JJ is the First Filipino To Win Eurovision. Now He’s Revamping Opera

JJ looks nothing like the opera singer you’d expect. When he arrives for our Zoom interview, he’s rocking his signature silver hoops and rings, his fresh-faced glow almost at odds with the fact that just a week ago, he won Eurovision 2025 with his pop opera hit, “Wasted Love.”

JJ made history on May 17 as the first artist of Southeast Asian descent to win the prestigious competition, breaking barriers and redefining what it means to be an opera star today. From the moment audiences heard the breathtaking soprano notes of JJ’s track, it was clear that a modern sound had arrived: one that blends the timeless power of opera with contemporary pop energy, jaw-dropping beat drops, and an irresistible sense of showmanship.

JJ, representing Austria, is now the country’s third Eurovision winner. Born to an Austrian father and a Filipino mother, the singer credits his family and blend of cultures for shaping his unique sound and fuelling his musical passions.

But for all the fanfare surrounding him, JJ remains grounded, less comfortable talking about his “achievements” and more ready to crack jokes and turn the spotlight away from himself. “You know what would have been crazy?” JJ asked me as we started setting up for the interview. “I really didn’t think I’d win, but when I did, the only thing I could think of was, ‘Oh my god, we should’ve gotten a Filipino Pope too.’  Wouldn’t that have been insane? A Filipino Eurovision winner and a Filipino Pope? It would have been such a huge karaoke month.”

As JJ adjusts to his new life under the spotlight, he sat down with Rolling Stone Philippines to reflect on his Filipino heritage, share his favorite operas, and discuss what it means to become one of the faces of modern opera.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

You brought up karaoke just now. Are you a big karaoke person?

Yes. My go-to karaoke song is “Because of You,” by Kelly Clarkson, since that was the first karaoke song that I ever learned. But whenever I’m in the Philippines, I sing anything by Regine [Velasquez] or Zsa Zsa Padilla. I love the classics, love OPM. We need to make it a bigger thing, not just in the Philippines, but all over the world. 

When was the last time you visited the Philippines?

I think back in 2023, but we’re trying to visit as often as possible now. I also just got an invitation from ASAP, so I would love to do that. I feel like that’s how you know you’re really famous in the Philippines. Once you make it on ASAP and [It’s Showtime], then you don’t have to do anything else.

How did you first get started in opera?

I got into opera after going through puberty. I was 15 years old when my voice broke, but I realized I still had a really high singing voice. It really wasn’t that deep. I thought it would be a cool party trick if I could sing like a soprano, so I started training myself to sing at a high pitch.

I’ve always just loved imitating voices and sounds. I remember trying to mimic these opera singers I’d find on YouTube by listening to their recordings over and over again. I was always trying to figure out how they’d place their voices in their throats, how they’d hold a high note for more than a second. 

Do you have a favorite opera?

Mine’s Tosca, [Giacomo] Puccini’s classic. I just eat up anything Puccini, because he’s one of the big romantic composers of classical music, and everything he writes… It’s always so tragic. I really think we need to listen to more opera, people forget just how iconic it is.

Do you feel like opera deserves a second chance in the spotlight?

Yes, it does, because classical music is so beautiful. Unfortunately, interest in the genre has been on a rapid decline for so long, but there are so many classic gems that people are missing out on. That’s why I want to try [to] incorporate those sounds into my music.

Any advice for someone dipping their toe into classical music or opera?

Definitely listen to Tosca. Everything by Puccini. Just be ready for how dramatic everything gets. If you want something simple, try The Magic Flute, because it has that one aria [“Queen of the Night”] that everyone knows, even if they don’t know it by name.

My biggest dream would be to play Tosca, but I’d have to work and practice a lot more to perfect that role.

I feel like you’re on your way, though, since you’re already such a natural soprano.

Oh, it’s not natural! I’m currently still studying classical singing in Vienna, so I have a vocal coach and a vocal teacher who are always working on my voice with me and helping me learn new pieces. Shout-out to Linda Watson, my wonderful mentor who taught me how to maintain the same intensity and high pitch, especially when it comes to working on the harder arias.

Let’s pivot to Eurovision. What was it like working on “Wasted Love”?

So we wrote the song back in August 2024 in Berlin. I texted one of my dearest friends, [Teodora Špirić], and told her I wanted my life story but as a song. She wrote the lyrics out, and our producer, [Thomas Thurner], figured out the melancholic chords. 

We were in the studio for 12 hours, because it was their first time writing something that sounded remotely operatic, and it was also my first time in a studio setting.

When you’re writing a song, what works better: listening for the right sound or sight reading?

I do everything by ear. When I hear a melody, my brain starts thinking of alternative melodies, different ways to sing the same thing, or figuring out where to take the one phrase or chord we already have. I can’t with sight reading.

I feel like you’re getting people interested in the pop opera genre again, especially among younger audiences. Do you have any inspirations?

To be honest, I don’t really know a lot of pop opera singers. There was this one guy, Klaus Nomi, who was trying to make it a thing back in the ‘80s, but sadly, he died pretty young. I think we can also count some of Queen’s songs, especially “Bohemian Rhapsody,” as pop opera. The genre’s really all about blending and making classic stylistic choices.

How do you feel things have changed after the win?

Well, my calendar’s full now. But no complaints! I’m a social butterfly, which is very Filipino of me, and I love to talk. I’m, like, famous, if you can say that…

How do you feel calling yourself famous?

Oh, ew, it’s so weird. Really, really weird. I don’t like saying it. I’m literally the same person that I was two weeks ago, but I guess it’s just a weirdness that I have to get used to. People recognize me on the street now, and every time I freak out about that, my friends tell me, “Duh, sweetie, it’s a no-brainer.” I’m just trying to take it in stride.

What’s next for you, JJ?

We’re going to continue our European press and promo tour, but after that, I’m going to rest and let “Wasted Love” have the hype it deserves. And while that’s going on, I’m gonna head back into the studio, write some new music, and, well, we’ll see. I want to release new music as soon as possible, because that’s what my fans and supporters deserve. They want to hear more, so I’m gonna deliver.