Eurovision 2025 left us all in shambles, and we discuss that subject with a little more depth here, but let’s hold off from panicking about what’s coming up next and switch it up. Shall we? Yes, we shall!
Eurovision Fam had the privilege of speaking to one of this year’s winning entry co-authors, the one and only Teya! Yes, we all remember her from 2023 when she (and duo partner Salena) finished in 16th place with Austria’s irreverent and satirical entry “Who The Hell is Edgar?” but read on to learn a little more background about Teya before diving into our recent interview with her.
Born in Vienna in 2000, she grew up between Austria and Serbia, developing a deep appreciation for pop and performance at a young age. With her bilingual background and distinctive style, Teya brings a multicultural flair to her music, often blending satirical lyricism with modern pop production. To which I say, we have to stan!
Before her big break in 2023, she first attempted to go to ESC for Serbia in 2020 with the song “Sudnji dan,” which placed 10th in that country’s national selection, Beovizija, under the stage name Thea Devy. The following year, she competed in one of Austria’s most well-known talent shows, Starmania. This is where she met both Salena and JJ, as they all competed in the same season. Teya made it to the semi-finals that season.
Following her experience in 2023, Teya has continued to leave her mark on the European music scene. Her bold stage presence and clever songwriting quickly caught the attention of fans and industry professionals alike. In 2025, she made headlines again as the co-writer and creative director of “Wasted Love,” Austria’s winning Eurovision entry performed by JJ. Teya’s evolving role—from performer to behind-the-scenes creative force—highlights her versatility and passion for meaningful, high-impact storytelling through music.
In addition to her Eurovision success, Teya continues to work on solo material and collaborations across Europe. With her growing career, strong online following, and reputation for creative innovation, she’s become a rising figure in the European pop scene and Eurovision songwriting circuits.
Eurovision Fam: Congratulations are in order on this historic win! Now, let’s recap a little bit, and following your experience in 2023, what made you stick around to Eurovision and its fans?
Teya: Thank you! I have always been a fan of Eurovision. Experiencing the community first hand in 2023 has definitely solidified my bond to the contest and the fans. I feel like once you go Eurovision, you never really go back—especially as a writer. Even if you were to avoid it, somehow you always end up in a Eurovision session. In this year’s case, JJ himself asked me to write him a song. The rest is, as you said, history.
Eurovision Fam: What did you learn from that experience 2 years ago? Both about the music industry, the contest, and overall.
Teya: I count that experience as one of the greatest lessons of my career so far. There are so many details that go into creating an act for Eurovision that I didn’t know or think of when I was an artist myself. The most important thing is the team. You need every important position to be filled with a person that is passionate about the project. This business works best with like-minded people by your side that all run towards the same goal. Everything I have learned in 2023 has been something I could utilize this year as project manager and creative director. I am grateful for every lesson life throws at me!
Eurovision Fam: Let’s start from the beginning about this triumphant journey—how did “Wasted Love” come to life? Was it written or produced with an artist in mind from the start?
Teya: Yes, it was always meant to be for JJ. We have been friends for a long time, and he reached out to me last year, asking me to write his first song ever. He had a dream of going to Eurovision, and I wanted to get him there. In August of 2024, the song came to life in Berlin in my roommate Thomas’ studio. It was the three of us that created it. After some hours, when everything was recorded, we listened to it and I just knew we had made something very special.
Eurovision Fam: You’re behind “Wasted Love” as a writer, with both JJ and your longtime collaborator, Thomas Thurner, also being involved. How did the collaboration work? How much did the song evolve once they got involved?
Teya: The process was so incredibly easy. JJ told me his story and personal experience with wasted love. I wrote the lyrics and melodies in half an hour while Thomas was recording the piano. We went out to eat a pizza for lunch, came back and recorded all the vocals. JJ and I then sang the choir for the backing vocals. At 1 AM everything was finished. The song didn’t change too much after that. All the magic happened that day.
Eurovision Fam: Can you share a lyric or line that holds special meaning for you?
Teya: The first line of the song “I’m an ocean of love and you’re scared of water” is quite special to me. I wrote that lyric down somewhere in my notes about two years ago. It’s been rotting away in a sea of unused ideas because it never really fit. When JJ told me his story, I immediately knew that it had finally found its home. This line immediately sent my headspace into oceanic visuals and lyrics, and was the inspiration for the paper boat. It influenced everything & I’m very glad that I kept the lyrics for the perfect moment.
Eurovision Fam: How did the live performance (staging, choreography, visual identity) enhance or reinterpret your original vision for “Wasted Love”?
Teya: I knew from the first moment that the staging will be a key ingredient of the whole project. It was either going to make “Wasted Love” a winner or not. I reached out to Sergio Jaén because I have a deep appreciation for the work he did in 2024 for Ireland—to me, it is one of the best stagings I have ever seen at Eurovision, and I wanted him on board for JJ. When he heard the song, he was hooked. He immediately called me and we instantly connected through the love and passion we had for the song. The idea of the paper boat and the ocean, and the storm was already there, but it was Sergio who made it the winning performance that it is today. He is incredible, and we were really lucky that he immediately felt the connection to “Wasted Love” and most importantly, JJ as an artist.
