INTERNATIONAL recording star and singer of the Billboard hot 100 hit singles T-Shirt and the current runaway smash Impossible, Shontelle Layne, will be the headline act at Pulse’s Caribbean Model Search finals on September 5 in the Wyndham Kingston ballroom. The Bajan singer-songwriter will headline a cast of international entertainers, celebrities and supermodels who will be part of one of the Caribbean’s ultimate fashion experiences as Pulse looks to find its next superstar models.

So far, more than 500 contestants have entered the Search and that number will be reduced to a group of finalists ahead of the event. The live event will be followed by multiple TV reality series for standard and full-figure new faces. However, Pulse is still looking for that special face, so entry to the event remains open. Model hopefuls should call 960-0049, or visit Pulse at the Pulse Centre, 38a Trafalgar Road, New Kingston. Winners will be selected in four categories: Fashion Model, Male Face, Full Figure and Petite Fashion Model.

A stunning beauty, Shontelle’s first music venture was when she appeared in the music video for the reworked Roll It, performed by J-Status featuring her and Rihanna, in 2006. Shontelle is signed to Street Records/Universal Motown, where she released her debut album Shontellegence, which spawned the singles T-Shirt, Stuck With Each Other featuring Akon and Battle Cry. She also won the Barbados Music Award for Song of the Year (2009) for T-Shirt. Her sophomore album No Gravity is now out with the hits Impossible and Licky (Under the Covers).

Shontelle was a student at Harrison College in her native Barbados and attended the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus (currently on hold). She was on her way to becoming a lawyer before SRC, the same label known for discovering her friend Rihanna, saw her talent. Shontelle wrote the song Roll It Gal for regionally renowned Alison Hinds. The song had big success in the Caribbean, New York, Miami and Europe. Her lyrical writing helped her to perform with Natahlee Burke (another artist from Barbados).

Their hit song Colours was about the pride of being Barbadian; it did so well that a remix was made to represent the whole Caribbean.

T-Shirt was released in July and peaked at Number 36 on the Hot 100. However, it received lots of airplay in the UK and became a top 10 hit as well as number 1 on the UK R&B chart.