Jul 17, 2023, 3:00 AM ETInterview, Fireside Chat

Rita Ora: “I Lived With Constant Anxiety”…After Being Signed By Jay-Z At 18!!!

Rita Ora was born in Pristina, Kosovo, in 1990 and moved to the UK as a one-year-old refugee fleeing the war in 1991.
Upon arrival, the family stayed temporarily in government-provided accommodation and a council flat in West London before stabilizing.
Her parents, both professionals in Kosovo (a psychiatrist mother and an economics/accounting background father), faced significant professional downgrades in the UK.
- Her father worked double shifts in a pizza shop in Notting Hill Gate.
- Her mother had to requalify in the UK while battling breast cancer and learning English.
The family dynamic instilled a strong work ethic, resilience, and the expectation that promises must be kept.
Ora's mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in her late 30s when Ora was 15, a traumatic event that caused Ora to rebel, skip school, and lose focus on her previously successful education.
Ora attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School, where she secured the role of Cinderella, sparking her initial interest in singing.
A music teacher at the school identified her talent and encouraged her parents to pursue professional development.

Ora began her career path at age 16 by working as a tea boy/mopping floors at a recording studio, delivering backing vocals for free, and performing in her father's pub.
At 18, she was signed to Jay-Z's record label, Rock Nation, after a studio producer used her demo vocals on a track intended for another artist.
She moved from a shared room in London to a solo apartment in Brooklyn immediately after signing.
Ora admits she was a "naive young dreamer" who blindly trusted the advice of established figures like Jay-Z without questioning authority or having a Plan B.
She later realized she should have prioritized building her own craft to stand independently rather than relying solely on the promise of fame.
Her first album reached number one, causing her life to change overnight and leading to a period of intense media scrutiny.

In her mid-20s, Ora experienced a "messy" period characterized by drinking, poor diet, and "crazy panic attacks," which she attributes to the pressure of fame and a fear of losing everything.
She describes a specific panic attack at age 25 at the Royal Albert Hall while meeting Prince (now King Charles), where she nearly collapsed and messed up lyrics during a performance.
Ora identifies that her panic attacks were often driven by the fear of experiencing the sensation of a panic attack again.
She acknowledges a pattern of seeking validation through romantic partners and public attention in her 20s, often looking for love in "the wrong places."
Therapy, which she began at 26, has been central to her recovery, helping her compartmentalize emotions and control her internal narrative.
She has adopted a disciplined routine to manage anxiety, including daily workouts, fasting, meditation, and controlling her environment (e.g., incense).
Ora now recognizes that her drive to overwork stems from an immigrant fear of losing security, a trait she shares with her mother and observed in friends who became addicted to work or alcohol as a coping mechanism.

Ora is married to director Taika Waititi; they met in Australia when she was in the "correct frame of mind" to handle a relationship.
She describes her marriage as a natural progression of a long-standing friendship that provides a stable home base, allowing her to pursue new goals.
Her new album, You and I, marks a "rebirth" and a shift toward longevity, aiming to be a "timeless" pop icon similar to Kylie Minogue or Jennifer Lopez.
She owns her masters and has full creative control over her decisions for this project.
The album includes three singles: "Praise You," "Don't Think Twice," and "Only Love You," each exploring different stages of relationships and self-discovery.
Ora aims to communicate authenticity through her music, wanting fans to feel they "know her" rather than just seeing a curated persona.
She plans to continue evolving her sound and is already conceptualizing her next album while promoting the current one.

Ora advocates for the "10,000-hour rule" of mastery, citing her deep study of music composition, production, and history as essential to her longevity.
She emphasizes that a long career requires sacrifice, including missing family events, funerals, and personal milestones for work.
Ora advises young artists to work on their craft so they can stand alone and not rely on external validation or promises.
She observes a double standard in the music industry where women are expected to be both opinionated and likable, and where their credit is more easily obscured than that of male peers.
Ora's primary legacy goal is to be remembered for her work ethic and being a "nice person" who supported others without seeking the spotlight for herself.
She has learned to separate her public persona from her private life, using art to process media violations rather than engaging in public feuds.
Ora views her family as a collective unit where one person's struggle affects everyone, driving her responsibility to support her parents financially.