Rita Ora

## Musical Beginnings

Rita Ora is a singer who began performing at open mic sessions around London and, occasionally, in her father's pub. In 2008, she auditioned for Eurovision: Your Country Needs You on BBC One to be the British contestant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 and qualified, but later withdrew from the competition after a few episodes as she "did not feel ready" and thought "that challenge wasn't for her." Her manager, Sarah Stennett, later told HitQuarters that Rita had entered the competition because at the time she felt it was her only chance at finding success. Sarah reassured her that performing in Eurovision would hinder rather than help her chances to make it as a solo artist. Shortly afterwards Rita's management got in touch with the American label, Roc Nation, and told them about her. This lead to Ora signing a recording deal and a publishing deal with Roc Nation in December 2008, and was one of their first ever signees. She made cameo appearances in Jay Z's video for "Young Forever" in 2009 and Drake's video, "Over" in 2010. After being signed, Rita recorded an album and wanted to release it, but her label advised against it and she started to work on other material for her debut album. Throughout 2011, she released covers and videos about working on her debut album on YouTube. The videos caught the attention of a DJ named DJ Fresh, who at that time was looking for a female vocalist for his song, "Hot Right Now". Subsequently he got into contact with Rita and she featured on the single that was released on 12th February 2012, debuting at #1 on the UK Singles Chart During February 2012, she was also the opening act at the UK concerts from Drake's Club Paradise Tour. The first UK single from her debut album, "R.I.P." as to which featured rapper Tinie Tempah, was released on 6th May 2012.The song was Produced by Chase & Status, and debuted at the top of the UK Singles Chart, becoming her first solo UK #1. On 12th August 2012, "How We Do (Party)" was released, and it reached #1 in the UK and Ireland. It was Rita's second UK number one as a solo artist, and third overall in 2012.

## Guest Performances, and First UK headlining Tour

Whilst supporting Coldplay on their Mylo Xyloto Tour, she later announced that her debut album would be titled Ora. The album was released on 27 August 2012 in Europe and Oceania, and debuted at the top of the UK Albums Chart. She was nominated for Best New Artist, Push Artist and Best UK/Ireland Act at the 2012 MTV Europe Music Awards. In September 2012, it was announced that Ora would be the opening act on the UK concerts from Usher's Euphoria Tour set to start in January 2013. Eventually, the tour was postponed due to Usher's "professional and personal commitments." From 23rd October through to 30th October 2012, she embarked on her first headlining tour, Ora Tour, a mini-concert US tour. "Shine Ya Light", released on 4th November, became her fourth consecutive UK top ten single in 2012, peaking at #10. On 28th November 2012, she performed as a special guest at the concert held in Tirana, Albania for the 100th Anniversary of the Independence of Albania. She embarked on her first UK tour, "Radioactive Tour", in January 2013, to support her debut album. She was nominated for three awards at the 2013 BRIT Awards, including the Brit Award for British Breakthrough Act.

## Two top-five singles, and guest performances

In January 2013, she revealed that her second album would be clearer and have more direction than the first one. On 26th February 2013, she revealed to Digital Spy that her second album shows a different angle to a "party girl." On 24th May 2013, she was the headline act on In New Music We Trust stage at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend. On 28th June 2013, she performed on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury. In 2014, she had two top-five UK singles; the song "I Will Never Let You Down" which debuted at #1, and featured on Iggy Azalea's song "Black Widow" which peaked at #4 in the UK, and the latter became her first top ten song on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number #3. On 14 December 2014, Rita performed at the 2014 telecast of Christmas in Washington, filmed at the National Building Museum. On 22nd February 2015, at the 87th Academy Awards, she performed the Academy Award-nominated song "Grateful", which appears in the film Beyond the Lights. On 28th June 2015, she released the song "Poison", which debuted at #3 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming her sixth top five single in the country.

## Roc Nation Lawsuit

In December 2015, she filed a lawsuit against Roc Nation, seeking release from the label and citing that the contract she signed in 2008 was "unenforceable", due to California's "seven-year rule." The complaint stated that she's "only been permitted to release one album despite creating multiple additional records for release" and that her relationship with Roc Nation is "irrevocably damaged." Her complaint also pointed out a breach of contract, reporting that Roc Nation breached the recording agreement by improperly taking a 20% commission of her income. In January 2016, Roc Nation filed a counter-lawsuit against Rita for breaking her recording contract, in New York. The two reached a settlement in May 2016. In June 2016, it was reported that she signed a new record deal with Atlantic Records and Warner Music Group. On 3rd September 2016, she performed in a concert at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, in Rome, at the vigil for Mother Teresa's canonisation, alongside other Albanian artists, accompanied by the Kosovo Philharmonic Orchestra.

