Taufik Batisah launched his award-winning career as a solo artist and actor after winning the first season of Singapore Idol in 2004. Born in Singapore as Muhammad Taufik bin Batisah on December 10, 1981, he was raised by a multi-cultural Malay family and originally served as the singer of regional R&B duo named Bonafide. He left the duo after being crowned Singapore Idol's winner in December 2004 and released his first English album, Blessings, in early 2005. The album became the best-selling English release in Singapore since the mid-1990s and was quickly followed by 2006's All Because of You, which highlighted Taufik Batisah's talents as a songwriter and producer. Featuring a mix of English and Malay songs, All Because of You spawned hit singles like "Usah Lepaskan" and helped Taufik Batisah win the "Most Popular Male Artist Award" at the Anugerah Planet Muzik award ceremony later that year. During the decade's final stretch, he released Malaysian albums like 2007's Teman Istimewa and 2008's Suria Hatiku, earning Number 1 hits with "Seribu Tahun," "Berserah," "Gadis Itu," "Nafasku," and "Kepadanya." Although he released another record, Fique, in 2014, he also spent the 2010s focusing on his acting career, landing roles in the TV drama Tanglin and the movie Soulmate Hingga Jannah. As the 2010s drew to a close, he began recording a series of non-album singles for films, social justice initiatives, and brand partnerships, including the anti-drug campaign song "High On Love" and the Altimet duet "Ayu."