Ora

by Rita Ora

Overview

By the time of her proper debut full-length, 2012's Ora, Kosovan-born, London-bred popstar Rita Ora was already primed to take over the pop culture throne. Enormously huge in Europe although lesser-known in the States, Ora began collaborating with label head Jay-Z, as well as R&B phenom Drake in 2009, and the host of big-name guests and producers who helped build Ora is as impressive as any roster of mainstream Top 40 artists circa 2009-2012. The album boasts production from Stargate and the-Dream, cameo appearances by will.i.am, Tinie Tempah, and J. Cole, as well as songwriting help from Ester Dean who's penned hits for Li'l Wayne, Katy Perry, Niki Minaj, and countless other superstars. Every element is in place for Ora to be a dazzling piece of disposable radio pop, and no part of the album's 12 tracks disappoints. Ora's pristine R&B vocals walk some of the same mega-diva territory as Beyonce or Rihanna, but with defiantly thuggish undertones in the form of a casually profane demeanor and a certain kind of tough venerability in both lyrical and vocal delivery. The production is the sonic equivalent of any Hollywood blockbuster movie, with huge beats, precision songwriting, and performances so perfect they'd be sterile if Ora's larger-than-life personality wasn't the biggest part of the equation. Singles like "R.I.P.," "How We Do (Party)," and "Shine Ya Light" are all meticulously constructed anthems of partying, empowerment, and romance, crafted by the same minds responsible for dozens of other radio hits. Ora manages to be more captivating than her peers by merit of her real approach to her songs, but sonically the album is somewhat interchangeable with any number of Top 40 artist making their name in R&B-tinged-pop. Ora will either be taken as a delightful example of perfect ear candy or a Beyonce knock-off, depending on how closely it's investigated. Repeat listens will expose a masterpiece of unrepentantly commercial pop on the same level as anything by better-known names, and with more interesting stories to tell than most of them. ~ Fred Thomas

Product Details

Release Date:	09/04/2012
Label:	Columbia
UPC:	0887254583622

Tracks

1. Facemelt
2. Roc the Life
3. How We Do (Party)
4. R.I.P.
5. Radioactive
6. Shine Ya Light
7. Love and War
8. Uneasy
9. Fall in Love
10. Been Lying
11. Hello, Hi, Goodbye
12. Hot Right Now

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Rita Ora   Primary Artist,Vocals
Tinie Tempah   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
will.i.am   Primary Artist,Drums,Synthesizer,Featured Artist
J. Cole   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
DJ Fresh   Primary Artist
Alex Delicata   Guitar,Guitar (Electroacoustic)
Chris Loco   Keyboards
Edwin Serrano   Vocals (Background)
Fraser T Smith   Keyboards
Lil Eddie   Vocals (Background)
Brian Kennedy   Keyboards
Greg Kurstin   Keyboards
Rachel Rabin   Vocals (Background)
Ben Harrison   Guitar
Seamus Haji   Drums,Keyboards

Technical Credits

Xavier Stephenson   Engineer,Recording
Wez Clarke   Programming,Mixing Engineer
Kelly Sheehan   Composer,Producer,Vocal Producer
Saul Milton   Composer
Farhad Samadzada   Composer
Nneka Egbuna   Composer
The Runners   Producer,Producer
The Monarch   Producer,Additional Production
Thomas Wesley Pentz   Composer
Laura Pergolizzi   Composer
Jeff Villanueva   Recording
Alex Delicata   Arranger,Co-Arranger,Vocal Arrangement
Jermaine Cole   Composer
Sam Wheat   Engineer,Recording
Andre Davidson   Composer
Terius Nash   Composer,Producer,Vocal Producer
The Invisible Men   Producer,Recording
Sarah Stennett   Management
Will Kennard   Composer
Anna Ugarte   Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
David Taylor   Composer
Andrea Martin   Vocal Producer,Producer
Sharde Simpson   A&R
Mark Caylor   Design
Daniela Rivera   Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
William Adams   Composer
Zoe McConnell   Cover Photo
Alexander Delicata   Composer
Chris Loco   Composer,Producer,Drum Programming
Osten Harvey   Composer
Conor McDonnell   Photography
Dominique Dunn   A&R
James Fountleroy   Composer
Kevin KD Davis   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Jermaine Jackson   Composer,Composer
Mark Gray   Engineer
Makeba Riddick   Composer
Aubrey Graham   Composer
Jordan "DJ Swivel" Young   Engineer
Neil Barber   Mixing Engineer
K. White   Composer
Alexis Latrobe   Composer
Christopher Wallace   Composer
Robert Katz   Assistant Engineer
Rob Katz   Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Andrew Harr   Composer
Edwin Serrano   Composer,Producer
Jason Patterson   Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Harley Wertheimer   Composer
Dan Stein   Composer
Todd Russell   Design
Switch   Producer
Fraser T Smith   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Vocal Engineer,Vocal Producer,Mixing Engineer,Drum Programming
Michael Thomas   Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Lil Eddie   Producer,Vocal Producer
Jules De Martino   Composer,Producer
Jesse Shatkin   Engineer
Brian Kennedy   Composer,Producer
Jay Brown   A&R
David "DQ" Quinones   Producer,Vocal Producer
Ben Harrison   Producer,Composer
Damien Alexander   A&R
Brandon Linney   Arranger,Composer,Producer,Co-Arranger,Vocal Arrangement
Katie White   Composer
Mikkel Storleer Eriksen   Composer,Producer
Hal Davis   Composer
Nikki Flores   Producer,Vocal Producer
Shea Taylor   Producer,Additional Production
Rob Kinelski   Engineer,Recording,Mixing Engineer
Willie Hutch   Composer
Sia Furler   Composer,Producer
Manny Marroquin   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
DJ Fresh   Engineer,Producer
Ester Dean   Composer
Ariel Rechtshaid   Composer
will.i.am   Engineer,Producer,Recording,Drum Programming
Kuk Harrell   Producer,Vocal Producer
Sia   Composer,Vocal Producer
Bonnie McKee   Composer
Diplo   Producer,Additional Production
Greg Kurstin   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Recording,Programming
Jim Caruana   Engineer,Recording
Phil Tan   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Kevin Porter   Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Renee "Shi" Wisdom   Composer
Mark Everton Gray   Engineer
Roc Nation   Producer,Executive Producer
Rachel Rabin   Composer,Producer,Vocal Producer
Josh Gudwin   Recording,Engineer
Amund Bjoerklund   Composer
David Quinones   Producer
Tom Coyne   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Marcos Tovar   Engineer,Recording
Drake   Composer
Berry Gordy, Jr.   Composer
Bob Weston   Composer
Damien Lewis   Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Bob West   Composer
Stargate   Arranger,Engineer,Producer,Recording,Co-Arranger,Vocal Arrangement
The Invisible Man   Composer,Vocal Engineer
Chase & Status   Producer
Jeff "Supa Jeff" Villanueva   Engineer,Recording
Dylan Dresdow   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Espen Lind   Composer
Pat Thrall   Arranger,Engineer,Producer,Recording,Co-Arranger,Vocal Engineer,Vocal Arrangement
Rita Ora   Composer
Sean Davidson   Composer
Tyran "Ty Ty" Smith   A&R
Tor Erik Hermansen   Composer
Michael Linney   Composer,Producer,Recording,Co-Arranger,Vocal Arrangement,Assistant Producer,Arranger
Jason Agel   Engineer,Recording
James Fauntleroy   Composer
Beatriz Artola   Engineer,Recording
Erik Madrid   Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Chris Galland   Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Seamus Haji   Remix Engineer