When Austria was announced as the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 on Saturday, I wasn’t surprised – I had predicted it weeks before the grand final.

Last year, I turned Eurovision predictions into a creative ritual – to sharpen my ear and test my instincts. Why? Because creativity in business is critical to success.

I love this quote of Pharrell Williams, producer of “Blurred Lines” and “Happy”, because it sums it up pretty well.

“Creativity without business is usually victimization. Business without creativity is a waste of F*CKING time”

This ritual led me to correctly predict Nemo’s winning song “The Code” in 2024. And now, in Eurovision 2025, I landed on Austria’s “Wasted Love”.

As a songwriter and a multi-instrumentalist (saxophone, guitar, keys, ukulele), I hear songs a little differently. I don’t just ask whether something is catchy. I listen for structure, replayability, genre cohesion, and emotional impact. And “Wasted Love” has it all.

How I pick the winner

A few weeks before the semi-finals each year, I create a playlist with all the entries. Then I sort the songs based on six criteria:

1. Musicality – how memorable is the melody? If I had to sing it to a friend, would I be able to? Would I want to?

2. Arrangement – how well is the song structured? From my experience, tracks with several distinct sections (intro, verses, chorus, bridge, outro) usually have higher chances I would want to listen to it again. Because it has some elements I would want to listen to again.

3. Replayability – would I listen to this song more than once? If yes, why? I think this factor is what separates timeless hits from forgettable ones.

4. Lyrics – does the song have lyrics? What is the meaning behind them? If a song doesn’t have lyrics, then it is a soundtrack or an instrumental track. Since it is a song contest, I expect songs to be performed, hence the lyrics matter.

5. Production quality – the overall sound quality of a song. By production quality I mean not just the arrangement or musicality, but the sound engineering component. Put simply: if I put it on on my speakers in my car, would the song sound great?

6. Overall package – does the song have the main idea well expressed? Does it have a coolness factor to it? Where can I envision this song being performed? Would this song be relevant in 2-3 years from now?

Based on these factors, I sorted out the following tracks for 2025:

• Sweden: KAJ – Bara bada bastu
• Albania: Zjerm – Shkodra Elektronike
• Switzerland: Zoë Më – Voyage
• Germany: Abor & Tynma – Baller
• Malta: Miriana Conte – Serving
• Austria: JJ – Wasted Love

And then I compare to what I got. In 2025, all of my shortlisted songs eventually got into the finals.

To my ear, all of these songs meet the outlined criteria. However, in Eurovision 2025 Austria stood out the most.

Here are 7 reasons why I believe “Wasted Love” is a well-deserved winner.

7. A genre blend that shouldn’t work – but did

At its core, “Wasted Love” is a bold fusion of pop, opera, and dance music.

These genres aren’t natural bedfellows – they clash harmonically, rhythmically, and emotionally. Yet Austria’s team managed to bring them together seamlessly. The result was a song that felt epic, yet danceable. Grand, yet intimate.

This kind of fusion is extremely difficult to pull off without sounding chaotic. It’s even harder to make it replayable. But every time I heard it, I found something new – a harmony tucked in the pre-chorus, a subtle drop, a lyric that hit deeper. That’s not just clever; it’s masterful.

6. The “replayability” factor

I’ve noticed this both in my own songwriting experience and in industry data: songs with dance elements tend to stick. But what separates a fun track from a great one is how well it holds up on the fifth or tenth listen. Austria’s song never felt tired.

In contrast, some entries – like Sweden’s – lost their charm after a few plays. The joke wore thin. The concept plateaued, to my ear at least.

Replayability is often overlooked in contests like Eurovision, where initial impact matters more.

In my view, it’s replayability that drives real success – on playlists, in charts, in cultural memory, and in show business in general. I can imagine this song being on charts for a long time, and I wish the artist will capitalize on this.

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5. Expert songwriting and arrangement

If you map out the song structurally, you’ll find a brilliantly designed blueprint, which includes: Intro – Verse 1 – Pre-chorus – Chorus 1 – Verse 2 – Chorus 2 – Bridge – Outro/Breakdown.

Each section is sonically distinct, but they all serve the emotional arc of the piece. There’s a narrative, both musically and lyrically. The chord progressions shift in unexpected but satisfying ways. Even the use of silence and vocal layering is intentional and effective.

From a songwriter’s perspective, this is one of the most complete entries, along with Nemo’s “The Code”, I’ve heard in recent Eurovision memory.

4. Vocal excellence on full display

It’s a song contest, after all – and “Wasted Love” was the only performance that fully showcased a singer’s range, control, and emotive ability.

The transitions from chest voice to falsetto, the operatic lifts, the vocal runs woven into the beat. This was not just showmanship; it was vocal athleticism serving the song.

3. A smartly-timed cultural touch

While I personally care more about music than image, it’s worth noting that the Austrian performer presented a gender-fluid persona – not as a gimmick, but as an authentic extension of the artistic identity.

Eurovision juries, increasingly sensitive to cultural representation and inclusivity, likely saw this as a strength. It added layers to the performance – modernity, relevance, and edge.

2. A universal theme that still feels personal

“Wasted Love” explores one of the most enduring human emotions: the pain of loving deeply and losing anyway. It’s a message everyone can relate to.

Eurovision has always rewarded emotional sincerity – but Austria’s song took that a step further by wrapping timeless heartbreak in a bold, modern sonic package.

1. A gift to the legacy

I don’t know if it was done on purpose, but I sensed that having an operetic part in “Wasted Love” was a nod to Austria’s classical music heritage. The country is renowned as the birthplace of world-famous composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Franz Schubert, and the long-time Vienna resident Ludwig van Beethoven.

If it was intentional, then it is genius. It felt like a modern homage to Austria’s musical roots, blending the past and present in a single, powerful piece.

The gist: why this wasn’t just a lucky guess

My pick for Austria in Eurovision 2025 wasn’t a shot in the dark. It was a synthesis of musical craft, emotional impact, cultural awareness, and performance strategy.

While other countries brought strong entries – Albania, Malta, and Germany among my favourites – Austria struck the rare balance between artistry and accessibility.

In a competition where novelty often trumps substance, Austria’s “Wasted Love” reminded us that good songwriting still matters. And when it’s paired with the right voice, the right stage presence, and the right moment — it can win the hearts of an entire continent.

I’ll let you be the judge, here’s the winning entry of Eurovision 2025:

What do you think? Which of the songs was your pick? Let me know what you think by leaving your thoughts in the comments section below.

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