I have a lot of time for Rita Ora. She's gorgeous, can actually sing and has the Navy pressed, stressed and obsessed. And we all know why. Jay Z has hand-picked the Kosovo-born beauty to replace Rihanna as the face Roc Nation when that mess reaches her expiry date and the plan is more or less on track. "RIP" went straight to number one in the UK, while "How We Do (Party)" did damage in other markets - notably reaching the top 10 and going platinum in Australia. I liked both singles but they were pretty safe. A Tinie Tempah collaboration and Bonnie McKee-penned party anthem? Let's not get too crazy!
Now that the 21-year-old is a legitimate pop star, I've been waiting for Roc Nation to bring out the big guns and drop an absolute monster single. Mission accomplished. "Roc The Life" is the song that will make Ritallah happen in the States. Produced by The-Dream, who crafted such classics as Beyoncé's "Single Ladies" and Kim Kardashian's "Jam (Turn It Up)", the third cut from ORA is the catchiest pop tune I've heard in ages. I love the rock-infused production, Rita's nasal vocal and that obscenely catchy chorus. One listen to that "li li li li li li li life" hook and you're left gagging for more like a whore on heat. It's going to be massive, so just get used to it.
"Roc The Life" is all kinds of epic but I don't think we've seen the best of Rita. At the moment, Roc Nation is carefully making a star by sticking with a tried and tested formula. It's a bit disconcerting at times but it seems to be working. The rich man's Rihanna is an album or two away from showing what she can really do. In the meantime, I'm more than happy to stan for her radio-ready pop hits.
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