JJ (Singer)

Some Lesser Known Facts About JJ

• JJ was born in Vienna, Austria, and raised in Dubai.

• His father is an Austrian IT specialist, and his mother is a Filipino chef.

• JJ spent much of his childhood in Dubai, where his father introduced him to classical music, especially the works of Bach and Mozart. His mother also played a significant role in his musical education by sharing her passion for pop divas like Celine Dion and Whitney Houston.

• In an interview, JJ said that,

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. My father would also make us listen to classical music. So I guess this is also a reason, why I sing ‘popera’ now. It is a privilege to be able to combine both worlds.”

• In an interview, JJ revealed that when he was 11 years old, he visited Vienna for some days with his father, and one day he took him Vienna State Opera where he attended a performance of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, which inspired his passion for opera.

• In 2016, his family returned to Vienna, Austria, from Dubai, where he enrolled himself for further studies at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna (MUK).

• In an interview, JJ mentioned that during his time at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna, he learned music under the guidance of a renowned  American dramatic soprano and academic voice teacher, Linda Watson.

• While studying at the MUK, JJ also performed at the Vienna State Opera. He also participated in various music productions, including Von der Liebe Tod, Die Zauberflöte, and Tschick. He made his debut in the Vienna State Opera with the production Von der Liebe Tod.

• In addition to his stage performances, JJ has also taken part in various television reality singing competitions. He competed in The Voice UK and the Austrian music TV show Starmania, where he made a strong impression. He reached the finals in the show Starmania (2021).

• JJ is multilingual and fluent in German, English, French, and Tagalog.

• JJ’s musical style combines elements of British opera and pop. As a “soprano” type of countertenor (a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of the female ) with a range reaching into high soprano heights, he explores both genres through an intense and expressive vocal and interpretative approach.

• On January 30, 2025, the Österreichischer Rundfunk(ORF) (an Austrian national public broadcaster) announced that “Wasted Love,” performed by Johannes Pietsch under the stage name JJ, would be Austria’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. This announcement was made during the radio show Ö3-Wecker, which aired on Ö3.

• The song “Wasted Love” was co-written by JJ, Teodora Špirić—Austria’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 and Thomas Thurner. The song was released on March 6, 2025.

• JJ is the third winner from Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest.

• JJ earned a total of 436 points from the judges and audience for his performance in the Eurovision Song Contest (2025).

• In an interview, JJ mentioned that he is a queer, and he has a boyfriend.