Yes... but aren't these two boys products of Singapore Idol?
They are so-called artistes because of the Singapore Idol show, without which they would probably still be unknowns.
Taufik and Hady, I believe, released albums and are managed by the very same record company that have direct dealings with the Idol franchise, and as it has been said here time and again - these two artistes have little control over their image as singers and performers.
Besides, your definition of things (like a 'Singaporean singing star') might be different from what others perceive, isn't it? Everyone's expectations are different right...?
Before we go 'off-topic', I'd say that personally say that there are definitely Singaporeans who can sing, and with a high degree of proficiency too.
Just that Taufik Batisah and Hady Mirza have more than just that singing ability.
They appeal to a wide range of audience, they have the ability to perform and engage audience, they carry the image that their recording companies want fairly well, and one of them is deemed appealing enough to endorse big brand names and be a spokesperson for their products.
Their less than glittery record sales is just part of the story, but somehow is relevant to the topic of why the Singapore music scene is not really flourishing - Singaporeans don't really value locally produced music that much, and it will stay that way for a while.
But we can all do ourselves a favor by finding out a little bit more about this thing we call 'music' because music isn't just about performing and singing and all that - without the business side of music, there ain't gonna be much music at all, right?
So, let's not brush things off just anyhow and stop and actually read what's being written.
Lots of people just come in and go ehhh.. what's going on, stop trolling, stop whining, go back to the topic when IF you read through (or at least skim through) - you'd see that it's all interconnected.