Shontelle via Plan A

Chances are you've already heard of diva-on-the-rise Shontelle, thanks to a little ditty called “T-Shirt” that’s making its way up the charts as we type. Plus, her song “Battle Cry” is featured on the new album Yes We Can: Voices of Movement, a collection celebrating Barack Obama’s leadership and vision.

And you’re likely to be hearing a lot more about this chanteuse, a 23 year-old talent from Barbados. Yep, that’s the same Caribbean paradise that Rihanna hails from. Actually, the two are good friends! In high school, they both attended Cadets camp, where the older Shontelle was Rihanna's drill sergeant. Shontelle has recalled Rihanna being “a good cadet . . . though there was one occasion when I had to make her drop and give me ten push-ups! We laugh about it now . . . I think she’s forgiven me.”

CGG is loving the name of her new CD, Shontelligence, which features tracks that are heavily dosed with pop, R&B, soul and reggae; it drops November 18. The title is a perfect fit for the singer/songwriter, who has her own publishing company, Sholay, in Barbados and plans to start her own label.

"I hunger for knowledge – it feeds my life and my music,” Shontelle has said. “The more I learn, the more I want to learn...the more I grow as a person and as an artist.” We particularly dig the tunes that tout the power of women. Holla! One of our favorites, "Life Is Not An Easy Road," addresses a major social issue: poverty. But it’s not a total downer – even as the song recognizes the suffering and hardship faced by people the world over, it also reminds everyone to have hope, to "just trust you will survive and keep your dignity."

Check out more from Shontelle and inspiring lyrics after the jump.