Jam Hsiao Goes to Number 1

Jam Hsiao (萧敬腾 pinyin: Xiāo Jìng Téng ), one of the new generation of Taiwanese pop idols, had this week's top-selling album in Taiwan, according to the G-music charts. The Warner Records release, Princess (王妃), is his second studio album.

Jam first rose to prominence in 2007 with his appearance on One Million Star, a Taiwanese TV show vaguely similar to American Idol. Although not actually a contestant - his role was to challenge the main contestants in head-to-head sing-offs - he quickly gained a large following. A duet with Taiwan superstar A-mei followed, then a multi-million (Taiwan) dollar contract with Warner Music. His self-titled debut album shot straight to the top of the charts.

Just 22 years old, Jam is known for his strong singing technique and charismatic stage presence, in spite of his noticeably shy personality. His music is a mixture of styles - some strong rock tunes (Bon Jovi is cited as a big influence), plus gentler pop and R&B numbers - although he has admitted to not being confident about his R&B singing.

And finally, a little piece of Jam Hsiao trivia: I remember reading somewhere that the animals he fears the most are humans!