First winner interview

Cosmó: “We showed what Austria is capable of”

A brief moment of joy, but the focus is already on the near future: "Vienna Calling" winner Cosmó is working meticulously toward the Song Contest.(Bild: Hans Leitner)

JJ's successor has been decided – Benjamin Gedeon, aka Cosmó, from Burgenland will represent Austria at the 70th Song Contest in the Wiener Stadthalle on May 16. He beat eleven competitors on Friday evening on the ORF show "Vienna Calling." He tells the "Krone" about his initial emotions and his future goals.

"Krone": Cosmó, congratulations – on Friday evening, you beat eleven other candidates on the ORF show "Vienna Calling" and will represent Austria at the 70th Song Contest in the Wiener Stadthalle on May 16. How long did the party night last?
Cosmó: It was relatively short. I went home to bed pretty quickly, but falling asleep was so-so. (laughs) But I did get a little sleep.

Was there no party after the triumph?
We'll do that later. I'd rather prepare for the next steps.

How do you feel today, now that you've had some time to reflect on the result? Have you been able to process the victory a little?
I've taken in a fraction of it, but I haven't fully processed it yet. When I open my phone, I keep seeing messages like "Cosmó to represent Austria at the Song Contest." That brings me back to reality and wakes me up again.

The joy is short-lived, but the focus is already on the near future: "Vienna Calling" winner Cosmó is working meticulously toward the Song Contest.(Bild: Hans Leitner)

First in the audience vote, second in the jury vote—that's an almost perfect score that led you to victory. Were you surprised by this result?
I'm actually mega-surprised. When we were sitting on the couch in the hall yesterday and the jury's votes were read out, we were already stunned. Wow, more than three points! What? Even more than four points? And so it went on. And then late at night you find out that you've won the audience vote. I can't put into words what an honor this is for me.

What were your first thoughts on Friday night after the victory?
I knew the camera was focused on me and I just thought to myself, "Don't make a stupid face!" (laughs) When I made it to the finals of "The Voice Kids," I put my hand over my mouth, and that's exactly what I wanted to avoid. This time, I wanted to show my emotions as I felt them: amazement, surprise, and joy.

Benjamin Gedeon, aka Cosmó, from Burgenland during the final performance of "Tanzschein" on the show "Vienna Calling."(Bild: Hans Leitner)

To emerge as the winner from more than 520 applicants is quite an achievement.
It's so crazy that everything happened so fast. Of course, it took several months, but they flew by. Just being among the twelve acts in the final was absolutely insane.

For weeks, you could see how you candidates supported and encouraged each other on social media. There was an incredibly appreciative, loving atmosphere between you—despite the competitive spirit.
You could just feel what a lovely, creative, professional, experienced, and wonderful group of musicians from Austria was there. We were all really looking forward to showing what Austria has to offer in music in one evening. That's what connected us.

In various online polls, there was always speculation about the favorites, both nationally and internationally. Bamlak Werner, Frevd, and Kalya Krystin were mentioned very often—you less so. Did you follow that on the side?
I was so focused on the rehearsals and the performance that I didn't actually notice any of that.

Hug for Bamlak Werner after the final of "Vienna Calling"(Bild: Thomas Ramstorfer)

How nervous were you before and during your performance at "Vienna Calling"?
Before the performance, my nerves were under control. I knew that I would be the twelfth and last performer and that I still had plenty of time to watch all the others beforehand. Shortly before my performance, I warmed up, drank an espresso, and then the adrenaline kicked in. I would say that before performances, I'm more hyped than nervous.

Didn't the long wait bother you? The last person to start has to wait the longest.
I got to watch eleven really cool concerts—that was a great way to pass the time.

In the end, you, Bamlak Werner, and Lena Schaur waited as a trio to see who would win. Do you manifest victory in that moment, or do you wait anxiously for the result?
I imagined Alice Tumler and Cesár Sampson taking the microphone and shouting my name. I closed my eyes and just thought, "Please, just say it now." We've come this far and are standing on the finish line – how amazing would it be to actually win? When it actually happened, it was absolutely surreal. It will take a long time for this victory to really sink in.

Your quiet time is now over. From now on, things will be busy for three months and you'll be extremely busy. Do you already have a rough idea of what to expect?
I've decided to meditate a lot, as I've always done. The preparations for the preliminary round were also quite demanding, and my mom is an important source of support—she basically looks after my mental well-being. She always puts orange peels in my bag, with all the trimmings. Meditate a lot and take deep breaths, then everything will be fine.

Speaking of family, who was there at "Vienna Calling" on Friday and how did you celebrate the victory immediately after?
My parents, my brother, and some friends were there. My manager and guitarist Sandro's parents were also there. It's a collective happy ending, and we all need to take a moment to process what has happened and what lies ahead of us now. Only then will we realize how incredible it all is and what a huge honor it is to be able to do this.

"Krone" editor Robert Fröwein met Cosmó and his guitarist Sandro Hummer in January at his studio in Vienna.(Bild: Imre Antal)

You mentioned at the beginning that you are already looking to the future with great focus. What's on the horizon?
That's a good question. After the victory, I quickly drank a Coke, went to bed, and had a little breakfast before the interviews started. Unfortunately, I don't have an answer to that question yet, but we'll do everything we can to create something really cool with this wonderful team.

When you win "Vienna Calling" and represent Austria at the Song Contest, do you want even more?
We will definitely adapt the show to the stage at the Wiener Stadthalle. And I can promise that there will be a lot of dancing.

You wrote the winning song "Tanzschein" for your mom. What's the story behind it?
My mom isn't much of a partygoer, but when I started playing concerts with my band, she thought it was really cool. She came along with my dad and of course danced along. It was a wonderful moment for me to play on stage and see my parents so happy in the front row. Last year there were fewer concerts and my mom really missed them. She really wanted to dance again, so we often danced in the kitchen because that's the best medicine for switching off and forgetting everything. If I can make my mom happy with the song, then I've already won.

In addition to my mom, 160 million people around the world will soon be dancing to "Tanzschein" in front of their TV screens. Music has always been an important part of your life. Is winning "Vienna Calling" now the next big step or the beginning of something completely new?
That's looking a bit too far into the future, but of course I hope that there will be an afterparty after the party and that we can continue to feed off this sweet juice for a long time to come. Let's see what else is in store, but it's really cool what we've achieved so far.

What does this success mean for the next three months of your dentistry studies? All in all, it could get a bit stressful...
I actually took the semester exam for the first semester on Thursday and am waiting for the results, which will come in three weeks. It would be great if they were positive, of course. (laughs) Of course, I'm going to take a break from my studies for now and focus fully on the Song Contest.

You'll probably only really be able to process your success today, Sunday. What will your day look like?
First, I'm going to drive home to Burgenland to rest and think about everything. Today, I might already write down the first ideas for the Song Contest performance.