Rita Ora is Back!

Well technically Rita Ora never left, she just diverted her time and attention to other projects such as fashion, designing, coaching... the list is endless. One thing everybody's know about this woman is that she never stops, I’d love to know how many air miles she has racked up because I’m pretty sure she's spent more time in the air than on the ground.

But yes - it's true, Rita is back with new music and it's never felt so good to see a song with just her name on it. The past couple of months she has worked on some killer collabs with the likes of Iggy Azalea, Charli XCX and Charles Hamilton, and all songs have been massively successful. However it's so refreshing to hear something completely new with just Rita on, the new single Poison was more than worth the wait! Even if it did leak a couple of days prior, I remained faithful and waited until release because when you've waited so long for something, why ruin it with a shitty/low quality alternative? No thank you.

Rita's response to the leak? “It's fucking annoying, I hate it. But, whatever, it's online and you can't help that it happens. It's annoying you can't present the song the way you want it to be presented. At the end of the day though, people have been digging it, so it's kinda good they're leaking it...the fuckers!"

This woman takes no shit and from the first listen of Poison this is what I instantly recognised, not shit but growth and maturity. Its been three years since ORA; she’s grown up, she’s experienced new things and now she's expressing this through her music. With experience comes control and Rita now has complete control on which direction her musical career takes.

It may have taken a while but time and hard work has delivered something Rita and the fans are truly proud of. 

The Poison Music Video

With a new single comes a new video and I honestly had no idea what Rita had up her sleeve for Poison. Like I mentioned previously this single is very different to her other music so I was completely clueless as to what to expect. I Will Never Let You Down was a dance number therefore the video consisted of a dance routine. Poison is deeper as cliché as that sounds, the video is more meaningful than any of her other videos and it tells a story. We all know there has been speculation as to who the song is about and it was cool of Rita to confront the situation universally making it relevant and relatable for everybody. 

Gigs, Gigs, Gigs

The one thing I think everybody was most excited about Rita releasing new music was that this would mean live performances. The last time I saw her perform was at V festival last summer and even then the set was old, I had seen it so many times before. But don't threat because RO came back bigger than ever with a completely new set, new sound, new dancers, all new everything! Her first comeback performance in front of 60,000 people at Radio 1 Big Weekend literally had me gripped to the laptop, for a 'Ritabot' it was all a bit too much to handle. I would of done anything to be there!

From the outfit to the stage to the visuals filmed, edited and directed by Rita’s sister Elena - everything worked. Vocals were on point as always and the energy from the crowd was something else, there was even a couple of times where Rita was so overwhelmed with emotion she had to stop and regain herself.

Video Diaries

And to top it all off, she's only gone and brought back the video diaries - hallelujah! Something none of the fans would of expected. Back in 2011 before she made it big, Rita used to just sit in front of a camera and fill viewers in on what she had been up to, sang covers and showed us around her day-to-day life. Now although she's crazy busy, it's great to have an insight into what she's up to especially with the release of Poison and everything else.

People underestimate her and these diaries show the real (hilarious) Rita Ora that the fans adore. Just think for a moment, she hasn't released anything individually since March 2014 and her album in August 2012, YET everyday there was still articles talking about her and reporting her whereabouts. Whether they were positive or negative, at this moment in time who gives a shit because at the end of the day she's still here today slaying every corner of the industry. 

Just remember Rita will always be two steps a head. Who knows what’s next? She might just do a Beyonce and drop album 2 or we might spot her on the judging panel of next seasons XFactor?

Who knows, just be ready!

Soph's Weekly Playlist - 9th February

*Pretend it's Monday, please*

Since getting a real job in the real world (madness, right?) it has given me a lot more time for music. Travelling to and from Manchester allows me to sit down for a good hour, plonk my earphones in and concentrate on nothing but the music, melodies and lyrics... and maybe the attractive person facing me. However I have found myself creating playlists for my morning and evening commute and have decided to share this week's playlist! 

