At just 16 years of age, Alif Satar proved he was One in a Million, despite finishing third on the reality show. The boy grew into a man who would supersede the early promise of that singing competition, as well as the careers of its champions. No easy feat in the Malay music industry, where seemingly inconsequential life choices are under close scrutiny. But the clean-cut Satar (born Muhammad Alif bin Mohd Satar in 1990) isn’t your typical former teen star, he now represents a platonic ideal of the modern Malay pop icon. Satar is both forward-thinking enough to speak up against body-shaming and use sign language, and traditional enough to value religion and family (his discography includes collaborations with nasheed pioneers Raihan and Inteam). With his debut, Nakal (2009), and the image that comes to mind with such an album title (literally ‘naughty’), Satar could have been on an entirely different path. But consequent releases—Lelaki Seperti Aku (2011) and Definisi (2013)—brought the previously precocious boy back and into full-blown maturity. Gone was the wide-eyed teen love of smash hit “Jangan Nakal” and in its place the kind of self-aware, '90s-tinged pop bops and ballads he favoured so much during his reality show stint. Though recently he’s embraced his acting career alongside other newfound roles (he’s also a fitness YouTuber and TV host), Satar’s never abandoned his first love: singing.