Rita Ora talks ahead of Birmingham gig

The star’s debut album, Ora, went to number one in 2012 and earned her a platinum disc while she’s been an ever-present in the UK charts ever since.

Rita was born in Pristina, Kosovo, but raised in London, and made her first official appearance in 2007 when she guested on Craig David’s single Awkward. In 2009, she signed to Jay-Z’s label Roc Nation and hit the number one spot in 2012 with her debut solo single, R.I.P., before releasing her debut album.

She recently hit the charts with Liam Payne with their song For You, from the soundtrack of the film Fifty Shades Freed, in which Rita co-stars.

For You went to number eight in the UK, giving her a 12th top 10 song and equalling a 30-year-old record, jointly held by Shirley Bassey and Petula Clark, for most top 10 songs by a British female solo artist.

However, Rita has been prevented from releasing a new album because of a legal battle with Roc Nation. That has finally been resolved and fans can look forward to more new music.

“I had a bit of an issue, publicly, with putting out music which got me really, really, kind of devastated, and I was really down, and then I was really angry, and then I was really frustrated, and then I was really happy that it was happening.

“It was all these emotions, so my album is definitely a rollercoaster of emotions . . . I’m still crazy – like, I still love to go out and party. Everyone who knows me knows that I love to have a good time, but I wanted this album to also be [something] you could put on and vibe with your friends. There’s a lot of ups and downs, but I’m very, very proud of it.”

The album had been due to be released in spring but has been delayed again with an autumn release date scheduled.

Along with top 10 hits Your Song, Lonely Together, Anywhere and For You, the album will feature songs she has worked on with hitmakers Stargate and songwriter Julia Michaels.

Your Song was written by Ed Sheeran, while Anywhere was penned by her new boyfriend Andrew Watt, who, coincidentally wrote Camila Cabello’s Havana, which kept Anywhere off the number one spot.

“My tour started in May, so I’ll be going all around Europe. I have a surprise tour announcement that comes out in the summertime, which I’m very excited to do. Basically, it’s just Rita music everywhere and everything else. It’s just like, ‘I’m back.’

“The album is quite personal. I’ve written a lot about my journey and the experiences I’ve had with people while getting to where I am today, being able to be free with my music.”

Rita has been building up to the record since the second half of 2016, when it was announced that she had signed a new deal with Atlantic Records, home to Bruno Mars, Clean Bandit and Ed Sheeran.

She shot back into the charts last year, earning around 60 million streams, and since then the hits have been coming thick and fast, including her collaboration with the late Avicii called Lonely Together. “I’ve missed touring a lot, I’ve missed the interaction with the crowd. Even though I haven’t stopped performing – I did some duets while I was making my latest record – I’ve definitely missed being on my own two feet and going on tour.

“I’m going to sing a load of really fun songs for people to dance to and have a fun time. I love my job and I love to work all the time so all my fans love the shows. I love connecting with my fans.”

London has been enormously important to Rita, who settled when her parents fled the war in Kosovo.

“I grew up in that area and London has always been such an inspiring city for me. I have a lot of memories around that area.”

Her parents were initially unsure about her desire to become a singer but she won them round and they encouraged her dreams. “When I left school I definitely wanted to try this music thing. My mum and dad are very educated and have degrees, so they found it really scary that their daughter wanted to be a singer. I really tried to prove them wrong.”