On the 9th year of remembrance of R&B superstar Aaliyah, Billboard’s The Juice interviewed  Shontelle on her thoughts and views on the missed singer.

Shontelle:

“I could see so much of myself in her because she had this tomboy, tough-girl image but at the same time she was very soft and feminine. Her vocals were very light but at the same time her lyrics were so engaging. They always touch your soul. Aaliyah just had this magic combination, everything that most women aspire to be, that softness but still strength. The way that she lost her life, it was shocking. It almost feels like it would only be something like that that could take someone like Aaliyah away from us because she was so strong.”

Source: Billboard

“I wrote it from the heart….” echoes in my mind as I reflect on chatting with Shontelle. The 23-year-old Bajan singer is full of life, full of creativity, and above all passionate about her craft. Courted by every executive imagineable, strategy more than anything is what she applied to the decision of which label to let house her project. When it was all said and done, music mogul Steve Rifkin was the choice, along with the Motown/Universal umbrella. You can never go wrong with legends, and that is what Shontelle wants to be. There’s an honesty about her, about her music along with a drive and a willingness to be calculated.

On the heels of highly touted single “Impossible,” Shontelle is back with another offering, “Say Hello To Goodbye,” an ode to acceptance. In a world of oversaturation, it is becoming increasingly hard to believe that there are still those who embody the word authentic. Well let us help you with that as we present to you the chance to know an artist who is just that. So Parlé with us, as we bring to you…Shontelle

Parlé Magazine: At what age did you realize your musical talents?
Shontelle: It took a long time for me to realize the so-called talent, if you would. It was always something I did for fun. I would re-write little jingles and nursery rhymes, or the hook to Sesame Street as I child. At school the cheerleaders would ask me to write things for them as well. It wasn’t until professionals, people in the industry started asking me to write for them that I took it serious and thought of it as a talent.

Parlé: Your aunt is one of your biggest musical influences correct? How has she impacted your decision to follow your dreams?
Shontelle: Yes, my aunt is Kim Derrick, a very popular artist from Barbados. I grew up watching her and always wanted to emulate. Everything from watching her record, perform, rehearse, the works. I knew it was something I wanted to do. As far as impact she always gave me the advice that I should do what makes me happy and not listen to the non believers. She said I cant go on being unhappy as a result of not pursuing music. While others tried to get me to go other routes she inspired me to be true to my heart.

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If it’s difficult to imagine Rihanna taking orders from a drill sergeant, just ask her friend, the R&B singer Shontelle. ELLE spoke with Shontelle Thursday night at a cocktail party in the flagship Soho store of GUESS by Marciano, which benefited the Joffrey Ballet School.

“I was actually Rihanna’s drill sergeant,” said Shontelle. “It was fun; we were both in Cadets Corp together in Barbados. I’ve actually made her ‘drop and give me ten’! Cadets is almost like R.O.T.C. but it’s voluntary and for both males and females. Can you imagine Rihanna dressed in camouflage fatigues and boots?”

Shontelle, who was dressed not in camouflage but in a leopard GUESS dress, recorded her platinum single, “Impossible,” (which reached no. 13 on Billboard’s Hot 100) on her second studio album, No Gravity, in 2010. Bruno Mars and No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal, who produced No Gravity on the Universal Motown label, are currently working with Shontelle on her upcoming album, along with R&B artists Jackie Boyz and hip-hop production duo The Runners (who produced Rihanna’s “California King Bed”).

“I’ve been writing songs since I was a little girl,” said Shontelle. “Friends of mine asked if I could write some songs for them, which is how I first got into it. I wrote a song for another local artist, back home in Barbados – she’s known as the queen of the calypso/soca music world – and the song blew up and got onto the club scene, worldwide. People started calling me: ‘we heard that you wrote this song; someone told us you can also sing.’ So I ended up doing all these auditions and showcases; then Motown asked me to stay with them.”

Shontelle, who lives in midtown Manhattan, told us about writing Rihanna’s “Man Down.” “When Rihanna was working on her new album, she called and said, ‘Dude, I’m working on this song. I’d like you to come and help me write it.’ She was on tour, at her show at the Nokia Theater on Jones Beach. She works really hard, so she literally got off the stage and went straight onto the studio bus and we did the song there. It’s her new single, so I’m excited.”

Shontelle would probably appreciate The Joffrey School of Ballet’s program, described as “advanced ballet boot camp” on their website.

Source: Elle Magazine Online