Eurovision Fam: Was it difficult to adapt the song to meet the song contest’s rules when it comes to staging and execution?
Teya: Not at all. Since we wrote it with Eurovision in mind, it was already conformed to all the rules and regulations. Generally, the whole process from writing the song to winning Eurovision was suspiciously and weirdly smooth and easy. Everything just clicked. It was meant to be.
Eurovision Fam: What was the relationship between the writers and the creative director? How did your vision for the performance compare to what we got in real life?
Teya: Because I was heavily involved with the whole creative vision and branding, I was living out both roles. To me, the vision was clear from the first second onwards, and every creative we have worked with was the absolute right choice to bring that vision to life. Vesely Marek, who directed the music video, did a great job of bringing the visuals we needed to match the grandness of the song. And Sergio Jaén and his whole team did exactly what we had envisioned for the staging. It genuinely couldn’t have gone any better.
Eurovision Fam: At what point of this journey did you realize, “This might actually win Eurovision”?
Teya: Good question. I knew from the day we wrote it, that if every aspect of the project is done correctly, we are looking at Top 5 for sure. That’s why I decided to get involved with the project beyond the writing—I saw the potential.
Along the way, when everything started working out exactly as hoped & when all the other songs came out—I noticed an energy switch within the whole team. Suddenly we were all gunning for the win. Even the ORF broadcaster people were getting ready for the case we won months before it happened. I think that energy switch is what made us work even harder. Soon our jokes about winning became manifestations and we, in a very delusional way, spoke it into reality.
There was one moment in Basel, on a day where everything went wrong and everyone was stressed out, when we went to JJ’s Village performance with Conchita, that really stood out to me.
They sang, the crowd was cheering, the final high note was hit perfectly and the whole team that was backstage just looked at each other with a knowing look. I think that performance solidified it for us. We just knew. I don’t know why. But it was pure magic and we just felt it.
Eurovision Fam: What does this win mean for you professionally and personally?
Teya: This whole process was incredibly healing for me. To have your hard work pay off in such an incredible way is indescribable. It showed me what it means to have an incredible team working towards one goal with passion, love and drive—and that it can actually work out.
Personally, I don’t think I will ever understand how incredible this journey has been. I am so proud of everything we’ve achieved. And I don’t mean winning. Just the fact that we managed to honor every ounce of the potential that this project had, means the world. We could have been last place and I still would have been this proud. It’s something we didn’t manage to do in 2023 and the little girl in me with the Eurovision dream can finally smile again.
Professionally, it has shown me what we are capable of if we put our whole hearts into something we want to accomplish. It has also reminded me why I’m doing what I do. And it definitely shifted my focus back to quality over quantity. I am not looking to have as many songs at Eurovision as I can. I’d rather have none if it’s not something I believe in as much as JJ’s “Wasted Love.”
Eurovision Fam: Although it could be a little too soon to ask, we wonder if the industry response has changed for you since the victory?
Teya: There are definitely more artists reaching out now, asking me to write them a Eurovision song. But that’s not my focus—I am still doing what I did before “Wasted Love,” which is writing for others and myself outside of ESC. I am not sure in what way the win will influence my career in that regard, but I hope that some doors will open a little easier than before. Generally, a lot of people from the industry reached out to congratulate Thomas and I and we thought that was really nice. It put us two kids with a dream on some kind of map. And we’re excited to find out what that means for our futures.
Eurovision Fam: How do you see the song fitting into the cultural or musical identity of your country?
Teya: I think “Wasted Love” is perfect for Austria because of the country’s rich history with classical music. The song is not only authentic to JJ but also the country he represents. It’s a match made in heaven and the Vienna State Opera.
Eurovision Fam: As a songwriter and creative, do you think Eurovision is evolving musically—and where do you see songwriting going within the contest?
Teya: You can never know what will work. It always depends on the year, the other songs, the needs of the audience and so many other factors.
I think one thing that always stays true to the contest, though, is that authenticity and diversity works and probably always will work. People can feel when something is authentic to an artist, whether it is a song about serving kant, saunas, coming, or wasting love. At Eurovision you get a platform where literally every single song will find its audience, no matter how big or small. And if you’re trying to write something for the contest instead of writing for the artist in the room and what makes them who they are, you already missed the point.
Eurovision Fam: What have you learned from writing a Eurovision-winning song that you’ll carry into your next project?
Teya: Make something that moves you and brings out the passion and fire within you. If you feel it, others will too. Nothing else matters.
Eurovision Fam: Would you continue writing or producing music for Eurovision following this victory?
Teya: My focus is generally always on music outside of Eurovision. But if I stumble upon other amazing artists that my gut tells me to write for, then yes! It just needs to be the right moment and right project.
Eurovision Fam: And finally, what’s one thing you hope people remember about this song, years from now?
Teya: I hope that people can feel the emotion buried into every fibre of this song and performance. JJ is incredibly special and I hope he brought many people solace, understanding and love. Despite the title, love is never wasted, even if it feels like it.
We want to thank Teya for taking time out from her busy agenda to answer our questions and talk to us. Lastly, you should go stream her newly released single, “Talk That Talk”, now available on all platforms. Check the lyric video below!