Standing in front of the mirror at home in Dubai and singing Hannah Montana songs, 13-year-old Johannes Pietsch dreamt of one day becoming a pop star.
“I've always believed that you can never dream too big,” Pietsch, now 24, tells The National. “And that nothing is unreachable.”
Better known by his stage name JJ, he realised that dream two weeks ago when he was crowned the 2025 winner of the Eurovision Song Contest. JJ's high-pitched operatic pop number, Wasted Love, had been a bookies' favourite since he was named as Austria's representative in the long-running competition in January.
Twenty-six performers – out of an initial 37 – performed in the finals in Basel, Switzerland. Each performer represented a country from the European Broadcasting Union, and contestants were voted through to the finals by television viewers.
“It was an amazing feeling to win for Austria,” JJ says, still on a high from his win. “It was a really long show and a lot of intense waiting. But when we finally got the points, it was euphoric. I was going through a roller coaster of emotions.”
The son of an Austrian father and Filipina mother, JJ was born in Vienna, but spent 15 formative years in Dubai where his father ran an IT business, before the family moved back to Austria.
“I had a pretty great childhood in Dubai,” says JJ, who went to the German International School. “In Dubai we always had the latest in everything, from toys to gadgets – everything that we saw coming from the States was in Dubai a week later.
“And I remember how much fun we had as kids. It was so diverse, a lot of different cultures meeting at one place. That was really nice.”
It was also in Dubai where JJ's love for music was nurtured.
“We had karaoke parties every weekend at our house and that's where I started singing,” he says with a laugh. “The first song I learnt to sing was Because of You by Kelly Clarkson.
“And my dad was a big fan of classical music, so the next morning we'd be listening to Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and that's when I continued to develop my interest in classical music as well.”
His blend of classical and pop music with operatic flair set JJ apart from the competition at Eurovision, which is known for sparkly outfits and cheesy Europop lyrics.
He says he learnt to sing falsetto at his parents' karaoke parties.
“After going through puberty, I realised that I still had a high singing voice. At first, it was just a cool party trick to imitate a soprano, but as I got better, I continued to work on that and eventually decided that I wanted to pursue a career in opera.”
After moving back to Vienna as a teenager, JJ took part in reality shows including The Voice UK in 2020 and Austrian talent show Starmania in 2021. He also attended the opera school at Vienna State Opera where he now performs.
Last year, JJ and his collaborators wrote Wasted Love, a song about unrequited love that showcases his unique falsetto voice and blends classical music with techno beats. They sent the song to ORF, the Austrian public broadcaster, which selects the country's representative for Eurovision, and JJ was eventually picked following an audition.
At Eurovision, which began on May 13, JJ, along with Sweden's three-man band Kaj, quickly became odds-on favourites to win. But it was during rehearsals for the grand final on May 17, that he began to think he actually had a winning chance.
“My biggest competitors were Sweden, and they came up to me and said they were blown away by my stage performance. The audience was also cheering even louder when I came on stage.
“That's when it started to click. I was like 'oh, so we could actually win', because the people are more hyped for me than they were for Sweden.
“Then I just thought: 'OK, I'll just enjoy it and give my everything and we will see who wins.'
“But I must say, Sweden did an amazing job on their performance. I really respect them so much. They are the loveliest people, the three of them, and we have a great friendship too, so it wasn't really like a competition in that sense.”
JJ is exhausted from the press tour following his win, but grateful for everything. For now, he's looking forward to a holiday in July, before he returns to the studio to make new music. He's also in discussions for a potential tour.
“I want to say thank you so much to everybody for all of their love and support. It's been really overwhelming how much love I've been receiving from every single part of the world,” he says.
“And the entire Filipino community in Dubai, I've been feeling so much love from them, and also the locals in Dubai and all of my friends that I still have there. I can't wait to finally bring new music to all of them and hopefully come for a tour to the Middle East. I would love to come back. That would be amazing.”
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
RESULT
Huddersfield Town 2 Manchester United 1
Huddersfield: Mooy (28'), Depoitre (33')
Manchester United: Rashford (78')
Man of the Match: Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town)
Results
1. New Zealand Daniel Meech – Fine (name of horse), Richard Gardner – Calisto, Bruce Goodin - Backatorps Danny V, Samantha McIntosh – Check In. Team total First round: 200.22; Second round: 201.75 – Penalties 12 (jump-off 40.16 seconds) Prize €64,000
2. Ireland Cameron Hanley – Aiyetoro, David Simpson – Keoki, Paul Kennedy – Cartown Danger Mouse, Shane Breen – Laith. Team total 200.25/202.84 – P 12 (jump-off 51.79 – P17) Prize €40,000
3. Italy Luca Maria Moneta – Connery, Luca Coata – Crandessa, Simone Coata – Dardonge, Natale Chiaudani – Almero. Team total 130.82/198.-4 – P20. Prize €32,000
Results
ATP Dubai Championships on Monday (x indicates seed):
First round
Roger Federer (SUI x2) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Thomas Fabbiano (ITA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Marton Fucsovics (HUN) bt Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 6-1, 7-6 (7/5)
Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) bt Karen Khachanov (RUS x4) 6-4, 6-1
Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) bt Milos Raonic (CAN x7) 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
What you as a drone operator need to know
A permit and licence is required to fly a drone legally in Dubai.
Sanad Academy is the United Arab Emirate’s first RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) training and certification specialists endorsed by the Dubai Civil Aviation authority.
It is responsible to train, test and certify drone operators and drones in UAE with DCAA Endorsement.
“We are teaching people how to fly in accordance with the laws of the UAE,” said Ahmad Al Hamadi, a trainer at Sanad.
“We can show how the aircraft work and how they are operated. They are relatively easy to use, but they need responsible pilots.
“Pilots have to be mature. They are given a map of where they can and can’t fly in the UAE and we make these points clear in the lectures we give.
“You cannot fly a drone without registration under any circumstances.”
Larger drones are harder to fly, and have a different response to location control. There are no brakes in the air, so the larger drones have more power.
The Sanad Academy has a designated area to fly off the Al Ain Road near Skydive Dubai to show pilots how to fly responsibly.
“As UAS technology becomes mainstream, it is important to build wider awareness on how to integrate it into commerce and our personal lives,” said Major General Abdulla Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief, Dubai Police.
“Operators must undergo proper training and certification to ensure safety and compliance.
“Dubai’s airspace will undoubtedly experience increased traffic as UAS innovations become commonplace, the Forum allows commercial users to learn of best practice applications to implement UAS safely and legally, while benefitting a whole range of industries.”
UAE SQUAD
Omar Abdulrahman (Al Hilal), Ali Khaseif, Ali Mabkhout, Salem Rashed, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Zayed Al Ameri, Mohammed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Khalid Essa, Ahmed Barman, Ryan Yaslam, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Habib Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmin (Al Wasl), Adel Al Hosani, Ali Hassan Saleh, Majed Suroor (Sharjah), Ahmed Khalil, Walid Abbas, Majed Hassan, Ismail Al Hammadi (Shabab Al Ahli), Hassan Al Muharrami, Fahad Al Dhahani (Bani Yas), Mohammed Al Shaker (Ajman)
