Austria's Eurovision 2025 contestant JJ has emerged as one of the favourites to win this year's competition in Basel, Switzerland.
The 23-year-old Austrian-Filipino artist, whose full name is Johannes Pietsch, will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Austria's last Eurovision winner, Conchita Wurst, who triumphed in 2014 with Rise Like A Phoenix.
Born in Vienna, JJ is currently a performer at the Vienna State Opera and has been making waves with his distinctive falsetto voice. His entry Wasted Love has been causing a stir throughout the Eurovision season.
JJ, who is fluent in English, German and Tagalog, is one of 26 performers who have made it to Saturday's final out of an initial 37 contestants, after two rounds of semi-finals held on Tuesday and Thursday.
BBC Eurovision: JJ will represent Austria on Saturday night
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JJ's musical journey began in Dubai, where he spent his formative years after his father relocated there to run an IT business. It was in the city that he discovered his passion for music.
"I have a lot of good memories growing up in Dubai," Pietsch told The National. "It actually was in Dubai that I discovered my love for music, especially classical music."
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His unique cross-genre musical style developed from his parents' diverse musical influences – his father's appreciation for classical music and his mother's love for pop divas like Celine Dion and Whitney Houston.
"When I was a kid, my parents hosted Karaoke-parties almost every weekend, and me and my sisters loved to sing along especially songs by Kelly Clarkson and Mariah Carey," he recalled.
While in Dubai, JJ attended an international school where he learned Arabic and French, adding to his already impressive language skills.
JJ may already be familiar to UK viewers, having appeared on The Voice UK in 2019, where he made it all the way to the Knockouts on will.i.am's team. The Black Eyed Peas star became his coach after JJ impressed him with a rendition of The Sound of Music during the blind auditions.
His talent show experience didn't end there. JJ also competed on Austrian talent show Starmania in 2021, further honing his performance skills before his Eurovision opportunity.
JJ's Eurovision entry Wasted Love is a pop-opera track that showcases his vocal range, particularly his unique falsetto voice. The song, which is about unrequited love, has been making a significant impact at pre-parties and rehearsals.
Wasted Love features a surprising change of tempo near the end, mixing classical music with explosive techno beats. This distinctive combination has helped set JJ apart from other contestants.
"It surprises people that a man can sing so high," JJ told AFP. "We wanted to bring in something new, something unexpected."
BBC Eurovision: JJ made an appearance on the voice back in 2019
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The song explores the emotional aftermath of a failed relationship, with JJ explaining: "It's about the pain of giving your heart to someone who didn't truly value it. It's personal and honest – something I think a lot of people can relate to."
Speaking to Queer.de about the whether being one of the favourites for the Eurovision crown is pressure or motivation, he said: "I'd say both.
"It motivates me to do even more for the audience, but at the same time it also puts pressure on you because I obviously want to put on a good show.
"But I'm very excited and I can handle the pressure well. I'll transform this into energy to deliver a great performance."
BBC Eurovision: JJ will perform his song Wasted Love on Saturday
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To the same publication, he also touched upon representing the queer community admitting he was "happy to give it a voice" "I'm
"I'm now, so to speak, the voice of the queer community in Austria and also for everyone who feels addressed. My personal message would simply be to love one another, because love is the most beautiful thing in the world and hate is the most terrible.
"If you're there for one another, everything can work out great."