## Musical returns and Phoenix

On 26th May 2017, she released her first solo single in almost two years, entitled "Your Song", which peaked at #7 in the UK. The song served as the lead single from Rita's second studio album, after previous attempts at her second record were lost in her lawsuit against her former label, Roc Nation. The second single, "Anywhere", became Rita's eleventh top ten song in the UK, peaking at #2. In January 2018, both Liam Payne and Rita Ora released the song "For You", from the soundtrack of the film Fifty Shades Freed, in which Rita co-stars. In June 2018 she released Girls a follow up to Charli XCX's track "Boys" with Charli herself, Bebe Rexha, and Cardi B. On 18th September 2018, she revealed the title of her second studio album, was Phoenix, and the fact its release date, was the 23rd of November 2018. On 21st September, she released the album's fourth single, "Let You Love Me". The song reached #4 in the UK, marking her 13th top-ten song, thus breaking a 30-year-old record for most top ten songs by a British female solo artist. On 29th October 2018, she announced tour dates for the album in Europe, Asia and Oceania from 1st March until 29th May 2019.

## Pokémon: Detective Pikachu & Ritual

In Janruary 2019 she released the song Only Want you featuring 6lack which peaked at #50 on the UK Singles Chart. In April 2019, she released the song, "Carry On", with Norwegian producer, Kygo, as a standalone single for Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, a film in which she also briefly appears. In March 2019 she featured on the Sofia Reyes single entitled R.I.P along with Anitta. In September 2019 she featured on the song Ritual with both Jonas Blue and Tiesto and peaked at #24. In September 2019, she also confirmed to Marie Claire that she had begun working on her third studio album. In March 2020 she released the lead single from her upcoming studio album, with the single being entitled How To Be Lonely, and later on the same day performed the song on Sport Relief. On Thursday 23rd April 2020 she contributed to BBC One's The Big Night In for Children In Need and Comic Relief performing Times Like These from home alongside the group who released the song Foo Fighters amongst the Live Lounge Allstars with their rendition of the song later entering The Official Chart Top 40 at #5 the following day on Friday 24th April 2020. The following week on Friday 1st May the song reached #1.

## You For Me, Praising You, You Only Love Me & Drinkin'

She later released a new single in 2021 alongside Sigala entitled You for Me. On Friday 23rd July 2021 You for Me entered the Official Chart Top 40 at #37. The following week on Friday 30th July 2021 You for Me rose up four places from #37 to #33. The following week on Friday 6th August 2021 You for Me rose up four places from #33 to #29. The following week on Friday 13th August 2021 You for Me rose up a place from #29 to #28. The following week on Friday 20th August 2021 You for Me rose up five places from #28 to #23. The following week on Friday 27th August 2021 You for Me fell down three places from #23 to #26. The following week on Friday 3rd September 2021 You for Me remained at #26. The following week on Friday 10th September 2021 You for Me fell down six places from #26 to #32. The following week on Friday 17th September 2021 You for Me fell down a further six places from #32 to #38. The following week on Friday 24th September 2021 You for Me fell down a further two places from #38 to #40. The following week on Friday 1st October 2021 You for Me departed from the chart. On Saturday 13th August 2022, she appeared upon an episode of 'The Big Breakfast'. In 2022, she released a single entitled 'Barricades', which was followed by both ‘Praising You’ which featured Fatboy Slim & 'You Only Love Me' in 2023. In July 2023, she appeared as a guest performer upon an episode of ITV2's 'Love Island'. In August 2023, Ora featured upon both Joel Corry & MK's latest single entitled Drinkin'.

## Track Discography

* Hot Right Now (DJ Fresh featuring Rita Ora)
* R.I.P (Rita Ora featuring Tinie Tempah)
* I Will Never Let You Down (Rita Ora)
* Black Widow (Iggy Azalea featuring Rita Ora)
* Grateful (Rita Ora)
* Poison (Rita Ora)
* Your Song (Rita Ora)
* Girls (Rita Ora featuring Cardi B, Bebe Rexha and Charli XCX)
* Anywhere (Rita Ora)
* For You (Liam Payne and Rita Ora)
* Let You Love Me (Rita Ora)
* Only Want You (Rita Ora featuring 6LACK)
* R.I.P (Sofia Reyes featuring Rita Ora and Anitta)
* Carry On (Kygo and Rita Ora)
* Ritual (Tiësto, Jonas Blue and Rita Ora)
* Times Like These (Live Lounge Allstars)
* You for Me (Sigala & Rita Ora)
* Barricades (Rita Ora)
* Praising You (Rita Ora featuring Fatboy Slim)
* You Only Love Me (Rita Ora)
* Drinkin' (Joel Corry & MK featuring Rita Ora)

## TV and Film

* Spins
* The Brief
* The X Factor
* 90210
* Fast & Furious 6
* The Voice UK
* Fifty Shades of Grey
* The Voice
* America's Next Top Model
* Boy Band
* Fifty Shades Darker
* RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars
* Fifty Shades Freed
* Pokémon Detective Pikachu
* Twist (2020 film)
* Masked Singer UK (Panellist)
* The Voice Australia
* Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight
* Wonderwell
* Love Island (Guest Performer)
* Descendants: The Rise of Red
* Tin Soldier

## Trivia

* Ava Max has previously expressed interest in collaboration of all Albanian heritaged women featuring Bebe Rexha, Dua Lipa, and Rita Ora.
* She has been nominated for 72 awards and won 18 of which.
* She has headlined four tours and been an opening act on three tours.