Gareth Gates' detractors claim the original Pop Idol runner-up is washed up and will be dropped from his label this year.
But Garethmania has never been so high. Today he's in Singapore at Suntec City Mall doing an autograph session.
Tomorrow he'll celebrate Valentine's Day at the MTV Asia awards battling to be favourite male against Eminem, Robbie Williams, Justin Timberlake and Ricky Martin.
On Tuesday he's back in London at the Brit Awards where his single Spirit in the Sky is up for best British single.
And on February 28 he kickstarts his debut solo tour at Glasgow's SECC.
Not bad for the lad from Bradford who is only 19.
The trouble started when his second album Go Your Own Way only charted at number 11 last September.
This was compounded when the first Pop Idol winner Will Young's comeback single Leave Right Now went straight in at number one in November and his second album Friday's Child went to number one in December.
But Gareth said: 'I didn't feel disappointed. I am really proud of the album. I put 110 per cent into it and a lot of the tracks are co-writes which is first step in the direction I want to go.'
And Will's success?
Gareth said: 'I'm not jealous, I'm happy for him.'
It's perhaps wrong to judge Will and Gareth together. Will won Pop Idol, studied politics at university and is 24.
He appeals to a different audience and let's be fair, his version of The Doors' Light My Fire, is far worse than any of Gareth's covers.
