Exclusive: Rita Ora celebrates her return to the Official Charts with You Only Love Me

You can't keep a good mogul down.

This week sees everyone's favourite bop merchant, Rita Ora, return to the Official Singles Chart with her comeback bop, You Only Love Me.

As we've come to expect from Rita, You Only Love Me undoubtedly slaps - complete with a sophisticated beat drop that makes the song sit comfortably alongside one of her biggest hits, Anywhere. 

This week, You Only Love Me arrives as the highest new entry on the Official Singles Chart, ahead of Rita's third album, which is expected to drop sometime later this year. It's her first under new label BMG, in a deal which sees her own her master recordings for the first time. 

Speaking exclusively to OfficialCharts.com today, Rita is celebrating her commercial return; "I'm so excited to hear [You Only Love Me] is this week's highest new in the Official Singles Chart today!"

MORE: Rita Ora's Top 20 biggest hits on the Official Chart

Rita continues: "I can't thank my fans enough for all their support. I love them all so much!"

Continue reading below for more with our interview with Rita, and to listen to the forthcoming Shift K3y remix of You Only Love Me.

Rita, welcome back. And you are BACK – You Only Love Me is, as we’ve come to expect from you, a bop. What made this the first single you wanted to return with after some time away?

Thank you! A lot has changed over the past couple of years. I opened myself up to finding love again and entered a new phase of my life and career. With ‘You Only Love Me’ I wanted to capture the vulnerability I experienced during the early stages of this journey.

How long have you been working on this song? It certainly seems like the most personal song you’ve released to date – have you gotten more comfortable with including personal details and more vulnerability in your music?

Its one of the earliest tracks I started working on for my upcoming album and captured how I was feeling in a particular time, a feeling of vulnerability as I learned to let go of the past to embrace new experiences. It is a very personal song, and I feel very comfortable with that. I am really enjoying being an open book in my music and bringing my fans closer in this way.

You’ve included your partner Taika’s voice in the song (very Velvet Rope of you) how easy was it to convince him to be a part of the song?

I keep lots of voice notes and notes in general. Not just messages, but ideas - anything that make me feel happy and inspires me. I was never worried about putting Taika on the track as he has the best sense of humour, and we laugh all day together. One of my favourite things about him, is his sense of humour. And he loved the idea. He is so, so creative and the most supportive person I have ever met. He makes me feel like everything I do is the best thing he has ever heard, and it really makes me feel so strong. 

In your recent GQ profile, you said that the upcoming album, your third, is going to be your most personal yet, how do the rest of the tracks stack up against You Only Love Me? You’ve taken proper control in the writing of the record right?

There’s a lot of love, passion and emotion pouring out of the new album, and I can’t wait to share it with the world later this year.  It’s definitely very ,very personal. It reveals different ways I felt at different points of my journey in life and love. I have written every single song on the album either alone or with other musicians, and I have enjoyed every minute of the process. I feel very privileged to be in the position I am in now, with my new partnership with BMG, who have given me ownership over my masters and encouraged me to take creative control on every level.

You worked with Lewis Thompson on You Only Love Me and I’ve seen you in sessions with Stargate and Oak Felder on your social media for the album, after over a decade (!) in the pop making business, what do you look for in collaborators now?

Feeling we ‘click’ is the most important thing for me. We must have a certain energy in the room where we can make magic happen. It’s incredible when you work with a collaborator who shares your vision and helps you bring it to life in the studio.

The video for You Only Love Me was certainly eye-catching - please tell me your real wedding wasn't as chaotic!

The video is more of an alternative universe “nightmare” wedding rather than a real wedding! It was fun a play on the stories, the rumours [about Rita's wedding to Taika] – it’s very comedic and tongue in cheek. I’m a bit of a prankster and I do like to do things like that. I just thought it would be fun to play and have some fun, whilst wearing a GORGEOUS vintage YSL dress from 1987!

You Only Love Me is your first release under BMG, in a new deal that lets you own your own masters, how important was it for you going forward in this next stage of your career to take ownership of your art? You seem emboldened, more so than ever

Owning my music is a huge moment and milestone for me. Something I’ve always dreamed of experiencing, and something that feels very empowering to me. BMG’s approach to artist ownership and control is very much aligned with mine. I feel so motivated to be working with such a dynamic, creative, forward-thinking global company.

You Only Love Me is out now via BMG. Listen to the Shift K3Y remix of the track here from midnight February 11.

Article Image: Edward Cooke