Finally, the full interview from Shontelle’s recent appearance on FuseTV has surfaced. Watch the above 3 part video to find out the story behind her hit single “Impossible”, it’s success, songwriting and more! If you missed the photos from this day, click here to check them out.

WJFX-FM / HOT 107.9 recently held their second annual “Downtown Street Party” free concert event which took place in Downtown Fort Wayne, this past Saturday (August 28th). Watch the performance clips of “No Gravity”, “Perfect Nightmare” and “Impossible”, below.

Interviews & pictures coming soon!

If things had gone a little differently, Shontelle might perhaps have been Beatweek’s attorney instead of our cover girl. The songwriter had almost finished law school when the music industry discovered she could sing too – and now that her hit song “Impossible” has spent most of 2010 near the top of the charts, her new album is set to drop next month. The Barbados native tells us all about where she came from and where she’s headed…

Shontelle Layne’s new album is less than a month away from release, and yet she’s been in the studio working on it as recently as the day before we speak – something of a surprise, seeing as how the not-yet-finished album entitled No Gravity has already generated the biggest hit single of her career. The artist who had until this year been best known for her early hit “T-Shirt“ is now even more closely associated with the ballad “Impossible.” The song’s overwhelming success over the past several months makes it seem like an obvious choice for a single in hindsight, but that decision wasn’t so clear at the time.

“To tell you the truth,” Shontelle says as her pet dog Bubbles enters the room, “Impossible for us was a big gamble because when we released it everything on the radio was just up tempo four on the floor stuff, a lot of dance type stuff. And we were like, there’s a high possibility that this song will get swallowed up by all that. And so we were just hoping that the opposite would happen where it just stood out as a very strong song with a real message.”

As it turns out, the gamble has paid off, as the song still sits among the top twenty pop songs in iTunes nearly half a year after its release. But that hasn’t stopped the overachiever in her from continuing to try to improve No Gravity right up until the point where “you have to, today, submit a tracklisting.” The late sessions with producer Rodney Jerkins, whom she says she “always wanted to work with,” ultimately generate what is about to become the album’s next single, Perfect Nightmare. The song threatens to be a ballad for its first minute, but ultimately explodes into a dance-friendly number.

(Read more…)

Shaking off the T-Shirt tag may be as much of a struggle for Shontelle as proving that she and countrywoman Rihanna are actually friends, but with the 24-year-old’s new single ‘Impossible’ a certified hit across the pond, we gave her a call to find out how she fancies her chances of repeating the feat over here.

Congratulations on your success with ‘Impossible’ in the US.
“Thank you so much. First of all, I love Digital Spy and I check the site all the time! Oh my gosh though, the single’s success is great because it’s really challenging breaking the US. It’s probably more challenging than breaking anywhere else, so going top ten is pretty exciting for me.”

Did you know the song would be a hit when you first heard it?
“You know, I knew it had potential but there are so many things that go together to make a song work – from the artist to the timing to having some luck! There are so many different factors, but I just really hoped people would like the way I deliver the song… and luckily it seems they did!”

Have you heard rumours that it was turned down by both Leona and Rihanna’s teams?
“You know, I’ve heard those rumours, though I’ve never had them confirmed. I don’t know for sure, but I’m really glad I recorded it!”

What’s the inspiration behind the song? Can you relate to it personally?
“Yeah, I’m literally living it right now myself. Sometimes you’re in love and it doesn’t work out and it breaks your heart – especially when it’s a person you never saw that coming from, someone you thought could be The One. I think everyone has a heartbreak story and I definitely can relate.”

And the video – it tells that story really well.
“Thank you. When we were thinking about the video, we thought about how the economy’s been crap of late, labels are cutting budgets because no-one’s buying music, and lots of videos aren’t how they used to be. You know how they’d be like mini-movies and tell a full story? We wanted to accomplish that with ‘Impossible’ and I think the director, TAJ Stansberry, did a great job.”

Of course, Lady GaGa is a big fan of the mini-movie style videos you mention. Would you be keen to make your own nine-minute promo?
“Oh my gosh, if I had that kind of budget, I’d do it too! I remember Michael Jackson’s videos used to be like that. MC Hammer too – you’d never forget his videos! Who knows, maybe we can get back to those days?”

