By Melisa Ng

Pop singer and recording artiste Desiree Tan never dreamt that she would be in the music industry.

The marketing graduate from INTI International College broke into Malaysia's entertainment industry seven years ago when she joined Project Superstar, a talent search competition.

House of Soul Click on thumbnail to view (Photos: The Star/ANN)

Tan recalled joining the contest after much persuasion from her friends.

"My friends forced me to join the contest," said the soulful singer.

"In my heart, I was telling myself that it will be just for fun and for the experience. However, to my surprise I emerged the female champion of that season."

Since then, Tan knew this was what she wanted to do for a career.

Her powerful vocals and passion for music has earned her many compliments from renowned musicians and producers in Singapore.

Signed under Tiny Box Music, a Singapore recording company, Tan released her debut solo album entitled Let the World Hear in April, 2008, followed by a road show in Malaysia.

"I consider myself very lucky as my music caught the attention of two famous producers from Taiwan - Adam Hsu and Neo Wu.

I am now working with the duo and other famous producers for my upcoming album this year," said Tan who travels frequently to Taiwan.

RM 300,000 ($122,820) home

Tan stays with her parents and her brother in a cluster house in Adda Heights, Johor Baru.

"My mom and I bought this house because we love the location and the fact that it is built on higher ground so the air is cooler. The price was affordable and we love the environment too!" said Tan of her 204sq m (2,200sq ft) double-storey house.

The mother and daughter bought the house about four years ago from the developer for RM300,000 (S$122,820).

"Recently, when I checked online, the value for a similar property in this area has gone up to more than RM500,000. So, it was a pretty good buy," said Tan.

"With four-plus-one rooms, it's spacious enough for all of us," said the Johor-born lass.

The ground floor consists of the living room, dining area, kitchen, maid's room and music room.

To muffle the sound from the music room, a sound-proof door was installed.

In the music room, there is a keyboard and more than five guitars belonging to Tan, her dad and brother.

"You can say we are a musically-inclined family. Since young, my dad would play the guitar and my brother and I would sing along with him," said Tan, who turns 30 this year.