Last Saturday the audience at Tanger Outlets witnessed quite a treat. International pop star Shontelle, performed a free concert for her adoring fans.
It was a fantastic concert as Shontelle lit up the stage with a slew of hits ranging from her early work such as, “T-Shirt” to her international smash hit “Impossible”. The fans took in every moment of it. Even some of her Barbados brethren came out to support her.
Decked out in her limited edition Rodrigo Otazu hat and jewelry, she definitely fit the part of a diva. Her outfit was equally spectacular as it was a one piece body suit that seemed to be custom designed just for her.
As Shontelle said in an interview backstage, “This jewelry is very special. He (Rodrigo) does jewelry for so many people and this hat is one of a kind. He does jewelry for Lady Gaga and Rihanna, so it’s a really cool piece.”
The hat and rings were some pieces of artwork as well. The hat was a fully bedazzled out, military style hat with reflective silver going all around it. However there was a bit of a bigger meaning behind the style of her hat.
“I was in the military back in Barbados,” she remarked. “I was actually an officer. Not many people know, but I was also the drill Sergeant for Rihanna.”
Not to scare us too much, she went on to say, “I think that’s how I got my powerful voice. Yelling and screaming really helps build your diaphragm.”
That diaphragm definitely came in handy when it was time to perform. The show started with her DJ getting the crowd of eager listeners ready for her. He played a couple of club hits, but then it was time for the real star to shine.
Immediately the crowd burst into cheers as their favorite pop star strutted up the stairs in bright red high heels to the stage. After talking for a fewIMG 29941 300×269 Shontelle Performs at Tanger Outlets in Deer Park moments to her fans and the people of Barbados that came, she broke out into her powerful song “Perfect Nightmare”. The crowd went crazy and the band was jamming out as she broke into the great chorus. She was really able to connect with her fans who knew every word. Between the lighting of the day and feeling of the song, it truly was a great moment. She heard and looked like a diva in the making.
Shontelle said of performing, “It feels good to be able to perform my music after so many hours of work in the studio. I love crafting music. This is definitely the best part though, when you get to see it all come together. The fans singing and everything, it’s great.
After she concluded the exciting ending to “Perfect Nightmare” she asked the audience, “Does anyone remember my first hit?”
A group of excited girls screamed out, “T-Shirt! T-Shirt!” Shontelle responded with a resounding yes and then took off her into sleek and smooth single “T-Shirt”. The crowd all joined in to sing the upbeat yet sullen chorus about Jimmy Choo’s and being left alone.
Shontelle also showed off a bit of diversity that no one was expecting in the audience. Before going into her final number, she gave the audience her own rendition of “Man Down”; the hit song that she co-wrote with Rihanna. All of a sudden she broke into a Caribbean styled flow that gave a whole new meaning to the original song. It was like a final connecting piece was put in about the song.
Her best performance of the night came next. We all had to wait to the very end to hear it. She announced the song by saying jokingly, “And now the moment you have all been waiting for…“Impossible”.
Shontelle blew everyone away with her powerful vocals. We were really able to feel the song and the lyrics. The chorus was the best part as she let go and belted out the famous chorus heard around the world. It was a special moment for her and everyone there. In that moment it didn’t matter if she was singing in front of hundreds of fans or in her backyard, she really left it all on the stage.
It was a great performance all around. Shontelle really shined and showed that there are two strong women from Barbados in the music business today. As it turns out though, there was one other diva she got valuable information from.
Shontelle gave us a bit of a secret she picked up when touring with superstar Beyonce. She said “It was really cool to watch her perform every night. It really showed me how to be a strong, female singer. It’s really interesting to see how she interacts with her audience and how her audience kind of resembles her. I got to watch how to really be a diva. She brings it every night, one of the best. I learned how to win.”
That definitely showed last Saturday as everyone around Tanger Outlets was able to hear her voice from the stage to the parking lot. Shontelle has really grown as an artist and a performer. With her third album on the way, she is definitely poised for big things ahead.
Source: SpotonLi Magazine