(Read more…)

When pop singer Shontelle decided to get some new ink, she wanted to get something that would make her feel a little closer to home.

The Impossible singer made a little trip to famous tattoo artist Kat Von D’s High Voltage Tattoo shop to have a new tattoo done earlier this year and it was all captured on TLC’s LA Ink.

Shon’s tattoo of choice was the broken trident seen on the flag of her home island, Barbados. The singer also uses the trident in her logo and says it is important and special to her.

“I’ve had to move away from Barbados and I really miss home,” Shontelle said while explaining her artwork decision. “So I kind of just wanted to get a tattoo that is paying homage to my home.”

Watch Shontelle’s feature in L.A Ink below

Special thanks to Neonlimelight & of course Trelly!

R&B songstress Shontelle Layne shares how her summer hit single “Impossible,” relates to the idea of heartbreak and in her own life.

“I’m literally living the lyrics right now,” said Ms. Layne at Cosmopolitan’s Summer Friday Party.

“I had the best boyfriend ever growing up in Barbados. We were together forever and we were like, ‘This is it, we know that there is nobody else better.’ We tried to make it work but, less than two months ago, what we thought was impossible was going to have to happen. Because of the distance we went our separate ways.”

Ms. Layne, who lives in Westchester, to get “as much of an island life as possible,” went on, “Sometimes I get little moments when I’m performing it, but so many fans tell me on Twitter and Facebook that they can personally relate, so it’s therapeutic.”

“Impossible” has been an unexpected success for Ms. Layne. “I thought that I was probably going to get swallowed up on the radio. I hoped that it would touch people, and it has,” she said. “You know not everyone out there is happy. Some people are really sad.”

Source: WallStreetJournal

In the final installment (Part 3) of Shontelle’s mini series called ‘Uncovered’, she talks about “Say Hello To Goodbye”, her love for Alicia Keys and meaning behind the title of her new album NO GRAVITY (due to release September 14th).

PART 1 / PART 2 / PART 3

Written by Leigh Belz of TeenVouge:

Last year I had the honor of getting lunch with singer Shontelle Layne to talk about her big song “Stuck With Each Other” (featuring Akon).

Since then, the Barbados-born beauty has hit the top of the charts again with the uberballad “Impossible.” (It’s been on my ‘Walk to Work” playlist for the past few months, which may have resulted in some really scared tourists in Times Square the other day.) Shontelle’s second album, No Gravity, is due out at the end of this month.

When we first met in 2009, I was impressed by her dedication/obsession with Twitter. And she’s still going strong. I asked Shontelle to give me a crash course in tweeting. Here’s what she had to say:

How long have you been on Twitter?
I joined Twitter two years ago, I believe.

How many tweets do you generally send out each day?
LOL! Well . . . according to TweetStats.com, I, @Shontelle_Layne, tweet on average, 57 times per day. #TWIDDICTED! They tried to make me go to to Tweehab, I said NO! NO! NO! o.O <= (see I even type like I’m tweeting now . . . sigh . . . v_v)

Who are some of the people you follow?
I follow over 200 people now. Mostly artists I admire or that interest me. I follow whoever is a hot topic at the moment. I just like to know what’s going on in the world around me. Keeps me sharp! I follow news, blogs, fans, fan sites, labelmates, producers, friends, magazines. It’s all usually either entertainment, art, radio stations, or fashion- or geek-related. (Yes, I’m a BIG, FAT GEEK! I read comics, watch anime, and play video games, and I’m proud!) I also follow a few charities I support.

What’s the secret to a coming up with a good Tweet?
Not sure if there’s any secret. The purpose of my Twitter is to update my followers with stuff THEY want. I use it to inspire and motivate my followers as much as I can. I tweet tour dates, pics, vids, words of wisdom, things like that. Sometimes I do #FollowFridays play around with the funny Trending Topics games. I love my followers so much! They rock my socks! They LOVE twitpics! They don’t care if it’s what I’m eating for lunch or dinner or if it’s my ride or my fashion. They just want to know what’s up. That’s why they are following. So I let them know what’s up!