Sam Smith - Lay Me Down

His latest single and a new video that is currently slaying the charts of iTunes, Sam Smiths Lay Me Down is at the top of my playlist this week.  His sixth single from his debut album ‘In The Lonely Hour’ I’m almost certain this will be another huge success.

I’ve had his album on repeat since summer and surprisingly this is my most played song from the album. So obviously when I saw that he was re-releasing and putting out a video, I was a little excited! The song already made me cry like a baby and when I watched the video, everything simply fell into place. The whole video is a whirlwind of emotions from Smith marrying a man in a church and then mourning the loss of his husband at his funeral.  One thing that contributed to the constant tears that were flowing out of my eyeballs was the message it communicated – “this video shows my dreams that one day gay men and women and transgendered men and women all over the world, like all our straight families and friends, will be able to get married under any roof… in any country”. His endless fight and support for the LGBT community is inspiring and creating music and videos like this is all part of communicating this message.

Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney - FourFiveSeconds

I feel like I’ve been waiting years for new music from Rihanna… oh wait I have. Waking up to find notifications from Rihanna saying something along the lines of ‘NEW SONG, listen here…” Made me throw up. The fact Yeezus is also featured on the song may have contributed to the metaphorical throwing up (and now I pretend how happy I am that Paul McCartney is also featured on the track). It took me a couple of listens to get into it but now I cant’ stop playing it! Its a completely new sound for Rihanna and she’s slaying and its slaying – so whatever.

Charli XCX Ft. Rita Ora - Doing It

I cant type the title without screaming "WE STAYING ALL NIGHT, WE NEVER SLOW DOWN" What a bloody tune this is, I am obsessed with this song, its catchy as shit and instantly makes me want to get up, get drunk and dance the night away. Featuring Rita Ora, it’s the perfect collaboration for London Queens (see what I did there?) and pop music that gives you that good feeling. 

Ryn Weaver - OctaHate

I’m always on the hunt for new artists and new music and recently found Ryn Weaver through Billboard! Obviously after stalking her Twitter account and pictures, I was led to her sound cloud and found her song OctHate and after 10 seconds - I was hooked. It sounds like nothing I’ve ever heard before and it felt refreshing to hear something unique from a female artist. Her Promises EP will definitely be on repeat this week and you should go check her out on Sound Cloud.

Ellie Goulding - Love Me Like You Do 

The Weeknd - Earned It

Both songs from the soundtrack of the highly anticipated 50 Shades of Grey film, I cannot wait to get my hands on the whole soundtrack! Let me begin with The Weeknd because I am already a massive fan of his music and his whole sound is perfect for this film - romantic, hauntingly eerie and seductive. And then Ellie Goulding's 'Love Me Like You Do' has already topped the charts in the UK becoming this week’s number. I love that Ellie has made it her own; I thought the music for 50 shades would be really generic and shitty but getting artists such as Ellie G on board has created great music that is also giving great coverage for the film.

Nick Jonas - Jealous

Everybody loved the Jonas Brothers as a teenager, not only their looks but also their music. They didn't half release some right crackers like Burnin' Up and Paranoid (personal faves) - either way the fit one aka Nick has released a new single after 'that' saucy crotch grabbing photo shoot. "You're too sexy beautiful" he's sings in my ears every morning whilst I’m on my way to work, how kind! For a comeback single, Jealous is strong and although its not expected until 1st March, I have it feeling it’s going to do just great.

Raury - Armor 

Another new artist I have recently discovered - Raury was featured at number 4 in the BBC Music Sound of 2015! At the tender age of 18, this guy has already sang for Kanye and got the approval from Outkast. Raury is all about the lyrics, they're empowering and most importantly - honest. Armor begins with a feature shouting “nothing but a memory" but Raury soon drifts in with the sound of sweet piano keys, rapping about relatable relationship shit. Featured on his free EP/album Indigo Child - this guy is going to be the next best thing.

