Page 10 - index
P. 10




MONDAY, MAY 19, 2025
10





Austria's JJ soars to Eurovision








victory with operatic pop










AFP | Vienna, Austria pected," he told AFP last month,
adding that the song's success
ith his falsetto voice surprised him. BETTER
and an angelic smile, "I did not expect that the mix-
WJohannes Pietsch, ali- ture of pop and classical music
as JJ, early Sunday catapulted would be so well received, be- KNOW
Austria to its first Eurovision cause classical music is some-
victory since the triumph of thing different and not many
bearded drag performer Con- people listen to it."
chita Wurst 11 years ago. The singer has set his sights on The Eurovision Song
With "Wasted Love", which a blend known as operatic pop, a Contest is the long-
fuses pop and lyrical elements in "cross-genre and cross-discipli- est-running annual
a crescendo that flows into tech- nary approach (which) demon- international televised
no sounds, the Alpine country strates exceptional versatility music competition,
made what some thought a risky and innovative strength", said having started in 1956.
choice -- but it paid off in spades. Andreas Mailath-Pokorny, rec-
The song raked in 436 points tor at Vienna arts and
at the Eurovision Song Contest music university Earlier this year, the two per-
final in Basel, placing him ahead MUK, where JJ formers released a duet, while JJ
of Israel in second place and studies. said Wurst provided "many tips"
Estonia in third. A us tria ahead of Saturday's contest.
"This is beyond my wildest first won JJ got a taste for classical mu-
dreams! It's crazy!" said JJ, who E u r o v i - sic from his father, an Austri-
gripped viewers with his ethere- sion in an IT professional, especially
al performance, filmed in black 1966 for Bach and Mozart, while his
and white, in the 4:3 ratio of the Austrian singer Johannes Pietsch, known as JJ representing Austria with the song with mother, a cook from the Philip-
monochrome television era. “Wasted Love” celebrates with the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest trophy after "Merci, pines, listened to Celine Dion
The Austrian-Filipino coun- winning the grand final at the St. Jakobshalle arena in Basel Cherie" and Whitney Houston.
tertenor, 24, said he had wanted by Udo He went to an internation-
to give viewers "an insight (into) between talent shows and minor from the heart. Juergens al school in Dubai, where his
my deepest soul, how I felt when roles at the opera. "My song is about my person- -- a bal - father set up his company. He
we wrote the song". In April, he told AFP: "It sur- al experience with wasted and lad about a speaks German, English and Ta-
He wanted there to be "no prises people that a man can sing unreciprocated love. I had too break-up. galog and learned Arabic and
wasted love". so high." much love to put out there; not French.
"There's so much love that Even though he says he appre- much came back," he told AFP prano Bach and He hails Eurovision's massive
we can spread around, and we ciates Austria's "very strict" and during Eurovision week. notes Whitney Houston international following -- and
should use love. It's the strongest famous "classical world", he also "My message is to stay strong into a "When JJ sings, it's the contest being a "platform for
force on planet Earth." wants to have the "freedom to let and you'll get out of any situa- blend of lyri - as if time stops," said Aus- everyone", including the LGBTQ
JJ grew up in Dubai before loose" and "experiment". tion, no matter how tough it is. cism and balladry, before ending tria's 2014 Eurovision winner community.
discovering classical music in There's always a light at the end with a techno flourish. Conchita Wurst, describing the "Music is a unified language
Vienna, where, before Eurovi- 'Something new' of the tunnel." "We wanted to bring in some- "impressive professional" as a that everyone speaks and under-
sion, he was honing his skills His Eurovision entry was sung The song pivots from high so- thing new, something unex - worthy successor. stands," he said.