What’s your favorite abbreviation (like LOL or OMG or BTW . . .)?
I use OMG and LOL a lot but LMFAO is my favorite abbreviation actually! #pottymouth IKR! ROFLis also a fave of mine but I’m more known for silly smileys like =>, \(^)_(^)/, ZzZZz[(-.-)]zZZzZ, VVO.OVV, o.O, \(O.o)/, \(*.*)/, “\(^.^)/”, *\($.$)/*, d(-_-)b, \(0)_(0)/ and last, but not least . . . O__o Sigh . . . clearly this is an FML situation!

Do you feel closer to your fans thanks to Twitter?
Oh, I’m so happy Twitter exists! I’ve never felt closer to my fans. Some of them have become like friends and family. I make music for them, so being in touch with them lets me know what they want so I can deliver it. I do a lot of Ustreams with them and I use Twitter to round them up. I do the same to let them know I’m about to play Mario Kart Wii so they can log into theirs too and we race eachother in WFC mode. So AMAZING! It shows them that I care about them. I know they care about me, and basically I use Twitter to reciprocate.

Source: TeenVogue

Looking for music to pump you up, inspire you and sing along to? That’s the kind of music that R&B star Shontelle makes and her new album No Gravity will make you feel lighter than air. Seventeen Magazinecaught up with Shontelle to find out all about growing up in Barbados, her first big heartbreak and the celebrity crush you’ll surely relate to!

Cosmogirl: When did you start singing?

Shontelle: I started singing right out of the womb! My mom and aunt are singers as well. My entire family is very musical. Almost all the kids play some kind of instrument, sing, dance or write. I was always around my aunt’s band growing up and I always knew I wanted to do the same thing. But it was when my grandmother starting showing me documentaries about Michael Jackson growing up, that I really knew I wanted to do that. I wanted to be just like him. Make people so happy they cry. Give them hope. Make them think. I always wanted to heal the world…

CG: Who do you consider your first big influence?

Shontelle: I really do think Michael Jackson was the first star to really hit me in a major way, where I saw myself doing what he was doing. Thanks Gran Gran! But after watching Disney’s The Little Mermaid, I really more than ever before, wanted to be “part of that world.” I really wanted to be Ariel, tail and all. But I also grew up watching my aunt perform and all the other local acts from Barbados as well.

I always listened to my parents’ Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder albums and they listened to a lot of Motown music like Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye and legends like Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Prince, Madonna, Donny Hathaway, my favorite voice ever, and Ella Fitzgerald. We also loved Bob Marley and The Beatles. Stuff like that. My first record was – well actually I got two at the same time as a gift from my aunt. Usher “My Way” and Brandy “Never Say Never.” The first album I ever bought was The Fugees “The Score.” Good stuff right?

CG: What was growing up in Barbados like?

Shontelle: Growing up Barbados isn’t much different than growing up anywhere in America, except that Barbados is a tropical paradise in the Caribbean. We do all the same things that kids anywhere else do. We live on MySpace and Facebook, text like maniacs, go to the movies, play the latest video games, watch MTV, FUSE and BET, go clubbing, have barbecues, beach parties, go to school, go to concerts, go on dates, get into trouble, obsess over celebrities and fashion. We love sports and probably know just as much about the NBA as kids in America.

(Read more…)

Check out these videos above and below of Allison Hagendorf’s (host on Fuse TV) thoughts on R&B/Pop songstress Shontelle as an “empowering woman” – making her FuseTV’s “Pick of the Week” and their brief behind the scenes interview before filming a Fuse Top 20 episode. Find out Shontelle’s favorite music and watch her singing a bit of “System of a Down” for fun!

In this second of a three-part series called ‘Uncovered’, Shontelle shares advice on how to chase your dreams and talks about her single “Impossible“, stardom and the future.

If you missed Part 1, CLICK HERE to watch it!

Shontelle took time out of her busy schedule today offering to be a special guest on the TeamHIVAIDS‘ live radio blog show once again (previous appearance back in 2009), where listeners from anywhere in the world can call in and share their thoughts on HIV/AIDS.

