Image Courtesy of Pavla Hartmanova.
From the gilded echo chambers of classical opera to the stage of the Eurovision Song Contest, JJ—born Johannes Pietsch—slips between genres, reworking his classical roots into pop anthems. This year, he brought the 69th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest home to Austria. In this conversation with SLEEK, JJ opens up about musical hybridity, emotional honesty, and what it means to bring high culture into the heart of mainstream spectacle.
Image Courtesy of Pavla Hartmanova.
SLEEK: You started in opera. Has your classical training changed the way you perform on stage?
JJ: Definitely. Performing on one of the most renowned stages in the world helped me build a strong sense of self-confidence and let me feel more comfortable on stage.
S: Combining opera and pop isn’t exactly conventional. What led you to blend the two?
JJ: I grew up with both. Pop and opera were part of my musical upbringing—they shaped me equally. So for me, it felt natural to incorporate both genres into my song.
S: What is it about these two genres that makes them work together—for you, at least?
JJ: Both genres are very similar and blend together quite well. Harmonically, you can play around a lot with the chord progressions, which work well for transitions.
Image Courtesy of Pavla Hartmanova.
S: Do you see your music as part of a broader artistic or cultural shift?
JJ. I think this genre-blending is becoming more common. A lot of pop artists are doing live shows with orchestras now.
S: Representing Austria at Eurovision—and winning—must have been intense. What did that moment mean to you?
JJ: To bring high culture—classical music—onto the biggest music stage in the world meant a lot to me. Winning was the highest honor, and especially bringing that trophy home.
S: In a world obsessed with image and metrics, how do you define success?
JJ: Success is simple for me: it’s when I can touch people with my music. If I get to do what I love and it resonates—that’s success.
Image Courtesy of Pavla Hartmanova.
S: What’s the emotional and thematic story behind Wasted Love? Is it a personal experience or more of a metaphorical narrative?
JJ: It’s about my personal experience with wasted and unrequited love. I had so much love to give, and nothing came back. It felt like I was talking to a wall.
S: Your performance felt powerful, but the song title is vulnerable. Was that contrast intentional?
JJ: Absolutely. I wanted to channel my vulnerability while still holding the audience close. It was about creating emotional transparency—letting people feel what I felt.
S: Who is JJ on stage—and who is Johannes Pietsch off stage?
JJ: There’s no difference. JJ on stage is exactly the same as Johannes Pietsch. I don’t put on a persona because I want to stay as authentic as possible.