The mystery of the scrapped studio album is solved. While Rita Ora’s second record was reportedly delayed over the use of ex Calvin Harris’ tracks, the DJ is setting the record straight.
Writer George Griffiths asserted via Twitter on Saturday, November 26, that the 32-year-old “Body on Me” songstress could have been “one of the biggest pop stars” if her Harris-produced record wasn’t “torpedoed” before its release. The 38-year-old Scotland native, for his part, has cleared the air about his involvement.
“Entire thing is a myth, there is one unreleased song I worked on and it isn’t good,” the “One Kiss” performer tweeted on Saturday.
Ora, who has not publicly addressed the resurfaced drama, and Harris were first linked in May 2013. After nearly one year together, the two musicians split.
“To address speculation — myself and Rita ended our relationship some time ago,” the “How Deep Is Your Love” crooner tweeted in June 2014. “She is a beautiful, talented woman & I wish her all the best.”
Ora, for her part, initially blamed busy schedules and long distances as the primary factor in their amicable breakout. However, nearly one year later, the Kosovo native told Marie Claire that her former beau didn’t have her back.
“There was a reason why I split up with him,” Ora recalled to the magazine in their June 2015 issue. “And there was a reason why I’m at this point in my life where I feel like I have so much musical freedom, and I don’t have to explain myself to anybody… It was more of a thing where I was in awe. I was at that point in my relationship where I felt he could do no wrong.”
She continued at the time: “I thought he had my back and that he’d never steer me wrong. But then ‘I Will Never Let You Down’ came out, and everything started to go a bit weird. I don’t know if it was because business was mixed with personal or what.”
While Harris had penned Ora’s “I Will Never Let You Down” amid their split, the twosome soon made headlines after she claimed that the producer barred her from performing the track.
“For anybody who doesn’t understand how it works, he wrote and produced the song,” the Fifty Shades Freed actress told Ryan Seacrest during a 2014 interview on his eponymous radio show. “So, he has to approve anything TV-wise. … And obviously he owns the rights to it and he didn’t approve the Teen Choice Awards.”
The EDM musician later tweeted that he had a “damn good reason” for blocking Ora’s performance though declined to share further details.
The Masked Singer UK judge has since moved on with Taika Waititi, secretly tying the knot in August.
“I’m in love, I’m in love, I’m in love,” she gushed of her spouse during a September appearance on the “Greatest Night Ever” podcast, calling the Thor: Love and Thunder director, 47, a “lovely” person. “I’ve always wanted the fairytale, that’s what I grew up loving. For me, it was always about that love, finding a partner, so I’m really happy I did. I love Taika. Shout-out to Taika!”
Harris, for his part, moved on with Taylor Swift. After dating for more than one year, the “Thinking About You” artist and the 32-year-old “All Too Well” singer split in June 2016.