Rita Ora: Ora – review

Not many pop stars can they say they have duetted with Craig David, auditioned to represent the UK at Eurovision and signed a multimillion-pound deal with Jay-Z's Roc Nation. Unfortunately for Rita Ora, her backstory is the most interesting thing about her, with her debut feeling more like a collection of other people's songs than a cohesive album. Rihanna's influence is all over it – from the fact that the Drake-penned first single, RIP, was originally written for her, to the employment of most of her recent collaborators (Stargate, The-Dream, will.i.am etc). But while Rihanna stamps her authority on her best songs, Rita often sounds a bit lost amongst the aggressive bravado (the Diplo-produced Facemelt) or modern self-empowerment numbers (Shine Ya Light, Roc the Life). The three No 1 singles – RIP, How We Do (Party) and DJ Fresh collaboration Hot Right Now – are all clear highlights, but the lilting Hello, Hi, Goodbye and the sleek, Sia-penned Radioactive aside, there's just too much anonymity.