He won Taiwan's most popular singing contest on TV, but he does not have a solo album. Rachel Liang, the runner-up to him, does.

Instead, Yuming Lai, the champion in the second season of One Million Star, has teamed up with Jane Huang, who came in seventh in the contest, to release an album as a rock duo, Y2J.

When he was informed by his record company Universal Music about this arrangement, Lai, 24, did not feel slighted. His first thought was: 'What kind of music direction is this new band going to take?'

In town recently to promote their debut album, Live For You, he says: 'Both of us had been hoping that we would become a rock band anyway, because this is where our passion lies. So we're glad that it turned out the way we wanted.'

They are being marketed as the first male-female rock duo in the Chinese music industry.

Lai garnered raves for his powerful vocals, while Huang, 25, stood out during the competition as a punk rocker. Their name, Y2J, is a no-brainer: It stands for Yuming and Jane and that there are just the two of them in the band.

Lai and Huang have been rumoured to be dating, but they insist they are only good friends.

He says: 'We treat each other like siblings, so it is difficult to have any romantic chemistry between us.'

Yet the chatty singer says he likes women with long hair and big eyes, such as Huang.

And they display easygoing camaraderie during their interview with Life! at the Conrad Centennial Singapore. Whenever she is at a loss for words or does not feel much like talking, Huang nudges Lai and he speaks for her.

She says: 'I am a shy and quiet person, so Yuming will usually speak up for me during interviews as he knows what I want to say.'

For his part, he is thankful that she is around to share the burden of performing. 'I would feel so tired if I had to sing all the rock songs myself,' he says. 'Also, having her around means I have someone to share my feelings with.'

The biggest problem they have faced so far in their nascent career: singing softly.

Referring to Straw Ring, the only ballad in the album, which they took the longest to record, Huang says: 'We had to record the song so many times before we were satisfied with it. We are so used to singing rock songs that it was quite difficult for us to adapt to a love ballad.'

» Y2J's debut album, Live For You, is out in stores now.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Nov 17, 2008.