Shontelle began work on her debut studio album in early 2008, and completed the album in six months. The album's title was given to her by the album's engineer who used the word "shontelligence" as a joke after Shontelle and her producers were playing a game that involved making up words from her name. "T-Shirt", Shontelle's debut single, was released in July 2008 and reached number thirty-six on the US "Billboard" Hot 100, becoming a moderate hit. However, it peaked within the top ten of the charts in Belgium and the United Kingdom.