By Jill Lawless
Classically trained Austrian singer JJ won the 69th Eurovision Song Contest in Switzerland on Saturday with “Wasted Love,” a song that combines operatic, multi-octave vocals with a techno twist.
Israeli singer Yuval Raphael came second at an exuberant celebration of music and unity that was shadowed by the Gaza war and rattled by discord over Israel’s participation.
JJ, whose full name is Johannes Pietsch, was Austria’s third Eurovision winner, and the first since bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst in 2014. The 24-year-old countertenor, who sings at the Vienna State Opera, has called Wurst a mentor.
“This is beyond my wildest dreams. It’s crazy,” said the singer after being handed the microphone-shaped glass Eurovision trophy.
JJ won after a nail-biting final that saw Raphael scoop up a massive public vote from her many fans for her anthemic “New Day Will Rise.” But she also faced protests from pro-Palestinian demonstrators calling for Israel to
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