Mark Subramaniam took his performing moniker Bonafide from the days when he and the first Singapore Idol winner Taufik Batisah - his schoolmate at the Boon Lay Primary and Jurong Secondary schools - performed as R&B/hip-hop duo Bonafide.
While both of them have since focused on their solo careers, they have remained firm friends.
Subramaniam, 36, said: "We both evolved in our own ways, we explored different styles and genres of music, which is very important for every musician.
"But every time we come together to work on something or even talk about ideas, we would always be in sync. We are fans of each other's work and that keeps me inspired as well."
While his music career might not have been as prominent as Taufik's, his body of work in the last 10 years have won acclaim. His solo debut album, The Bonafide Experience (2009), spawned a single, Later2nite, that topped local music charts, while another tune, So Bonafide, won the Compass Song of the Year award in 2010.
The upbeat, funky and club-ready pop sounds of singer Mark Bonafide's new album - #LVRBL which is stylised vernacular for Love Rebel - belie the sombre nature of the themes running throughout the release.
It is not just his take on "loving on your own terms", but also on the darker side of relationships and romance.
The songs in his new album have been getting attention for a while now, most notably the first single U Thought, which features guest vocals from Taufik.
Subramaniam has also been busy taking his music outside of Singapore, performing in countries such as Russia and India.
As an ambassador for music streaming service Guvera, he is also currently in Vietnam to work on songs with other music-makers from around the world.
Like his idol Prince, he is always looking to redefine himself and his music.
He said: "I'll never stop learning how to find my own voice, sound, look and how to evolve and switch things up without losing the essence of who I am as an artist."
Watch more and connect with Mark Bonafide
Website: http://mark-bonafide.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markbonafidemusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/markbonafide
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