Rita Ora

• 1. Introduction

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  Rita Ora broke a 30-year-old record in 2018, when her single "Let You Love Me" became her thirteenth top-ten song in the UK. No British female solo artist had reached that number before her. Shirley Bassey and Petula Clark had jointly held the previous mark. The record sits oddly beside the rest of her career. She spent years in a legal fight with her first label. She also acted in the Fifty Shades films, judged singing shows in Britain, Australia and the United States, and designed clothes for high street retailers. Where did she come from? Why did her own albums take so long to reach listeners? And what did she do with the attention once it arrived?

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• 2. Roots in Pristina

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  Rita Sahatçiu was born on the 26th of November 1990 in Pristina, in what was then SFR Yugoslavia and is now Kosovo. Her parents were Albanian. Her mother, Vera, is a psychiatrist. Her father, Besnik Sahatçiu, is a pub owner who studied economics. Her mother is Catholic, while her father is a nominal Muslim. She has an older sister, Elena, and a younger brother, Don.

  Two grandfathers add colour to the family story. Osman Bajraktari, her mother's father, served as the Albanian consul to Russia, then part of the Soviet Union. Besim Sahatçiu, her father's father, worked as a film and theatre director.

  Even the family name was adjusted. Sahatçiu was hard for many people to pronounce, so her parents later attached Ora to it.

  In 1991, when Rita was a baby, the family left Kosovo for political reasons. Albanians were being persecuted as Yugoslavia fell apart. They moved to London, and she grew up in Notting Hill, in the west of the city. She attended Sylvia Young Theatre School, a performing arts school. That training came long before any record label had heard her name.

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• 3. The Roc Nation Contract

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  Open mic sessions around London were where Ora first sang in public, and now and then she took the microphone in her father's pub. In 2008 she auditioned for Eurovision: Your Country Needs You on BBC One. The show was choosing Britain's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. She qualified, then withdrew after a few episodes. She said she "did not feel ready" and that "that challenge wasn't for her."

  Her manager, Sarah Stennett, had also worked with Ellie Goulding, Jessie J and Conor Maynard. Stennett later told HitQuarters that she had reassured Ora. Her view was that Eurovision would hinder, rather than help, a solo career.

  Soon afterwards, the management team contacted the American label Roc Nation, run by rapper Jay-Z. In December 2008 Ora signed both a recording deal and a publishing deal. She was one of the label's first signees. In 2009 she made a cameo in Jay Z's video for "Young Forever." She then recorded an album and wanted to release it, but the label advised against it. She turned to other material for her debut instead.

  In December 2015 the relationship reached a courtroom. Ora sued Roc Nation, arguing that the contract she signed in 2008 was "unenforceable" under California's "seven-year rule." Her complaint said she had "only been permitted to release one album despite creating multiple additional records for release." It also called the relationship "irrevocably damaged."

  In January 2016 Roc Nation filed a counter-lawsuit in New York for breaking her recording contract. The two sides settled in May 2016. By June 2016 it was reported that she had signed with Atlantic Records. The dispute cost her earlier attempts at a second record, which were lost along the way.

  Labels would change once more. In February 2022 she signed with the Berlin-based label BMG.

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• 4. Breakthrough Years

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  Throughout 2011, Ora posted covers on YouTube, along with videos about the making of her debut album. DJ Fresh noticed them. He was searching for a female vocalist for his song "Hot Right Now." The single came out on the 12th of February 2012 and debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart. That same month she opened UK shows on Drake's Club Paradise Tour.

  Her own singles followed quickly. "R.I.P.," featuring Tinie Tempah and produced by Chase & Status, came out on the 6th of May 2012. It debuted at the top of the UK chart and became her first solo number one. "How We Do (Party)" was released on the 12th of August and reached number one in the UK and Ireland. That was her second solo number one and the third of the year when "Hot Right Now" was counted.

  She announced the title of her debut album, Ora, while supporting Coldplay on their Mylo Xyloto Tour. It was released on the 27th of August 2012 in Europe and Oceania and debuted atop the UK Albums Chart. At the 2012 MTV Europe Music Awards she was nominated for Best New Artist, Push Artist and Best UK/Ireland Act. Her single "Shine Ya Light," released on the 4th of November, peaked at number ten. It was her fourth consecutive UK top-ten single that year, and no other artist managed that in 2012.

