Rita Ora on how her Liam Payne collaboration became an LGBTQ+ anthem
The chart-topping singer is back with a bold, poptastic single titled Heat, featuring raunchy lyrics and a catchy melody guaranteed to become the soundtrack for all summer parties.
She released the banger ahead of taking to the stage at the World Pride Music Festival in Washington, D.C., which feels appropriate given that she's long shared a special connection with her queer fans.
Speaking exclusively to Metro as she launches a sizzling new era of her career, Rita, 34, reflects on what her music means to her LGBTQ+ fans and why one tune in particular now holds a new meaning.
'They've inspired my whole album; this is honestly a dedication to them and how much they have supported me, even in moments where I've felt like I can't continue,' she says of her LGBTQ+ fanbase ahead of her next record.
Having recently supported Kylie Minogue on the US leg of her Tension tour, Rita adds: 'Her fanbase is so inspired by the community. I felt so appreciated and supported on that tour, and it was a real reminder that sometimes, we are our worst enemies, and all you've got to do is go outside and connect with people, and that's why live music will never die.
'That's why I debuted Heat on the Kylie show. I felt like, 'Wow, the spirit of music is still alive,' and it was all because of her fanbase that brought me into this newfound confidence to come out with a bang and just get crazy and enjoy the summer and be unapologetically me.'
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Asked which of her tunes resonates with the queer community the most, she says her 2017 bop Anywhere, which is a love song about escapism, is the one that gets crowds going.
'They (fans) always come up to me and tell me Anywhere has taken them out of a real depressing moment that they may have been in or inspired them to just move on from what they were stuck in.
'And I saw that on the Kylie show, everyone was just really singing Anywhere; that really touched me.'
Another special one is For You, which she dropped in 2018 in collaboration with Liam Payne for the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack.
Now, almost eight months on from the One Direction star's death, Rita uses the live performances as a way to pay tribute to her late friend.
'For You, of course, I felt like we were all connected there in remembering Liam, and I definitely made a choice to remember him every single show, so it was incredible to feel that support in the room.'
Rita was close to the Strip That Down hitmaker, and they formed a wholesome friendship, leaving her devastated when he died. Hosting the MTV EMAs last November, she remembered him as 'one of the kindest people that I knew' while fighting back tears.
The Your Song hitmaker has always used music as a way of expressing herself, and she's now hoping her new material is perceived as 'a form of release'.
On the driving forces behind the upcoming lyrics to her fourth album, she shares: 'My last album was so emotionally driven by my relationship, and I was very inspired by that huge transition in my life and what my relationship impacted on me, and just being inspired by love, whereas this time, I did all of that; I kind of got my feelings out, and I wanted to just have fun.
'I wanted to feel free, I wanted to celebrate my womanhood, I wanted to get back to that unapologetic confidence that I feel like I came out the gate with with my first album.'
The performer, who married Taika Waititi in 2022, admits that she 'misses the old Rita,' which is why she's tried to further tap into 'feeling empowered by other women and the gay community' while beavering away in the studio.
'My song Heat is so fun. Every album nowadays has to have language, you know? What is the language you're speaking with your fans?'
'You need to present this, like, world, because people really need to have something to believe in or run away from, and when you present this world, it becomes like a safe oasis for your fans, and that's exactly what this song is, and when you hear the title of the album, it'll all make sense,' she teases.
And the album title isn't the only thing Rita is playing coy about.
Additionally, she's keen to make a return to Worthy Farm, having made her Glastonbury debut in 2013. More Trending
'I did the Pyramid Stage, and it was iconic. It's like one of the highlights of my career, so I'd love to go back and do a massive surprise.
'It's UK legacy, come on! Who can say no to that?'
Well, Rita, we certainly wouldn't…
Rita Ora's new single Heat is out now.
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MORE: Mum's revelation about my dinner changed my world for the better
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