Also beendete er erstmal seine Ausbildung zum Automenchaniker und sang weiter mit seiner Band "Rooftop Kingdom".

2012 ergriff er schließlich seine Chance bei "Unser Star für Baku" mitzumachen, um in Folge von Lena Meyer-Landrut Deutschland beim ESC 2012 zu vertreten. Nach einem fehlerfreien Parcours durch die einzelnen Sendungen, schaffte er es schließlich ins Finale und konnte auch dort siegen.

In Baku singt er "Standing Still" von Jamie Cullum:

Der Text:
Guess we knew this was coming on
‘Cause you're already gone in my head
You can tell me that I'm wrong
That you're staying with me instead

The wind has come along and summer's dead and gone
Is there anything left here to say?
I can put my arms around the emptiness I found
Find a way to make you stay

But I'm standing still, I'm standing still
As you leave me now
I'm standing still, I'm standing still
As you're walking out
I'm just standing still

Never thought I'd be so strong
But pieces of me break so easy
What I thought would be the end
Is just the feeling that you freed me

Girl this ain't giving up, it's knowing where to stop
Knowing every thing is over
I know my love is blind, I see for the first time
Things ain't gonna bring us closer

But I'm standing still, I'm standing still
As you leave me now, yeah
I'm standing still, I'm standing still
As you're walking out

I'm standing still...
I'm just standing still as you leave me now
I'm just standing still

The wind has come along, time is dead and gone
Is there anything left here to say?
I can put my arms around the emptiness I found
Find a way to make you stay

I'm standing still, I'm standing still
As you leave me now, yeah
I'm standing still, I'm standing still
As you're walking out
I'm just standing still