Álex Ubago (born January 29, 1981) is a Spanish singer-songwriter. He is especially known for his heartfelt voice and his ballads. He rose to stardom in 2001, when he appeared as a guest on the smash hit TV show Operación Triunfo, Spain's Pop Idol, and was acclaimed as one of the few artists that managed to be popular and sell records outside the Operación Triunfo phenomenon, in a year where the contenders of this show monopolized Spanish charts. (Ubago was not himself a contestant on the program). His rise to fame was gradual and slow. At first, his debut album (que pides tu) didn't sell much.