Shontelle Layne (born October 4, 1985), known professionally as Shontelle, is an R&B singer-songwriter from Barbados. She released her debut album Shontelligence in November 2008. Her second album, No Gravity, was released in September 2010. Shontelle Layne was born on October 4, 1985, in Saint James, Barbados, to Raymond and Beverley Layne, the oldest of three sisters. Shontelle has stated that she was highly athletic when she was young, participating in track & field while excelling in school. Shontelle's aunt, Kim Derrick, a Caribbean singer, encouraged her to pursue singing. While in high school, Shontelle participated in a group called Cadets in which she was a drill sergeant over Rihanna, which sprouted a friendship.
Shontelle later became a student of entertainment law at Harrison College. She attended the University of the West Indies campus in Barbados and was on her way to becoming a lawyer when Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers heard "Roll It Gal" on the radio, a song that Shontelle had co-written for Alison Hinds, a fellow Bajan artist. This prompted the two to find her to create a cover version of the song, but later brought her to the US in.