Austria wins Eurovision crown with JJ's song 'Wasted Love'
Austrian singer Johannes Pietsch, known as JJ representing Austria with the song "Wasted Love" performs after winning the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. — Photo: Fabrice COFFRINI/ AFP)
Austria won the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Swiss host city Basel on Saturday, in the country's first victory since bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst won in 2014.
Operatic singer JJ won ahead of Israel in the world's biggest music competition, which was watched by a television audience of more than 160 million people across the world.
The win was Austria's third in the competition, following Conchita's success and Udo Juergens' victory in 1966.
JJ, a 24-year-old from Vienna, combined elements of opera, techno and high-pitched vocals in his song Wasted Love , winning the hearts of the professional juries and telephone voters.
"This is beyond my wildest dreams," said the singer, whose real name is Johannes Pietsch. "It's crazy."
JJ said he wanted to give listeners an insight into his deepest thoughts when he wrote the song, and was happy it had resonated with so many fans.
"There's no wasted love. Love is never wasted. There's so much love that we can spread around, and we should use love as the strongest force on planet Earth," he added.
His success was applauded by Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker, who said JJ was writing musical history.
"Dear JJ, you have moved Europe with your voice and sung Austria into the spotlight," Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger said on X.
Switzerland won the right to host Eurovision after Swiss rapper and singer Nemo won last year's contest in Malmo, Sweden. – Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Beijing woos US influencers with free trip to show ‘real China'
China seeks to enlist young social media influencers from the United States to collaborate with its local content creators. - Photo: AFP BEIJING: China is inviting American influencers to join a 10-day, all-expense paid trip through the country in July, as part of Beijing's efforts to boost people-to-people exchanges and showcase the 'real China'. The initiative, titled 'China-Global Youth Influencer Exchange Programme', seeks to enlist young social media influencers with at least 300,000 followers to collaborate with Chinese content creators, according to recruitment posts by Chinese state-affiliated media outlets, including the China Youth Daily. While relations between China and the US have deteriorated in recent months over issues including geopolitics, technology and trade, the programme marks an effort to boost cultural exchanges. In 2024, President Xi Jinping had called for more exchanges between Chinese and American universities, after previously announcing a plan to welcome 50,000 American students to China. Another post in College Daily, a publication particularly targeting Chinese students in North America, specified that applicants for the exchange programme based in the US should be active on platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and X, and should 'love Chinese culture' and 'have no history of bad behaviours'. It called on Chinese students overseas to encourage influencers in their circle to apply, and said the successful candidates will get China's official invite as well as special assistance from the state to process their visas. The trip intends to take the participants across five Chinese cities – Suzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Handan and Beijing, and will cover China's e-commerce hubs, the headquarter of companies such as Xiaohongshu Technology Co and BYD Co. The influencers will also partake in cultural activities such as Taichi and be able to live-stream their trip to the Great Wall, according to the posts. Working with Chinese social media influencers on ideas, and getting their content promoted by China's state media will be part of the deal. Social media content from Western influencers travelling through China post-Covid-19 have won praise from the state media for their authentic portrayal of everyday life in the country. In April, American streamer IShowSpeed's visit to China sparked widespread curiosity among fans about advancements in Chinese technology. The authorities have tapped social media influencers to check negative information and promote positive contents. In 2023, think-tank Australian Strategic Policy Institute analysed over 120 foreign influencers, mostly active on Chinese social media, received the state's help to grow their influence in return for content that praises and spreads Beijing's narrative. - Bloomberg
Sinar Daily
3 hours ago
- Sinar Daily
Anxiety singer Doechii speaks out on protest crackdown, Gaza during BET Awards win speech
"I feel like it's my responsibility as an artist to use this moment to speak up for all oppressed people," she said. By SINAR DAILY REPORTER 10 Jun 2025 03:28pm Doechii accepts the Best Female Hip-hop Artist award onstage during the 2025 BET Awards at Peacock Theater on June 9, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin / AFP) SHAH ALAM - American rapper and singer Doechii used her moment on the BET Awards stage to raise awareness of the situation in Gaza and the suppression of ongoing immigration raids and protests happening just miles away from the ceremony in Los Angeles, United States (US). After being honoured as the best female hip-hop artist, a milestone marking her first-ever BET Award, Doechii took a moment to recognise her fellow nominees before shifting the focus to pressing societal issues outside the venue. US rapper and singer Doechii attends the BET Awards 2025 at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles on June 9, 2025. (Photo by Michael Tran / AFP) "I want to address what's happening right now outside of the building. There are ruthless attacks that are creating fear and chaos in our communities in the name of law and order. "Trump is using military forces to stop a protest. I want you all to consider what kind of government it appears to be when every time we exercise our democratic right to protest, the military is deployed against us. What government is that?" "People are being swept up and torn from their families. I feel like it's my responsibility as an artist to use this moment to speak up for all oppressed people.... We all deserve to live in hope and not fear. I hope we stand together," she said. Her speech drew applause from the audience at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles where the awards aired live. The BET Awards 2025 celebrated people in Black culture, including writers, musicians, filmmakers and more. More Like This
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
'Big is beautiful'': Kenya's plus-size fashion show celebrates bold beauty
Models present designs by local designers during the main event during the East African Plus Size Fashion Affair. Photo: AFP In African wax print dresses and tight-fitting evening wear, the "plus-size" models strutted up the runway in Kisumu, western Kenya, in a special event designed to celebrate the beauty of larger women. Started nine years ago, the East Africa Plus Size Fashion Affair is, according to founder Winnie Wenga Walcott, the only event of its kind in Kenya despite the fact the region "has mostly really plump women". "We have seen the media really trying to focus on a certain body type of women," she said. "And in so doing, this has really affected their self-esteem." In front of more than 300 screaming spectators, a dozen amateur models walked and danced their way along the runway this weekend. Unlike traditional haute couture shows, there was a lot of smiling. Read more: Once mocked, now coveted – 'dad style' is the fashion trend redefining cool Among them was Oprah Odhiambo, a Kenyan entrepreneur, who wanted to show that plus size can do what the petite can do. "I feel joyous," she said. "There are those plus-size women who are in hiding because they are afraid that people will body shame them," she explained, adding that she hopes the show will make them reassess their self-image. Singer and model Rosemary Odire, stage name Nyakusa Nyamama, spoke of the sneers she has faced when performing. A model gets her make up done during the East African Plus Size Fashion Affair. Photo: AFP "I have encountered so many problems... people are like 'Yo big mama, what are you going to do there, you cannot dance, get off the stage,'" she said. "But I am here portraying... not just any beauty, not just plus-size beauty, but the African beauty in me," added Odire, who swayed her hips on the runway in a leopard-skin skirt. Coming from all walks of Kenyan society, the models did not have this level of confidence when they started training in March. "They were very timid about their body sizes," recalled Walcott, adding that there was now a "huge difference". Read more: Working behind the scenes, creative collectives power fashion's boldest moments The fashion show addresses health issues but also focuses on "accepting curvy women" and "celebrating their appearance by blending it with fashion due to the difficulty they face finding clothes," said Walcott. Walcott created the show to honour her own mother – so she could "see herself as beautiful". "You see how big I am, I really hated my body, but she really encouraged me," said Walcott's mother, Seline Aoko, speaking at the fruit stall in Kisumu where she works. "Big is beautiful!" – AFP
