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.

“It's absolutely crazy, my dreams have come true,” marveled JJ, whose real name is Johannes Pietsch, at the post-competition press conference.

Though organizers insist Eurovision is an apolitical event, the contest has long been embroiled in the continent’s tensions.