Meghan Trainor - 3am

I kind of hate myself my featuring this because I cannot stand All About That Base and it doesn't help that every time I turn Grimmy on in the morning, he's playing it! But everybody has been telling me to listen to her album and in the end I gave him and found myself playing 3am on repeat. One of her slower songs on the album, the beat reminds me of the music in the latest Annie adaption mixed with a bit of Lily Allen. Its just one of them songs that makes you bop when you hear it - I like it, I really like it.

Nicki Minaj Ft. Ariana Grande - Get On Your Knees 

A collab featuring two of the HOTTEST female artists in the world right now and what are they telling us to do? BABY, JUST GET ON YOUR KNEES. Yas, yas and yas for the female empowerment in this song! I love it. Girls rule, boys drool and it’s as simple as that. If you haven't heard this song, I strong advise you go and purchase The Pink Print a long with Ariana Grande's My Everything because every song will have you screaming SLAY in public. 

Wiz Khalifa - Promises

I was completely obsessed with his earlier albums Rolling Papers, ONIFC and Taylor Allderdice but recently I just haven’t enjoyed his music as much. Although I have just downloaded his latest EP 28 Grams, so I report my thoughts back on that next week. However Promises is one of his songs where I feel he really slowed down and stopped to think about writing a song with good lyrics and a good beat. I’m glad he's past (I say loosely) his repetitive shitty phase! ‘Promises’ really shows his potential and I hope he keeps creating music like this. 

Soph x

The Voice UK Blind Auditions - Week 1

After what feels like years, waiting for The Voice to finally air – it did, this weekend! Obviously, I would be tuning in this season because of the new, highly anticipated judge, Rita Ora. I hadn’t watched the Voice since Jessie J was a coach on the first season, so I was excited to see how they were going to keep us tuned in this time around. What did they do? Hire Rita Ora as the new judge. Life made. Rita joining the judging panel was exciting for the fans however I cant say the same for the public. You could say it caused quite a stir in the 'wonderful' world of media. I knew people were going to be unsure about her new role but I also knew as soon as the first episode aired everybody would see the real Rita Ora. We haven’t had much music from her, so having the chance to see her on Saturday night TV is a treat! Even if I already know what happens up to the battles. 

I was lucky enough to attend most of the auditions, from the blinds right through to the Battles. The auditions took place in Media City Salford, which is a 20minute tram ride away from me, so everything worked out perfect. I loved being in the studio and being able to empathise with the nervous constants and obviously, Rita (first time and all). The studio is so much smaller in real life, its freezing and the lights made my eyeballs dry up. I applaud Rita, Will, Tom and Ricky because they worked approximately nineteen-hour days. Considering I was wiped after one round of auditions which was *only* six or seven hours, I don’t know how they kept their energy levels up. I never thought sitting down for seven hours could be so tiring.

  

So Saturday night, 8.05 million people tuned in to The Voice. Considering a new season of the previously popular Stars in Their Eyes was on at the same time over on ITV, it only managed to pull in 3.68 million viewers. It was a successful night for The Voice and The BBC in terms of ratings. I do hope this is a means to go on because the programme has potential and so do the contestants this year. The whole dynamic of the show is innovative and concentrates on what really matters, so why do the public favour X Factor over The Voice? Probably because they play up to drama and create sob stories to make their contestants seem a little more interesting. At least with the BBC, there is no boring adverts every 5 minutes!

Each week, I have decided since I am seeing everybody's audition for the second time that I will kind of 'review' or just write down my thoughts about the contestants that stood out for me. Here we go...

Letitia George - first chair turner

Letitia was the first contestant of the blind auditions; her audition was one that distinctly stuck in my mind since the first blinds in September. As soon as she stepped onto the stage, her presence filled the room and then the sweet sound of Sam Smith’s ‘Stay With Me’ began playing. The room instantly rose to their feet and clapped along as she paraded the stage, clearly loving the support from the audience. We, as the audience were in the perfect position because we could see the judge’s reactions and obviously we could see Letitia. Ricky turned first, and then Rita chinned the button, Tom wasn't far behind and at this point the audience was going crazy!

