Carinthian music producer celebrates ESC victory with Wasted Love-a hit!

Carinthian music producer celebrates ESC victory with Wasted Love-a hit!

Klagenfurt, Österreich - On May 21, 2025, Austria celebrates a remarkable triumph at the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) 2025. The music producer Thomas Thurner from Klagenfurt played a decisive role in the success of "Wasted Love", the song, which is sung by JJ (Johannes Pietsch) and won the competition for Austria. "It's just crazy," Thurner describes his feelings after the victory. The 25-year-old looks at an impressive career and a roller coaster ride of the emotions.

Thurner, who started music production in the high school and completed an audio studies in Salzburg, gained valuable experiences in an internship with his mentor Nicolas Rebscher in Berlin. During this time he met the talented songwriter Teya (25), who not only served him as a creative partner, but also had an influence on his artistic development. The two moved to Berlin after completing their studies, where Thurner's musical journey took a significant step forward.

The creation of "Wasted Love"

"Wasted Love", the artist's debut single, was published on March 6, 2025 and revolves around the topics of unrequited love and emotional abysses. The song combines pop and techno elements and invites the listeners to immerse themselves in the artist's vulnerable experiences. The idea for the track came into being at lightning speed when the trio-consisting of JJ, Teya and Thurner-gathered in the studio, where they laid the foundation for the demo version in one day.

The collaboration between Thurner and the other artists was formative. JJ brought a personal topic into the song, while Teya was responsible for the quick implementation of the ideas. Their efforts paid off: after sharing the demo version, the reactions were enthusiastic, which ultimately led to Teya submitted the song for the ESC.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2025

The ESC 2025 took place in Basel, Switzerland, with the Austrian radio (ORF) already announced on September 7, 2024. After an internal selection of eight contributions, JJ was announced as a representative for Austria on January 30, 2025. In the competition, “Wasted Love” convinced and secured first place with a total of 436 points; 178 points came from the audience vote, while 258 points were awarded by the jury.

Austria has now won the Eurovision Song Contest three times, including in 1966 and 2014. With this recent success, the country keeps the record for the longest period of time between successive victories at the age of 48. While Austria was often celebrated for its success, the country in the history of the competition also occupies some less glorious places, including seven times the last place in the final.

with "Wasted Love" begins for Thurner and the two artists a promising new era. Despite the victory, there is little time to celebrate for Thurner and the team, since they are now concentrating on working in the studio in Berlin to initiate the next phase of their musical career. According to Thurner, “Wasted Love” is only the beginning of a great story that still has many exciting chapters.