The mellow sounds of Abdul may have been the result of a bitter break-up but the singer thanks a subsequent friendship with a girl for giving him the strength to release his first solo album. "She was the one who eased my pain and cured my broken heart," recalls the 27-year-old singer. "But even so we never ended up going out." The many twists and turns in life are evident on his 2007 album "Bersandinglah." The musician moves between jazz and pop as he takes the listener on a melancholy journey that echoes the sounds of his idols John Mayer and Sting. And like his idols, Abdul tries to lift spirits while firmly keeping his feet on the ground.