Unlike many of his fellow Mandopop idol contemporaries, Taiwanese singer Jam Hsiao injects a dose of rock power into his music, adding a dramatic flair to his balladry and a jagged edge to his anthems. With his trademark soaring vocals, he first broke onto the scene in the late 2000s, becoming a fan favorite on the first season of the Taiwan singing competition One Million Star. His self-titled debut arrived in 2008 and, from there, Hsiao's star continued to rise in both music and onscreen. Born Hsiao Ching-teng in Taipei in 1987, he grew up listening to American rock music like Bon Jovi, whose anthemic, pop-friendly sound would inform much of Hsiao's future material. Starring on One Million Star in 2007 proved to be his big breakthrough and, although he didn't win, it helped boost his exposure, catching the attention of Taiwanese pop diva A-Mei. Their hit duet, "Moment of the First Sight," topped Taiwan's singles chart and helped Hsiao score a deal with Warner Music Taiwan. His official debut, 2008's Jam Hsiao, was a guitar-infused hit, soaring to number one in Mandarin-speaking territories across Asia. His sophomore LP, Princess, landed in 2009. The rocking title track echoed the rollicking sounds of '80s hard rock and stayed atop the charts for months. That same year, he issued another number one album, Love Moments, which was comprised of cover songs originally performed by female artists like Faye Wong, Karen Mok, A-Mei, and Jolin Tsai. During this period, he was also cast in the leading role for the film The Killer Who Never Kills, which won him a Best New Actor award at the Hong Kong Golden Film Awards. Continuing his busy schedule, he toured into 2011, stopping in China, Malaysia, and Singapore. A live album, Mr. Rock, commemorated the trek. His fourth set, Jam Wild Dreams, also arrived that year. Produced by Hsiao, it was his fourth consecutive chart topper and was promoted by another extensive Asian tour. In 2012, Hsiao flipped the script and surprised fans with an English-language covers album. Mr. Jazz: A Song for You featured his lounge versions of personal favorites by the Bee Gees, Nat King Cole, Stevie Wonder, and more. Before the year came to a close, he whipped out his guitar once again for It's All About Love, home to the riff-packed single "Holmes" and the funk-infused "Hey, Brother." After spending 2013 as a mentor on the reality singing competition Duets, Hsiao released his sixth effort, The Song. Furthering the new directions he toyed with on It's All About Love, he recorded another funky dance-rock number, the hit single "Kiss Me." He quickly followed with 2015's Reminiscence, a piano-based collection, before pressing pause on his solo work to form a band with Lee Q Wu, Tsou Chiang, and Liu Chao-chu, which they called Lion. The group's eponymous debut was issued in late 2016 and they competed on the television show, Singer 2017, making it to third place. Hsiao's ninth effort, Reflection of Desire, was issued in the summer of 2018. The album included a collaboration with Yoga Lin, a sequel to his 2009 track "Princess," and the rousing, Muse-esque single "Pi Nang." ~ Neil Z. Yeung