STOP Ignoring These Rules | Mastering Success with Rita Ora

You have something to fall back on. I had no— nothing. You can't fall back on anything, you know, that's what makes you hungry. There's nothing worse than somebody not believing what you're doing.

When she enters a room, it changes, and that presence, you can't duplicate that.

What's up, Believe Nation? It's Evan Carmichael. My one word is believe, and I believe in you, and I want to see that great thing that you have inside of you come out so you can help change the world. So to help you on your journey today, we're going to learn from singer and actress Rita Ora and my take on her top 10 rules for success. Rule number 6 is my personal favorite, and I'd love to know which one you guys like the best. And as always, guys, as you're watching, if you hear something that really resonates with you, please leave it down in the comments below and put quotes around it so other people can be inspired. And when you write it down, it's much more likely to stick with yourself as well. Enjoy!

Are you surprised how your life has changed?

Yeah.

Because it seems to have changed pretty fast.

Yeah, it has. 2 years ago, I was in my flat, kind of not knowing what was going to happen.

That's extraordinary. Because you feel— do you feel like this was always going to happen?

Mm. I didn't know, which is kind of what gave me hope. But I knew that I had to end up doing something like this.

You see, that's what I think makes— for me, that is what determines success. I very much feel like when you know inside you, like, I am born to do this thing, this is what I'm really good at, I don't know what else I'm gonna do, so I might as well put everything I've got behind it.

You have to.

You have to and not be afraid.

I think that if you have a plan B, you know you have cushions. You have an out. You have something to fall back on. I had no— nothing. You can't fall back on anything. You know, that's what makes you hungry.

It's true.

It really does. And it's made me starving. And I kind of still am. I'm never gonna lose that hunger, but I'm just so grateful that, you know, I didn't give up. As a new artist, how you rise and how you come up is kind of really crucial because in the meantime— because you could be creating your blueprint at the same time, you know, your structure, and no one else could be going up the same way as you. So I tend to try and like not do things differently, but just do it my way, you know. Like I always have to know what the back of my website looks like, or I always have to know, you know, when when so-and-so is coming out and why there isn't posters of my album out yet on the walls, you know what I mean? I kind of always am involved with everything, even if for a split second, even if it's just a question. I think that's why I think it's really important that every artist should be like that and not just depend on, you know, the label. It's your project, you know, it's your baby, so you've got to make sure you look at every single aspect. There's nothing that goes past these eyes right here, like this. I mean, I don't think you should do anything forced as a new artist. It's so— there's nothing worse than somebody not believing what you're doing, you know. If it's not you to dress up and all that, then don't do it. I mean, it is me. I love dressing up. I've always loved being in costumes and put on wigs and makeups and kind of painting my nails all different colors and just being crazy. But if that's not you, don't do it. I wouldn't do anything if it wasn't me, and people will know that. Like, the public's smart. People think sometimes that, you know, you just feed the public what they want and they'll just have it, but they won't. They'll spit you right back out if they don't believe you, and you can't— they won't care if that's who you really are. So I would have to just say you have to just really be you and embrace those little bits that make you you and times them by 10. Like, I know, for example, your hair's dark and you're a singer and you've got dark hair. Like, go, like, you know, be dramatic with it and embrace, I don't know, the fact that you've got Arctic Monkeys. I mean, I love them, mother. The fact that you got Romance, bromance. Oh, romance. You know, there's things that make everybody individual. That's what you have to just think about in your head and then say, this is what I am, so I'm gonna just times this by 10, 15,000 because that's me.

You can see the potential. When she enters a room, it changes. And that presence, you can't duplicate that, you know, especially at such a young age. It was just infectious to me that, man, she loves this. She's driven in that way. The first time I truly saw her on stage was at the Cartier event in New York City. To have that sort of stage presence and that sort of energy, the music went off and she still was like, "More!" Like she still wanted to go. She jumped off the stage at one point, dancing with the crowd. It was a great moment. Being from London and all, she has that bit of Brit rock, you know, punk rock feeling to her, which I love.

Do you care about the singing anymore?

Of course.

