Draft Article - R&B Magazine

Rita Ora has come a long way since her music debut, and Chillin' has caught up with the R&B icon to discuss her story so far. In the first half of 2011, Rita Ora hit radio stations, televisions, and the internet, with her worldwide number one single 'Hot Right Now'. Being a British singer and songwrite herself, the 22 year old certainly knows how to work it with 21st Century music. This includes three number one singles so far, acheiving most number-one singles on the UK singles chart, most successful debut album 'Ora' in the UK, and being nominated for three Brit Awards, including the Brit Award for Best British Breakthrough Act.

The young star grew up around Portobello Road in West London, beginning her singing career from a young age, going on to graduate from ‘Sylvia Young Theatre School’. After this, she began her professional singing career, by starting to sing at bars in and around London. In 2009, an A&R told Roc Nation about this musically experienced young woman, and she immediately jetted out to New York and met R&B legend, Jay-Z. Ora explains “It was definitely dramatic One minute I had graduated high school, the next thing you know I’m meeting Jay-Z for a recording contract. Almost instantly, he was struck by her amazing talents, and signed her off to Roc Nation and started appearing in commercials for things such as: Skullcandy Aviator Headphones. Soon afterwards, she began releasing viral videos of herself, working on her debut album ‘Ora’. The album is influenced by her father’s record collection.  In December of 2011, the company DJ Fresh and Ora released the music video for “Hot Right Now” on YouTube, becoming an instant hit. The single was released two months later, in February 2012, and immediately reached No.1 on the UK Singles Chart.

After “Hot right now” did so well in the charts, not long afterwards she went to New York, alongside her boss Jay-Z, to premiere “How we do (Party)”, her debut single, and lead single from her upcoming studio album. Finally, after two full years, she completed her studio album, which features music icons like Will.i.am, Ester Dean, Drake, The-Dream, Kanye West and Stargate. When speaking about the sound of her album and its concept, Ora said “it definitely has the R&B vibes to it, but you can also hear influences of jazz, pop etc. it’s basically a mix of different styles.

On 6 may, 2012, she released her first solo record, titled “R.I.P.” featuring Tinie Tempah, with the music video being released on the same day, which was produced by Chase and Status. This became her first solo number 1, and second overall.  Later on that same month she became a guest judge on the ninth series on the UK series of the X-Factor, in London.

Later on that year she began touring with Coldplay, and whilst she was doing so, announced that her new album will be named ‘Ora’. Eventually, ‘Ora’ was released on 27 August 2012 and debuted at the top of the UK Albums Chart. From one of her album songs she released the video for “Shine Ya Light”, which saw the singer return to Kosovo from where she originated. Closing in 2012, Ora was nominated for Best UK/Ireland Act, Best New Artist, and Push Artist at the 2012 MTV Europe Music Awards.

Next year, Ora will embark on her eight-date UK Radioactive Tour, on January 28th through to February 9th, 2013. She has since revealed that her second album would be clearer and have more direction than her debut, and she states "I definitely know what I want more, and it's pretty straightforward with what I'm trying to say with this second album.