  In January 2013 she set out on her first UK tour, the Radioactive Tour. She earned three nominations at the 2013 Brit Awards, including British Breakthrough Act. On the 26th of February 2013 she told Digital Spy that her second album would show a different angle to a "party girl." On the 24th of May she headlined the In New Music We Trust stage at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend. On the 28th of June she played the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury.

  In 2014 she placed two singles in the UK top five. "I Will Never Let You Down" debuted at number one. The second was "Black Widow," a collaboration with Australian rapper Iggy Azalea, which peaked at number four in the UK. In the United States it rose to number three on the Billboard Hot 100, her first top ten there. It began as a last-minute addition to Katy Perry's album Prism (2013), and the composition was only finalised after that album was released.

  Director X made the video, taking inspiration from Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill films. Michael Madsen, Paul Sorvino and rapper T.I. appear in it. It has over 690 million views, making it her most viewed video. In February 2015 she featured on Charli XCX's "Doing It," which debuted at number eight in the UK.

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• 5. Phoenix and After

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  On the 26th of May 2017, Ora released "Your Song," her first solo single in almost two years. It peaked at number seven in the UK and opened the campaign for her second album. "Anywhere" followed and reached number two, becoming her eleventh UK top-ten song.

  On the 18th of September 2018 she revealed that the album would be called Phoenix and arrive on the 23rd of November. Three days later came its fourth single, "Let You Love Me," which reached number four in the UK. From the 1st of March to April 2019, she took the Phoenix World Tour across Europe, Asia and Oceania.

  Collaborations kept her busy that year. In April 2019 she released "Carry On" with Norwegian producer Kygo, a standalone single for the film Pokémon: Detective Pikachu. On the 31st of May she put out "Ritual" with Tiësto and Jonas Blue.

  By September 2019 she told Marie Claire that she had begun a third album. She gave NME more detail: "people have been coming to studio sessions from all over the world. I've been working on this now for the past two years, on and off. I have plans for this third album to be something I've never done before."

  On the 12th of February 2021 she released the extended play Bang with Kazakh producer Imanbek. On the 27th of January 2023, "You Only Love Me" opened the third album's rollout. On the 19th of April she shared "Praising You" with Fatboy Slim and announced a release date of the 14th of July. The album, You & I, debuted at number six in the UK.

  On the 11th of October 2024, Kylie Minogue announced that Ora and Romy would support her on the US leg of the Tension Tour.

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• 6. Screen and Studio

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  At 13, Ora took her first acting role, in an episode of the British drama The Brief. She played Jaclyn Livermore and was credited as Rita Sahatçiu Ora. She also appeared as Rosanna in the British film Spivs (2004).

  Her breakout screen part came in 2015, in Fifty Shades of Grey. She had approached the production hoping to contribute to the soundtrack. Director Sam Taylor-Johnson asked her to audition for Mia Grey, Christian Grey's sister, instead. She returned for both sequels, Fifty Shades Darker (2017) and Fifty Shades Freed (2018). In January 2018 she released "For You" with Liam Payne, from the soundtrack of Freed.

  On the 22nd of February 2015 she performed "Grateful" at the 87th Academy Awards. The song comes from Gina Prince-Bythewood's film Beyond the Lights (2014). She also turned up in Pokémon: Detective Pikachu as Dr. Ann Laurent. In January 2021 she played the Artful Dodger in Twist, an adaptation of Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.

  In February 2022, Disney+ announced her for an eight-episode prequel series to Beauty and the Beast (2017). Her role was described as a "fugitive with surprising abilities who carries with her a secret that could potentially affect an entire kingdom." The project has been put on hold indefinitely.

  In 2024 she played the Queen of Hearts, a character from Alice in Wonderland, in the Disney+ musical Descendants: The Rise of Red. She sang "Love Ain't It" with Kylie Cantrall, Malia Baker and Brandy. She is set to return in the 2026 sequel Descendants: Wicked Wonderland.

  Television gave her a second public identity as a judge. In 2015 she became a coach on the fourth series of The Voice UK, replacing Kylie Minogue. The same year she and Radio 1 presenter Nick Grimshaw joined ITV's twelfth series of The X Factor, after a bidding war between the two rival shows. She and Grimshaw also hosted BBC Radio 1's Teen Awards several times between 2013 and 2017.

