“Unpolished” is how Rita Ora describes the sound of her third album, You & I. At least, by comparison to 2018’s Phoenix. But there’s still a shiny – and slightly deflective – sheen over this solid collection of 12 radio-ready pop songs. It’s weird that despite her impressive vocal range and power, Ora’s emotion often feels more TV-talent-show-performed than deeply owned. “I lost a part of me trying so hard to please/ I just find my echo/ Now I’m trying to let go” she admits towards the end of the album.
The singer, 32, has got a narrative you want to get behind. She’s a refugee who fled Kosovo for London during her childhood. Her mum (a psychiatrist) is her biggest fan, and she earned her stripes singing in her dad’s pub. She was signed to Jay Z’s Roc Nation label at 18 and released her platinum-selling debut Ora in 2012. After a messy split from Roc Nation (Ora claims she had recorded material the label failed to release), she bounced back (on Atlantic) with the forgettably fun Phoenix. Over the past decade, she’s clocked 10 billion global streams and held the record for the most Top 10 singles for a British female artist. She’s sung at the Oscars, the Vatican, and for then-president Barack Obama. Props.