What made her audition memorable for me was how confident she was in herself and this was portrayed in her performance. Oh and obviously that chicken question, Letitia definitely gets some sort of award for asking Tom Jones how spicy he likes his chicken. I’m laughing just thinking about it. Either way, after the judges battled for her, she became the first member of Team Ricky. 

Howard Rose - Guitar, beard & easy on the eye

Howard rose took on The Who's - My generation in his blind audition. His soft voice kept the audience mesmerised and his unique tone gave me instant goose bumps. Reaching notes so high that even I couldn't dream of hitting them. Knowingly, Rita gave Tom the stern nod of approval and silent 'he's just right for your team'. The performance started off slow with just a man and his guitar, however after Rita's "he sounds hot" comment, the drums kicked in and the performance boomed. Leaving me prancing around the room and bopping my head along, every thing about his performance perfectly portrayed his musical range. Rita couldn't keep still in her chair, and although I’m sure she'd have loved to turn, the judges only have 12 places and Rose is more Tom and Ricky's musical style. I've found when you're watching; it sometimes can be a bit predictable in terms of who is going to turn. Take the Tom Jones - welsh people example. Howard Rose chose Tom and he became the first member of Team Tom. 

Ryan Green - Rita’s first baby

I was in the studio when Ryan Green graced the stage, I was interested to see what he was going to sing as he sat down at his keyboard. And then I heard the first second of Coldplay’s – Magic and instantly knew Rita was going to fall in love. She covered this song a lot last year and it's my all time favourite cover by her. All of us instantly looked at Rita because she knew we knew. “Yes” she squealed in her chair, “yes” she knew exactly what her next move was going to be. Swinging her leg up, she used her super high platforms to press that button followed by “I knew it” – girl, we knew it too! Was anybody else dying whilst she was singing along with him? Gah. Props to Ryan for keeping his cool and finishing the song flawlessly. Rita was the only judge to turn for Ryan and now she has had her first baby. Congratulations Rita and welcome to Team Rita, Ryan.

Hannah Symons - More like PowerFULL

Singing a song that a previous contestant sung on was pretty amazing for the whole voice contestant controversy. Hannah sang Rudimental’s Powerless which featured Becky Hill (Season 1 contestant) and we later found out that Hannah actually co-wrote the song with “her friend” Becky! Seconds into the performance, Will was millimeters away from pressing his button, its ironic she is singing a song called Powerless as this is one thing her voice definitely isn’t. Rita followed, Tom’s hand was by his button and as soon as Will hit his button, Ricky followed. Her voice filled the room and instantly gave you that good feeling. sneaky Rita Ora was next to hit the button with her... bottom! “Rita, you’re so naughty”. Watching Hannah’s audition back, one thing I noticed was how much I was smiling through it, her performance was so energetic and made me want to get up and dance until my legs collapsed. Her voice did dwindle towards the end, but 3 out of the 4 judges turned so wouldn’t you be just a tiny bit excited? Lets welcome the second member of Team Ricky!

Stevie McCorie – Got all he wanted

Stevie’s opening line of Kodalines – All I Want made the hairs on the back of my neck stand UP! His voice is unreal and it just felt so natural. Again, another voice unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. Rita was the first to turn by again using her chin to hit the button – each to their own. Not only can Stevie have a voice sent down from heaven but he’s quite alright looking. After Rita turned and finally saw what he looked like, her reaction was priceless leaving her to melt into her chair. Tom soon pushed his button when Stevie hit the songs climax and Rita was not happy! She probably knew that she’d loose him to Tom because of his style of singing. Next thing you know, it’s the end of the song and ALL four judges have pushed their buttons and the four chairs have turned round. A very deserving reaction from everybody, no wonder his audition was left until the end of the program! Ricky rightfully won him over and so Stevie McCorie is the third member of Team Ricky.

I'd say Week 1, Episode 1 was a success! I have a good feeling I'm going to really enjoy this season and so with each new episode I will continue to update you on what I'm thinking and any extra juicy goss from when I saw it in the studio! 

I want to know what you thought of the episode 1!

Soph x