These young teenager AIDS activists are the founders of their own movement called “T.E.A.M” (Teens Empowering Awareness Movement) just trying to make a difference, encouraging people all over the world to get tested and take care of themselves.

GET TESTED. TELL A FRIEND. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.

Cages in album artwork are having the best year ever. Teen queen Miley Cyrus got trapped in one on the cover of her single, “Can’t Be Tamed,” and now pop star Shontelle is utilizing her own personal jail on the cover of her sophomore album, No Gravity, out August 24.

But don’t go thinking Shontelle is a copy cat. Turns out, as we learned when we chatted with her last week, the cover was in the works long before Miley thought of it — and long before Shon even had a name for her album.

With a title picked out and a chart-scorcher of a single in the form of the strikingly gorgeous pop ballad “Impossible,” Shontelle is ready to break free and show the world what she has to offer.

See what Shon told Neon Limelight about shooting the album cover, not being afraid that her album comes out the same day as Katy Perry’s, and the “unbelievable” success of “Impossible” in their exclusive interview below.

Neon Limelight: Tell me about this hot album cover! What was the concept?

Shontelle: The concept is pretty interesting because when we were — I didn’t even have a name for my album yet when we did the photoshoot.

NL: Oh wow.

Shontelle: It was kind of like, [SRC Records head] Steve Rifkind and [Universal Motown's] Sylvia Rhone, they were like ‘you need to start shooting something now because we know when we want to get your album out, we gotta package it,’ blah blah blah and I’m like I don’t know what I’m doing! [laughs] And they’re like ‘just think of something!’ So I just thought about how I want to portray myself or what is it that I want people to see. I thought OK, it’s cool for people to just see me and see photos of me, but I sort of know that fans want a lot more than that. They want you to be creative for them, they want you to spark their imagination or something. They want you to provoke them in some way, you know.

They want to feel something when they look at photos of you. So I thought, what do I want to feel like? Then I thought about the song I have, “Superwoman,” and said, you know what, let’s just do a photoshoot that makes me look like a superhero. I just thought, I don’t know how we’re going to do this, but don’t be cheesy and don’t make it obvious. Like, I don’t want to be in a cape or in spandex or anything. [laughs] But I was just like just make me look like I could be an action figure or something, so that was sort of what we were going for. We just did a photo shoot to portray me almost as if I was different types of action figures or like heros or characters or different sides of me.

I chose the photo that’s on the cover because I just felt that…I know the label was pressuring me, they wanted me to have an image that had my face in it, and to me, that was just seemed like, even though it looked like I was in a cage, it almost looks like the cage is floating and there’s like no gravity. The look on my face and my body language is like ‘I’m still coming for you, world. Nothing’s gonna stop me. Not even these bars.’

That was just an amazing day. I was so excited. When I saw them bring out that cage I was like no way! This is so awesome! I was like no one’s done this, no one’s been in a cage…and along comes Miley [Cyrus]. [laughs] How dare you copy me, Miley! Oh well! It happens!

NL: Cages are having the best year ever.

Shontelle: Yeah! That’s what a lot of people have been saying. We realized cages have been kind of a thing. Maybe everyone is feeling trapped in some way and everyone’s just trying to break out.

(Read more…)

As if Shontelle’s catchy song “T-Shirt” wasn’t hard enough to get out of your head just two summers ago, her newest single, “Impossible,” is a ballad that’s worth singing along to as well. The singer stopped by the J-14 office where she chatted about her upcoming album, touring with Beyoncé, and her friendship with fellow Barbados native Rihanna.

J-14: What’s the story behind your single “Impossible”?
Shontelle: First of all, I really felt like ballads were missing from radio for a minute, and I knew that there was no song out there for heartbroken people. I just wanted to put a song out that gave people hope — things may not work out the way you want them to, but you can move past it and everything is gonna be okay.

I know that a lot of people have a similar story and sometimes you need to feel like you’re not alone. I knew that I might have to tell embarrassing stories about myself, but I might help someone realize, ‘Okay, if Shontelle can figure it out, then I’ll be alright.’ It’s not the end of the world — you can move on, and this is song is going to help you find the strength somehow.

