In a dazzling night of drama, spectacle and soaring vocals, Austria emerged victorious at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, held in the Swiss city of Basel.
Representing the nation was JJ — real name Johannes Pietsch — a classically trained Austrian-Filipino countertenor whose hauntingly beautiful performance of “Wasted Love” captivated both juries and audiences across the continent. The track, a seamless fusion of operatic grandeur and electropop flair, struck a resonant emotional chord, earning Austria its first Eurovision crown since 2014.
JJ’s soprano-range vocals — more often heard in opera houses than pop stages — proved a daring and triumphant gamble. His theatrical yet modern presentation elevated “Wasted Love” into something more than a song: a moment.
This year’s contest initially welcomed 38 countries, but Moldova withdrew at the eleventh hour, citing a lack of suitable entries. Among the surprises of the season was the return of Montenegro after a two-year absence. Yet for the former Yugoslav region, it was a night of disappointment.
None of the Balkan nations — Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, or Montenegro — made it to the final, marking the first such collective absence since 2013. Croatia’s Marko Bošnjak stirred curiosity with his gothic fairytale-inspired performance of “Poison Cake”, cauldrons and all, but failed to cast a strong enough spell. Serbia’s Princ offered a moving ballad, “Mila”, while Montenegro’s Nina Žižić revisited the stage with “Dobrodošli” — all to no avail.
Albania stood alone as the region’s sole finalist. Shkodra Elektronike’s “Zjerm” — an electro-folk anthem ablaze with national pride — ignited enough passion to secure eighth place.
Meanwhile, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina extended their Eurovision hiatus.
Photo: Eurovision Song Contest/Facebook