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
3 hours ago
- The Star
Former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein convicted in New York retrial
Harvey Weinstein, former co-chairman of the Weinstein Co., appears at Manhattan criminal court in New York, U.S., on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Michael Nagle/Pool via REUTERS NEW YORK (Reuters) -A Manhattan jury found Harvey Weinstein guilty on a sex crimes charge on Wednesday in a retrial after a state appeals court last year overturned the former movie mogul's 2020 conviction. Weinstein, once one of the most powerful figures in Hollywood, was accused by prosecutors in the case of raping an aspiring actress and assaulting two other women. Weinstein, 73, pleaded not guilty and has denied assaulting anyone or having non-consensual sex. In closing arguments on June 3, the prosecution told the 12 jurors that the evidence showed how Weinstein used his power and influence to trap and abuse women. The defense countered that the accusers lied on the witness stand out of spite after their consensual sexual encounters with the Oscar-winning producer failed to result in Hollywood stardom. Jurors reached their verdict on the fifth day of sometimes fractious deliberations. The retrial began on April 23. Weinstein has had a litany of health problems and attended the retrial in a wheelchair. In the retrial, Weinstein was charged with raping aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013, assaulting former production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006 and assaulting Kaja Sokola in 2002 when she was a 16-year-old aspiring actress. A jury had in February 2020 found Weinstein guilty of raping Mann and sexually assaulting Haley. Sokola's allegation was not part of that case. The conviction was a milestone for the #MeToo movement, which encouraged women to come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct by powerful men. But the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, threw out that conviction in April 2024. It said the trial judge erred by letting women testify that Weinstein had assaulted them, though their accusations were not the basis of the criminal charges. Though the 2020 conviction was thrown out, Weinstein has remained behind bars because of his 2022 rape conviction in California, which resulted in a 16-year prison sentence. He is appealing that verdict. More than 100 women, including famous actresses, have accused Weinstein of misconduct. The retrial was handled by prosecutors with the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. They portrayed Weinstein as a serial predator who promised career advancement in Hollywood to women, only to then coax them into private settings where he attacked them. The defense rejected that characterization, saying Weinstein engaged in "mutually beneficial" relationships with his accusers, who ended up with auditions and other show business opportunities. Weinstein co-founded the Miramax studio, whose hit movies included "Shakespeare in Love" and "Pulp Fiction." His own eponymous film studio filed for bankruptcy in March 2018, five months after sexual misconduct accusations against him became widely publicized. Weinstein has experienced several health episodes while being held at New York City's Rikers Island jail, and in September was rushed to a hospital for emergency heart surgery. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel and Jack Queen in New York; Editing by Will Dunham and Cynthia Osterman)
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Brian Wilson, founder of surf band The Beach Boys, dies aged 82
FILE PHOTO: Brian Wilson performs with the Beach Boys on ABC's Good Morning America in New York's Central Park June 15, 2012. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/File Photo LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Beach Boys cofounder Brian Wilson, who created some of rock's most enduring songs such as "Good Vibrations" and "God Only Knows" in a career that was marked by a decades-long battle between his musical genius, drug abuse and mental health issues, has died at the age of 82. Wilson's family announced his death in a statement on the singer's website. "We are at a loss for words right now," the statement said. "We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world." The statement did not disclose a cause of death. Wilson had suffered from dementia and was unable to care for himself after his wife Melinda Wilson died in early 2024, prompting his family to put him under conservatorship. (Reporting by Mary Milliken in Los Angeles;Additional reporting by Ryan Patrick Jones andBhargav Acharya;)
Hype Malaysia
4 hours ago
- Hype Malaysia
NORQAIN & G-SHOCK's Dope New Drops Are Giving Ice Cream & Ocean Vibes
Looking to level up your wrist game? From exclusive pieces that scream summer, to dazzling creations that'll give you a summer glow-up – here are two timepiece drops that'll make you the main character. NORQAIN Freedom 60 Chrono 'Enjoy Life' Edition NORQAIN's new 'Enjoy Life' version for the Freedom 60 Chrono 40mm is a vibrant outlier in a watch industry that frequently honours tradition and heritage with a respectful silence. It's a mechanical watch that dares to seem buoyant without compromising the engineering that powers it. The dial itself has the feel of a moving gelato counter. The subdials are anchored by three ice cream-sherbet tones: green, pink, and blue. The entire amusing image is framed by a black tachymeter ring. The eye-catcher, however, is the date window: on five dates per month, the numerals are replaced by an image of a triple-scoop cone – the kind of decadence that instantly takes you back to your early years. The watch depends on more than just visual innovation. The Swiss-made NORQAIN calibre N19, which has a 62-hour power reserve, manages timekeeping with discipline behind the dial. The 40mm-diameter 316L stainless steel case is water-resistant up to 100 meters and has been carefully polished and brushed. At its core, this is still a tool watch – the only one that has been permitted to have a relatable personality. The motto, 'Enjoy Life,' is engraved on the sapphire glass of the caseback and is visible when you turn it over. Instead of presenting itself as an aspirational luxury item, it plays into the notion that, like ice cream, time is something to be cherished. NORQAIN also capitalised on the watch's personality when they first unveiled it. Starting with a formal shopping event and concluding with a pool party, the launch was held in Las Vegas. Instead of trying to dress up the watch to fit a certain event, they let the event fit the piece's fun and laid-back vibe. This model offers some design reflection in the context of luxury timepieces, where restraint and formality are frequently confused with seriousness. What if happiness was just as essential to design as accuracy? What if innovation and nostalgia were seated at the same table? The 'Enjoy Life' edition is all about the ordinary rather than pushing the limits of high-end watchmaking. It's for creating fashionable and unforgettable summer days. In the warmer months, mix it with a light suit for dressier dinner gatherings or use it to round off casual ensembles. However, keep the colours mild in tone. The Freedom 60 Chrono 40mm Enjoy Life Special Edition retails for RM21,670 a piece. If you'd like to purchase one for yourself, visit NORQAIN's official website. G-SHOCK's Hidden Glow Vol. 2 Collection G-SHOCK has released the next chapter in its highly popular watch series, the Hidden Glow Vol. 2: Sea of Stars. With its inventive dial designs, the six-piece collection, which includes models from the GA-2100, GA-110, GA-700, and DW-6900 series, captures the mystery of bioluminescent tides and is inspired by the summer sea. Made from resin parts impregnated with a unique phosphorescent substance, each watch has an eye-catching blue phosphorescent dial. When used all over the dial or just in certain places, this substance gives out a soft blue light in the dark that is evocative of plankton glinting in moonlight. This ethereal light creates an elegant and eye-catching design by fusing G-SHOCK's distinctive ruggedness with an ocean-inspired accent. The sophisticated white and blue colour scheme of the bio-based resin complements the phosphorescent dials, which depict the coastline's organic change. Each model offers G-SHOCK's well-known performance and durability, including LED lighting for the best vision in low light, while capturing the vibrant mood of coastal summer living. In addition, the clocks have a 200-meter water resistance, a stopwatch, a countdown timer, five daily alarms, a 12- or 24-hour time format, and a shock-resistant construction. The Hidden Glow Vol. 2: Sea of Stars collection is now available for purchase via G-SHOCK's website as well as select retailers, with prices ranging from US$110 (~RM466) to US$140 (~RM593). What's your Reaction? +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0
