “Wasted Love”, Austria’s Eurovision 2025 entry, about?
“Wasted Love” is a dramatic fusion of pop and classical vocal styles, co-written by JJ and Teya. The song explores themes of heartbreak and vulnerability, building toward an explosive climax enriched with electronic elements.
The song’s minimalist and cinematic music video features JJ wandering through a forest—a symbolic backdrop for the song’s emotional narrative.
“Wasted Love” lyrics
If you’re looking for the lyrics to “Wasted Love” by Johannes Pietsch (JJ), here’s where you’ll find them. Below you’ll see the original 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.
I reach out my hand,
But you watch me grow distant
Drift out to the sea
And far away in an instant
You left me in the deep end
I’m drowning in my feelings
How do you not see that?
Now that you’re gone
All I have is wasted love
This wasted love
Now that you’re gone
Can’t fill my heart with wasted love
This wasted love
When you let me go,
I barely stayed afloat
I’m floating all alone
Still I’m holding on to hope
Now that you’re gone
All I have is wasted love
This wasted love
Now that you’re gone
Can’t fill my heart with wasted love
This wasted love
Wasted love
This wasted love
Wasted, wasted, wasted, wasted
Wasted, wasted, wasted, wasted, love
Wasted love
Austria at Eurovision: a history of highs and lows
Austria debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1957 and has since participated 58 times. The country has won twice: first in 1966 with Udo Jürgens’ “Merci, Chérie”, and again in 2014 with Conchita Wurst’s iconic “Rise Like a Phoenix”.
Following Conchita’s win, Austria qualified for the Grand Final four consecutive times, nearly winning again in 2018, when César Sampson’s “Nobody but You” placed third. However, the following years saw Austria failing to qualify three years in a row.
In 2023, Teya & Salena broke that streak, finishing 15th in the final with “Who the Hell is Edgar?”. Austria’s most recent entry, Kaleen, reached the final again in 2024 with “We Will Rave”, placing 24th with 24 points.