Roc Nation's Next Starlet: A Chat With Rita Ora
| Interview with StyleCaster
StyleCaster: What was it like being discovered and signed immediately by Jay-Z? Tell me a little bit about how that all began.
Rita Ora: When I was 18 and I got signed it was huge deal to me. I’m a fan of Jay’s and Destiny’s Child and the whole movement. I was so happy and I thought that I would be the biggest star in the world the week after I got my record deal. Little did I know you have to record an album first! It was an amazing moment in my life, but I knew I had to get to work right away. I hit the studio immediately, and made sure that I deserved to stay there. I just worked and worked and worked until I got my album finished.
SC: Tell me about your musical influences.
RO: My musical influences vary a lot and people are sometimes confused about how they go together. Destiny’s Child is one of the biggest, I have listened to them since I was a kid. Gwen Stefani is a huge influence to me. She’s one of my idols. When people ask me about genres, I don’t know what to say. Music is music. On my album, I have the chance to put influences from a variety of genres into twelve tracks. It has a lot of reggae influences, a lot of No Doubt influences. It’s kind of like edgy pop. It’s not exactly pop, so that’s how I would describe it.
SC: You will probably face comparisons to Rihanna and Beyoncé — simply because of your affiliation with Jay-Z. How do you stand out as an artist in this crowded pop climate?
RO: Being compared to anyone as a new artist is a huge compliment, so if you’re compared to someone that’s already huge and has been doing their thing for years — I’m more than happy! I take it as a compliment and use it to my advantage. I’m just happy to even be compared. And my story is different from a lot of others. I’m not from London — I’m from Kosovo. I have a story and my background hasn’t been as easy as everybody might think. I’m taking advantage of every opportunity I have. My album is mostly about having fun with your life and not paying attention to boundaries — and partying and bullsh*t!
SC: From numerous paparazzi shots I have to say that I love your style. Tell me about it.
RO: I kind of dress like how I feel that day. I love fashion as much as I love music, and I think that it’s under the umbrella of entertainment and show-business and things like that. It’s so fun to play with clothes. I have some inspirations of designers and muses. Daphne Guinness is a huge fashion icon for me. So is Vivienne Westwood and the edge to her clothes. There’s not really a blueprint to clothes in my eyes.
SC: Who would you most love to collaborate with?
RO: Beyoncé and Gwen Stefani!