  In July 2016, Tyra Banks announced that Ora would replace her as host of the revamped America's Next Top Model, which aired on VH1. She hosted the MTV Europe Music Awards on the 12th of November 2017 at Wembley Arena in London. In 2022 she hosted again, on the 13th of November in Düsseldorf, alongside Taika Waititi.

  From January 2020 she judged the UK Masked Singer. From 2021 to 2023 she coached on The Voice Australia, replacing Delta Goodrem. In September 2023, Fox announced that she would join the American Masked Singer as a judge.

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• 7. Fashion and Endorsements

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  In January 2014, Adidas announced a multi-year designer collaboration with Ora for its casual line, Adidas Originals. She designed her own apparel collections for the brand, including footwear and accessories. The partnerships that followed ran across Italy, Germany and Ireland.

  In 2016 she worked with the Italian brand Tezenis on a capsule lingerie collection. In 2018 she co-designed a shoe collection with Italian footwear designer Giuseppe Zanotti. In 2019 she became the face of Escada and then co-designed a capsule collection with the brand.

  In September 2023 the Dublin-based retailer Primark announced a multi-season collaboration with Ora. The first collection, which she co-designed, ran to 169 pieces. It covered knitwear, denim, tailoring and outerwear, along with shoes and accessories.

  Her face has also sold other people's products. In 2010 she appeared in a commercial for Skullcandy headphones, and in 2011 in Calvin Klein's CK One campaign. In 2013 she was the face of the sneaker brand Superga and of Material Girl, a clothing line designed by Madonna. In September 2013, Rimmel announced a makeup collaboration with her.

  Donna Karan used her for two 2014 collections, Resort and Autumn/Winter, and for the fragrance DKNY My NY, which was inspired by New York City. In March 2014 she was in the cast of Marks & Spencer's "Leading Ladies" campaign. Later that year she fronted Roberto Cavalli's Autumn/Winter campaign. In 2015 she appeared in advertising for Coca-Cola and the Samsung Galaxy S6.

  In 2019 she was the face of several German brands, including Escada, Thomas Sabo and Deichmann. In 2023 she appeared in Pepe Jeans' "London After Hours" campaign.

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• 8. Causes and Private Life

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  On the 23rd of March 2013, Ora sang at the Bal de la Rose du Rocher in Monte Carlo, in aid of the Princess Grace Foundation. On the 1st of June 2013 she performed at the "Chime for Change" concert at Twickenham Stadium in London. It raised funds and awareness for girls' and women's issues worldwide. On the 15th of November 2014 she joined Band Aid 30 to record "Do They Know It's Christmas?" for the 2014 Ebola crisis in West Africa.

  On the 9th of March 2016 she spoke at the We Day UK event in London, organised by Free the Children. Her subject was immigration and the Syrian refugee crisis. In April 2019 she became one of UNICEF UK's ambassadors.

  Albania and Kosovo stayed part of her public life. On the 28th of November 2012 she was a special guest at a concert in Tirana for the 100th anniversary of Albanian independence. On the 10th of July 2015, then-president Atifete Jahjaga named her an Honorary Ambassador of Kosovo at the Embassy of Kosovo in London. Her parents attended, as did former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie. Ora said she was "overwhelmed."

  On the 3rd of September 2016 she sang at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. The concert was a vigil for the canonisation of Mother Teresa. She appeared alongside other Albanian artists and the Kosovo Philharmonic Orchestra.

  Ora calls herself spiritual but not religious. She speaks Albanian and supports the English football club Manchester City. She dated the Scottish DJ Calvin Harris from 2013 until June 2014. In 2016 she began dating the American musician Andrew Watt. They split in September 2018, reunited in January 2019 and parted again in October 2019.

  In November 2020 she held her birthday party at a West London restaurant during a national lockdown. She had just returned from Egypt and was supposed to isolate for 14 days. Police said her security offered the venue £5,000 to break the rules and asked for the CCTV cameras to be switched off. The restaurant's representative denied that any such payment was made. Ora apologised and was fined £10,000.

  Since 2021 she has been in a relationship with New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi. They married in August 2022 and live in Los Angeles.

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