The first-ever Singapore Idol, Taufik Batisah transitioned quickly from television stardom to recording success, becoming one of Singapore's most popular homegrown artists in the process. Born December 10, 1981, he originally chose to compete on the first season of Singapore Idol in order to promote his group Bonafide. He ended up winning the competition and was crowned the first-ever Singapore Idol in December 2004. A recording contract with Sony BMG resulted, leading to his full-length album debut, Blessings (2005), comprised of English-language material. His second album, All Because of You (2006), spawned two Malay-language smash hits, "Usah Lepaskan" and "Sesuatu Janji." In the wake of these chart-topping hits, he released the Malay-language album Teman Istimewa (2007). ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi
