JJS Erbe on Wasted Love: Austria's victory and controversy!

JJS Erbe on Wasted Love: Austria's victory and controversy!

Basel, Schweiz - Austria triumphed at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel with the countertenor JJ and his impressive winning title "Wasted Love". This song not only brought JJ first place, but also 436 points through spectators and jury votes. This success is particularly noteworthy because "Wasted Love" reached over a million streams within a week and thus set up a new streaming record for Austrian artists. According to OE24 , JJ also receives "number 1 award" for his hit.

The podium in the domestic charts is largely dominated by Austrian artists. At the top is JJ with "Wasted Love", followed by Raf Camora and Reezy with "Connected" in second place, while ABOR and Tynna with "Baller", the German contribution, took 3rd place. A total of twelve songs of this year's Eurovision Song Contest are represented in the charts, including Tommy Cash with "Espresso Macchiato" and Kaj from Sweden with "Bara Bada Bastu", which take the 5th or 7th place.

controversy and geopolitical alliances

The controversy around the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 were reinforced by JJ's commentary on Israel, who caused a sensation after his victory. Protests against the participation of Israel took place during the event after the country with Yuval Raphael and his song "New Day Will Rise" took second place with 357 points. The song addresses hope for tragedies, which in view of the current geopolitical tensions was particularly respected. Historically speaking, the coordination in the Eurovision often reflects geographical alliances, which illustrates the ratings between countries such as Greece and Cyprus, which regularly give each other high scores.

The 69th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, which was first held in Switzerland in 1956, has developed into one of the largest music events and attracts millions of viewers: inside. This year, around 170 million people switched on, which represents an increase compared to the previous year. In Germany, around 8.55 million viewers followed the show, an increase in substance compared to the past few years, which takes into account the strengthened interest in the competition.

The future of Eurovision

The Eurovision Song Contest remains an important platform that offers artists the opportunity to promote their careers, even if not every winner has international fame. The event agency European Radio Union (EBU) organizes the show, in which 37 member states can take part. Austrian JJS Sieg now marks the third first placement of the country at the ESC and positions Austria on par with Norway and Ukraine. Nevertheless, despite its two victories, Germany has had to struggle with poor placements in recent years.

With the success of "Wasted Love" it can be seen that the Eurovision Song Contest is still relevant as a cultural phenomenon that embodies not only musical but also political dimensions. NBC News emphasizes that the coordination and participation in the ESC are often shaped by current events and moods. The number of spectators and the media attention to the appearances illustrate that the need for musical connection and community experience also existed in turbulent times.

For further information on the history and development of the competition, Statista Waithful insights into the greatest achievements and current trends of the Eurovision Song Contest.