Rita Ora couldn’t have made her new album without Taika Waititi.
The ‘You Only Love Me’ hitmaker has never had such a “supportive” partner as the director – who she married in a secret ceremony last year – and praised him for helping her feel more “confident” when it came to working on her latest record ‘You and I’.
She told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: “I’ve never met someone who is so supportive of my work the way he has been. He loves all the songs on the album, including You and I – which is one of the most honest songs I’ve ever written.
“I don’t feel like there’s a lot to hide behind, I recorded it the day after we got married and it’s my perfect wedding song…
“He encourages me every step of the way, his support helped me feel more confident.
“The album started off as a diary and now it’s emerged as a full-blown love story. I’m at a stage in my life where I’m so content living in the now, and I wanted to share that in this album.”
The 32-year-old singer praised her parents for instilling a strong work ethic in her but insisted it doesn’t come before everything else because she’ll always make time for her loved ones.
She said: “I think my work ethic comes from my upbringing, it’s something my parents instilled in me.
“They always said that as an immigrant, I would have to work twice as hard to achieve my dreams. But they didn’t just teach me about working hard, they taught me about respect and how important family and loved ones are.
“I know how important it is to make time for your loved ones, and me and Taika always make sure we make that time.”