Release of 2023 Biden recording Pope Leo XIV warns against

renews debate on his capabilities exploitation at inaugural mass




• The clip was taken terviews with former special actly when it happened. AFP | Vatican City, Holy See
"What month did Beau die?"
counsel Robert Hur, who was
from two October investigating whether Biden he asks in a soft voice. "Oh God, ope Leo XIV set the tone
had criminally mishandled May? Was it 2015 he died? I
2023 interviews public records after leaving of- think it was 2015." Pfor his papacy with a call to
with former special fice as vice president to Barack He goes on to say, "And stop exploiting nature and mar-
counsel Robert Hur Obama. Trump gets elected in Novem- ginalising the poor at his inau-
Questions about Biden's ber of 2017," before being cor- gural mass Sunday attended by
physical and cognitive abilities rected and saying, "That's when dignitaries including Ukraine's
AFP | Washington, United States -- and the responses of staff and Trump gets sworn in." Volodymyr Zelensky and US
key Democrats to evident signs His delivery is slow and halt- Vice President JD Vance.
newly published record- of decline -- have flared with ing, including lengthy pauses Ten days after he became
A ing of former US president Tuesday's release of "Original and occasional shifts in topic the first US head of the world's
Joe Biden speaking hesitantly Sin: President Biden's Decline, mid-sentence. 1.4 billion Catholics, some
and struggling to remember Its Cover-Up, and His Disas- Biden spokeswoman Kelly 200,000 people gathered to
key events and dates has fueled trous Choice to Run Again" by Scully told CNN that "the tran- see his inaugural mass in St Pe-
renewed debate over his mental CNN journalist Jake Tapper and scripts were released by the ter's Square, according to the
capabilities while still in office. Alex Thompson of Axios. Biden administration more Vatican.
The four-minute audio clip, When the special counsel re- than a year ago. The audio does Before it started, the Chica-
obtained by news outlet Ax- leased his findings in a volumi- nothing but confirm what is go-born Robert Francis Prevost
ios and published Saturday, nous report, describing Biden already public." delighted the crowds by taking
coincides with the upcoming as a "sympathetic, well-mean- The former president comes to the popemobile for the first
release of a book that alleges ing, elderly man with a poor across as having been shattered time, smiling, waving and bless-
White House staff covered up memory" it drew fury from by his son's death. "Beau was ing those he passed.
Biden's decline even as he was Democrats and White House like my right arm," he says. And In his homily, the soft-spo-
seeking reelection. officials. "Beau knew how much I adored ken 69-year-old returned to
The clip was taken from two But the audio hints at the him." the themes of peace, reconcil-
October 2023 extent of his Republicans had called for iation and social justice that
in - confusion the release of the recording, have marked his first few days Pope Leo XIV delivers the Regina Caeli prayer after a Holy Mass for the
and under- but the Biden administration as pope. Beginning of his Pontificate, in St Peter's square in The Vatican
scores Bid- refused, citing executive priv- "In this our time, we still see holding a private audience with But many of those gathered in
en's seem - ilege. too much discord, too many Zelensky and his wife. St Peter's Square said they liked
ingly tenuous Hur ultimately found that wounds caused by hatred, vio- "The martyred Ukraine is what they had heard so far.
grip on dates. while Biden had carelessly lence, prejudice, the fear of dif- waiting for negotiations for a Maria Grazia La Barbera, 56,
Describing the kept classified documents af- ference, and an economic par- just and lasting peace to finally a pilgrim from Palermo in Sicily,
impact of the ter leaving office, the evidence adigm that exploits the Earth's happen," Leo said. said Leo was "the right person
death from brain was insufficient to file charges resources and marginalises the After two decades spent as at the right time" to lead the
cancer of his son -- particularly as a jury would poorest," he said. missionary in Peru, the new Church.
Beau, Biden likely have been sympathetic In a prayer afterwards, he pope -- who was only made a "He will certainly do what he
struggles to to  the "elderly man with a poor noted the ongoing efforts to cardinal in 2023 -- is unknown promised: knocking down walls
remember ex- memory." end the war in Ukraine, before to many Catholics. and building bridges," she said.
   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15