By Michael Hubbard BBC News

Ainslie was a popular Academy pupil

He should be encouraged by Pop Idol's Zoe Birkett, who has proved chart success is still possible despite missing out on the TV stakes.

Keep Me A Secret, his debut single, is a world away from the recent bland, middle-of-the-road offering from the Academy's eventual winner David Sneddon.

It reminds us that it was always Ainslie who injected life into the Academy, and whose music seemed the most distinctive and engaging.

Ainslie's TV performances, including his especially energetic take on The Pretenders' Don't Get Me Wrong, gathered the playful and charming 23-year-old Scot legions of fans.

More hooks

Obvious comparisons with The Cure's Robert Smith are borne out on Keep Me A Secret - from Ainslie's vowel sounds to his breathing, it's all there.

The song itself reminds of The Cure's Friday I'm In Love, albeit with a few more hooks.

Can David follow up his first hit single?

Yet Ainslie's vocals sound sincere, full of energy and - crucially - individual, when compared to those of his contemporaries.

Fellow Academy students Malachi and Sinead (fresh from her own chart success) offer able assistance with backing vocals.

Sinead even gets out her mandolin and adds some welcome and effective twinkles, giving the track a distinctive Celtic tinge.

Keep Me A Secret has already appeared on the Fame Academy album, but this reworking is definitely edgier.

Harking back

It comes backed with Don't Get Me Wrong, which serves to remind us of Ainslie's best Academy performance, and it will delight his fans.

A third track, Take Out Time, gives vent to big, dirty guitar sounds and a catchy chorus, harking back to early U2 minus The Edge's guitars in its exuberance.

It is a curious choice for a B-side - for with Ainslie's voice at its most distinctive and powerful, it's good enough to be a single.

Keep Me A Secret shows Ainslie as a star in his own right, and one who can shake off the reality TV badge on his way to deserved success.

Keep Me A Secret is out on Mercury Records on February 24.