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This is what JJ’s Song Contest hit “Wasted Love” sounds like

JJ wants to hit the ground running at the Song Contest with his song "Wasted Love".(Bild: ORF/Thomas Ramstorfer)

The time has finally come: JJ's hit for the Song Contest celebrated its world premiere on Thursday - and you can listen to "Wasted Love" in the video above!

Austria's ESC number was presented for the first time on Wednesday at the State Opera - JJ's musical home. The countertenor is always on stage here - including as one of the "three boys" in "The Magic Flute".

"Very wild - and lots of drama"
With the official release of "Wasted Time", JJ's ESC adventure has really begun. The song was conceived as a romantic drama with a beat-heavy climax and was written by JJ himself in collaboration with Thomas Turner and former ESC contestant Teya - in just one day!

JJ wants to take off at the Song Contest with his song "Wasted Love".(Bild: ORF/Thomas Ramstorfer)

"The song wraps up the personal experiences of unrequited love," says JJ about the song, which he summarized succinctly: "Quite wild - and lots of drama!"

You can watch the video for JJ's ESC song "Wasted Love" here:

Carey and Netrebko as role models
The 23-year-old's idols Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande served as role models for the pop passages, while Maria Callas and Anna Netrebko were used for the opera sequences. "And I came up with something for the techno part. There was no inspiration," laughed JJ.

"Wasted Love"

I'm an ocean of love and you're scared of water
You don't want to go under, so you let me go under
I reach out my hand, but you watch me grow distant
Drift out to the sea and far away in an instant

You left me in the deep end
I'm drowning in my feelings
How do you not see that?

Now that you're gone
All I have is wasted love
This wasted love
Now that you're gone
Can't fill my heart with wasted love
This wasted love

When you let me go, I barely stayed afloat
I'm floating all alone
Still I'm holding on to the hope

Now that you're gone
All I have is wasted love
This wasted love
Now that you're gone
Can't fill my heart with wasted love

This wasted love
Wasted love
This wasted love
Wasted, wasted, wasted, wasted, wasted
Wasted, wasted, wasted, wasted, love
Wasted love

The likeable artist doesn't expect any problems on stage when switching between pop voice and counter-falsetto: "The changeover is very quick - and I've sung it so often by now that it's possible in my sleep."

Finally, he also has an insider tip: "Always inhale lots of steam - and drink lemon tea with honey."

JJ drew inspiration for his song from Mariah Carey and Anna Netrebko, among others.(Bild: ORF/Pavla Hartmanová)

JJ has to compete in the second semi-final
On March 18, there will be another concert by the Opera School at the Staatsoper, then JJ will be fully on the ESC course - from the pre-parties in Europe to the actual competition in Basel in mid-May. In the second semi-final on May 15, JJ wants to score points with "Wasted Love" - and make it to the grand final on May 17.