Melissa has got the X-Factor (From Barry And District News)

Melissa has got the X-Factor

A BARRY student has high hopes of making it big in the music charts.

Melissa Pallis, 17, is a member of the up-and-coming R'n'B trio, Spotlight, a Welsh band that have successfully made it through another round of auditions for ITV's new Pop Idol spin-off show, X-Factor, due to be broadcast on our screens in September.

Spotlight was formed six months ago thanks to Charlotte Church's ex Steven Johnson and Marcus Simpson of X'Plicit Music, who are the producers now behind the group and who entered them into the television music competition.

Melissa is the only female member of the group, with Marcus, from Cardiff, and Paulino, from the United States.

Along with her fellow band mates, the young Cadoxton singer is determined to promote the rap group as much as possible. "We don't have much planned for the future at the moment," she said.

"We'll see what comes up, but what ever comes along we'll have a go at it."

As well as winning their way through the audition stages of the ITV programme, Spotlight are also recording their first album.

And as the youngest member of the band, Melissa is still at school and despite the busy schedule of launching a singing career is managing to find time to concentrate on her studies as she works towards her A-Levels.

Melissa is studying for A-Levels in Dance, Theatre Studies and Performing Arts at Bryn Hafren Comprehensive school, where she has been a student for the last six years.

Music producers at X'Plicit have described Spotlight as the new Black Eyed Peas or City High, but Melissa is keen to emphasise the groups individual rapping style.

She said: "I think our sound is unique and original, it's something new."