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After his ESC victory, JJ caused a big stir with his controversial Israel comment, but that didn’t slow down his success.
His winning song, “Wasted Love,” not only stormed to number 1 in the domestic charts but also set a streaming record.
It is the first song by an Austrian artist to record more than one million streams within a week, GfK Entertainment announced on Monday. JJ received the “Number 1 Award.”
In red-white-red hands
Incidentally, the podium of the charts is currently entirely in red-white-red hands: behind JJ comes the rap perennial favorite RAF Camora together with Reezy and the song “Connected,” while the podium is completed by the Viennese duo Abor & Tynna, who started for Germany at the ESC with “Baller.”
In total, there are twelve songs from this year’s competition in the hit list, including Tommy Cash (his “Espresso Macchiato” is in 5th place) and the Swedes KAJ (“Bara bada bastu” is in 7th place).
In interviews following his victory at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, Austrian singer Johannes “JJ” Pietsch expressed strong criticism regarding Israel’s participation in the event, citing the ongoing conflict in Gaza. He stated, “I would like Eurovision to be held in Vienna next year and without Israel,” emphasizing that while artists can voice their opinions, the decision ultimately rests with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
JJ’s remarks drew significant attention and sparked controversy. Oskar Deutsch, President of the Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Wien (Vienna’s Jewish Community), condemned JJ’s statements, accusing him of aligning with anti-Israel sentiments and misrepresenting Israeli victims as aggressors. In response to the backlash, JJ expressed regret if his comments were misunderstood and indicated that he would refrain from further public statements on the matter.
- hector pascua with reports from oe24.at/picture: Instagram johannespietsch
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