About to Pop: Shontelle

Who: Shontelle
Album: 'Shontelligence'
Single: 'T-Shirt'
Hails From: St. James, Barbados
For Fans Of: Rihanna and Beyonce

Why She's About to Pop: Shontelle, born Shontelle Layne, spent her high school years as a top student, a skilled athlete and a remarkable singer. While her musical talents became her ultimate focus, the Barbados native also kept school a top priority. Shontelle later enrolled in the University of the West Indies to pursue a degree in entertainment law, while honing her songwriting skills for top artists in the Caribbean. In 2005, producers Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken discovered Shontelle when they heard a song she had written on a Bajan radio station. Much to their surprise, they found out that the songwriter was also a talent in her own right and signed her to their label, SRP Records. Now the 23-year-old beauty is poised to make her mark with her debut album, 'Shontelligence,' featuring the addictive singles 'Battle Cry' and 'T-Shirt.' Shontelle is currently on a radio tour around the U.S.

What inspired the songs on your record?

My life, more or less -- things I see around me or things I experience. I wanted the album to truly reflect my personality and also to be the voice of so many people who feel the same way I do about about so many things. It's a cool combo of a guilty pleasure and a reality check -- an escape for everyone who can relate.

What's your favorite song on the record?

I'm so attached to 'Shontelligence' because I did so much writing on it, so all the songs are like my babies. But I'd have to say 'Roll' really has a special place in my books because it's the song that caught the industry's attention and made them notice me, and led to my record deal. It's always fun to perform and the coolest thing about it is that it showcases the local sounds of Barbados. That's like our club music -- a fusion of soca, pop, dancehall and hip-hop. Though it's a very fun song; the lyrics are very positive. It's a female empowerment anthem, a necessary global theme.

If you could have any musician's career other than your own, whose would it be?

Alicia Keys'. She's the greatest, solid. She's much more than a triple threat. She's doing everything I hope to accomplish in my career. Being Bob Marley must have been pretty awesome, too.

What did you think life as a musician would be like when you first started out and how does it compare to what it's really like for you now?

It's a lot like I expected. I knew I wanted to do this so I would pay close attention to artists and all the behind-the-scenes details, and watch their documentaries and read their exclusive interviews. I wanted to know what I was getting myself into. I also asked many questions, so I think I had a pretty good sense of what to expect. I was fairly in touch with all the ups and downs. My aunt, Kim Derrick, is also an artist and so are many of my friends, but actually living it is tougher than it looks. There's no amount of preparation that can be enough for this ride. Luckily for me, though, it's been a fun one.

Buy the album from Amazon