Such is the nature of contemporary pop that the substance of an album can be of little consequence. Rita Ora arguably owes her burgeoning career and the existence of her debut album, Ora, to influential friends and marketing strategists at Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label. She consciously projects a swaggering style that is as much part of the Ora package as the music. This album is an indulgence, full of materialistic and vacuous bluster. For this image-conscious pop starlet, though, that is hardly the point. Over two years in the making, Ora (the album) is uncreative but feisty, shallow but stylish.
It may be that pop records like this are not designed to bring anything new to the table, and Ora is unashamedly derivative. The album opens with ‘Facemelt’, an abrasive statement of intent, MIA repackaged for the masses. Pure pop shines through on single ‘How We Do (Party)’. Effectively lifting Biggie Smalls’ ‘Party and Bullshit’ refrain, the track is unthreatening and immediate, but inferior to offerings of her pop luminaries. Written by Drake and featuring vocals from Tinie Tempah, ‘R.I.P.’ doesn’t so much echo Rihanna as plagiarise her. The influence of Ora’s idol Gwen Stefani is all over the quirky ‘Uneasy’ while noisy club track ‘Fall in Love’, with will.i.am on guest vocals and production, has more of the stamp of the Black Eyed Peas man than of Ora herself. On the other hand, the delicate humility of ‘Hello, Hi, Goodbye’ is accentuated by Ora’s measured vocals, suggesting that she is capable of her own distinctive sound. The album closes with bonus track ‘Hot Right Now’, the drum and bass smash created by DJ Fresh with the precocious Ora providing a typically confident vocal contribution.
Rita Ora (or the marketing machine behind her) covers all her bases, as she distils a broad spectrum of genres in to a lean, accessible and disposable pop record. Drum and bass (‘Hot Right Now’), R&B / dubstep (‘R.I.P.’), house beats á la David Guetta (‘Radioactive’) and pop rock (‘Roc the Life’) all make an appearance. Furthermore, the Kosovo-born Londoner has employed enough heavy-hitters to ensure this is an album to be noticed, with Diplo, Stargate and Chase & Status also on the list, not to mention that endorsement from Jay-Z himself.
Much of Ora’s more generic content is interchangeable with the output of Jessie J, Katy Perry or any number of pop stars who are hot right now. To enjoy an extended run in the pop world, Ora must find her own voice lest she be irrevocably labelled Rihanna-lite. In the cut-throat, ephemeral realm of commercial pop, Rita Ora is a small fish in a big pond. Here, there is scant evidence that she has the capacity or willingness to stand out from her contemporaries. Ora’s stated aim is to be a chart-topping pop sensation. Her ‘Ritabots’ are bound to latch on to her eponymous debut, and it is likely that a simplistic and materialistic record full of other people's ideas will be no barrier to that commercial success.
Review by Killian Barry