J-14: When did you realize that you might have to break up with the boy you’re singing about in the song?
Shontelle: You get tired of hearing people. A big part of why you hurt when someone cheats on you or when you break up is because everyone is going to find out. You’re always going be embarrassed when someone betrays you like that or you’re walking around blind.

You feel really stupid because you feel like here I am walking around like, ‘I have this hot boy and everything is all good,’ and then he’s really not there and you’re looking really stupid, giving everything to this person who really isn’t giving their all to you. It’s very embarrassing.

J-14: Is it true that you wanted to go for more of a rock vibe on the new album?
Shontelle: A lot of people wouldn’t think that this — I am this girl who grew up in Barbados — but I listened to so much rock music growing up. Green Day is one of my favorite bands! I’m very much influenced by that music. People don’t really know that rock spawned from reggae and ska and all that music that is so natural to us where I’m from, so I feel like it’s just a natural attraction that makes me want to infuse it into my music.

My album has a lot more drums and guitars now — the last one had a lot of piano. It’s a little known fact about me that I play the drums, so I really love rhythm and bass. I like messing around with “Empire State of Mind” or “Umbrella,” those sorts of beats where it’s very simple but so catchy and they just make you move and want to dance.

(Read more…)

You may have heard this ubiquitous song, “Impossible,” that is tearing up the Billboard charts, by the West Indian singer, Shontelle, who is a prolific songwriter and talented singer whose story is not a typical one. First, she attended a “Cadets” camp where she was a drill sergeant over someone you may have heard of, Rihanna. As a teenager, her family was not keen on her pursuing a career in the music industry and so Shontelle decided to attend the University of the West Indies where she pursued a degree in Entertainment law.

Soon after, she started crafting songs for a number of top Caribbean artists, all while attending the University. Producers Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken of SRP Records , who had discovered Rihanna in Barbados and brought her to the world stage, heard one of her songs on a Bajan radio station and felt that it had international hit potential. Soon after, she signed with Universal Music. I had a chance to speak with Shontelle about impossible dreams, touring with BEYONCE (Yup, you read that right), her beauty/style secrets and her advice for anyone with a dream.

I’m obsessed with your hit song “Impossible.” Congrats as its climbing the Billboard charts…tell us how this track came about. Also, “Licky,” is a really sexy song… both are really different so tell us how these songs came about.
When I first heard “Impossible,” I lost my mind. I heard the demo and was like, almost intimidated because I was like…I’m such a new artist. All I have is the song, “T-shirt,” and are they going to accept me for doing a big song? I knew I had the potential to do it so I went straight to the LA studio and recorded it. For a song this big, I have to bring AAA game.

Well, I had the best teacher for 2 months because I had just toured with Beyonce and she’s amazing. “Licky” was the track I did with Sean Garrett and DJ Franky. I had so much fun touring since my first album that I just wanted to be risky, not crazy, just risky. The vibe is all about the summer, clubs, and singing a hook that’s catchy. I just was like..this is about having fun. We made an awesome video and we could be cliche and put this in an ice cream parlor or just rock out crazy outfits and go over the top. But we went being a Fierce Diva..snapping your fingers. Being fierce.

Very cool. So..you toured with Beyonce. Do tell.
She is the Queen. Epic. She embodies what I’d like to become as an artist because she’s not just beautiful on the outside. She is just a sweet, genuine person and really disciplined. A truly powerful woman. She’s works hard, has endless talent, and is really driven. That’s how I’d like to be. Women like Alicia Keys, Beyonce, and Mary J. Blige who have overcome odds, but they remain strong and grounded.

Seriously. So, do you hate the constant comparisons to Rihanna or do you not mind it? It’s obviously because you’re both talented female artists from Barbados. What are your thoughts?
Luckily no one has asked me in a way that offended me. It doesn’t bother me. I mean, you expect that. It’s natural that it would happen. It’s your right of passage, you know, being compared to previous artists. How can I connect with this? It’s a double edged sword. But I like Rihanna and I’m so proud of her that she’s doing well. She’s the shit and she’s doing so great. I expect it and understand it.

(Read more…)