British songbird Rita Ora continues to make a waves for herself here in the United States with her latest single, ‘R.I.P.’ (featuring Tinie Tempah). It’s hard to imagine that three years ago, the 21-year-old singer was plucked out of a London club and had to audition for the Roc Nation honcho Jay-Z.

Ora tells Billboard that Hov has been a great mentor throughout the recording process of her new album. “When I signed to Roc Nation, I was 18,” she recalls. “At 18, I was basically singing anything [and] talking about something that I didn’t really know.”

“The good thing about having a musician who is also your boss, is [having him] say, ‘Are you happy with it?’” she continues. “I was like, ‘I don’t know.’ He taught me about patience and they [Roc Nation] taught me how to find myself. I came back one day, and I swear, and I was like, ‘You know what? We need to do something else. And we flipped it and now we have this album.”

Her debut album is nearly complete and features contributions from The-Dream, Ester Dean and Drake, who penned ‘R.I.P.’

Originally, the song was intended for Drizzy’s album, but Ora was able to convince him to give her the track. “I heard it in the studio with Drake and I just said ‘I need this song,’” she recalls. “[When] I heard it I was like, ‘This is me so I need to have it.’”

Ora is also looking forward to a busy summer on the road. She will open up for the biggest band in the land, Coldplay, on their European trek. Going on the tour with a veteran group like Coldplay will be an invaluable experience for the London-based singer.

Ora always dreamed of becoming a performer and is pinching herself that her dreams are now being fulfilled. “It’s been a while of me finding myself, being honest with myself and then writing about it,” she says. “It’s great to finally realize it. When your time comes you need to grab it with both hands.”

Watch Rita Ora’s Interview with Billboard

Watch Rita Ora Perform ‘How We Do (Party)’

Watch Rita Ora Perform ‘R.I.P.’

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