This fashion thing, though, is working for you. The thing is, okay, the thing is, Wendy, the thing is, I've been in such a hoo-ha with the music, right?

Hoo-ha?

That it kind of turned into a thing where I wanted to outdo myself, so I started doing other things. And why not? You have an empire. That's what I want to do. Are you gonna be in the next Fifty Shades of Grey movie? I sure am. Good for you. Yeah.

Do you know what I feel like?

I feel like you— I'm not even saying this, but, like, you do so much shit, it's amazing to see someone can just be such a boss in their own right, do you know what I mean? And like, I've always felt like— I've always felt like when I was a kid, I was like, "I want to do so many things," you know? I never looked at myself as doing a one-thing pony. So the TVs and the films and this, it's like building an empire, you know what I mean? I feel like we are like a new breed of entertainers. Yeah! Do you know what I'm saying? There you go.

And it's great!

How did you get like management, radio DJs to notice you, producers to notice you? Like, 'cause there's so many people doing the same thing. And it's tough, but like, how did you make yourself stand out? I think it all starts from you, first of all, being ready to sacrifice things. Like, I'm ready to be broke for a while. I'm ready to, you know, have arguments with people because they think I'm making the wrong choice. You've got to, first of all, like, make that decision with yourself, being like, "OK, you know what? I'm actually gonna do this." And then once you do do it, you know, it's the consistency. Like, show up to the studio every single day even though you're not supposed to. Keep— like, wake up every single day, go studio, studio, studio, studio. Like, that's all you should be doing. Working with people that, like, you don't care, that just make music. Finding beats online that, you know, you write on top of. You know what I'm saying? Like, putting things online, taking people's attentions from a bar. Like, I know you might be in a bar with 7 people. I used to perform in a pub 4 regulars that would never even turn around. They didn't turn around. I know the feeling. Joke's on them now. Yeah, well, um, what I'm saying is it's the consistency of you. You have to just always be seen everywhere. Show your face absolutely everywhere. Oh, it's that girl. It's slowly but surely people will start remembering the face. You know, I think everybody has the right to express their artistic integrity, and mine is visually, just as it is musically. And I think I've learned that from, you know, artists like Madonna, you know, the fact that I saw a documentary of hers recently, I rewatched it, called In Bed with Madonna, and the way her work ethic is, you know, she has her fingers in all the pies. And I think that's so important to know everything from, you know, what you're spending, you know, to what you're doing, what you're feeling, how you want people to perceive you, who's directing it, whatever the cause is, it's kind of like putting your own money into things. That's what's important. So I loved it. I think that's very important to me, being everywhere, anywhere, and knowing what you're doing. So that's what is important to me. I heard Poison out there. Oh yes, I know, it was the second time I've ever performed it. So how does it feel when you got new songs? Is it nervous, nerve-wracking? Hearing the reaction, or are you all having it? Of course it's nerve-wracking because it's like your new baby, do you know what I mean? And you're putting it out in the world, but the thing is you just got to go for it, and that's what I did with Hot Right Now and Party and BS and RIP and everything that I've done. I just went with my gut, so that song just felt right for me at this moment in time in my life. So Poison, it's nice to perform it live finally. I mean, you've just got to slog away. I mean, there's no beating around it, there's no fast track. I mean, obviously we've got X Factor and we've got all those amazing TV shows But I mean, if you want to do it, I would say properly, like the traditional way, get ready to get kind of like ignored, people not paying that much attention, blah blah blah, but you just can't let it get to you. And I mean, I was the biggest egotistical person ever. Like if somebody stepped on my ego, I would never talk to them ever again. Like I was so sensitive. And then my friends just turned me around and said, you need to just "Get some ball bags, wake up, and do your thing." And then that's when I thought, "OK, you know what? Alright." And just sing what you want to sing. You know, you just got to sing what you want to sing. There's going to be so many opinions. "No, this isn't good for the radio," or, "This isn't good for that song," or, "That doesn't really connect with you." But, you know, the only person that really knows is you. You're going to get given a lot of songs from other people, and, "Oh, I've written this song. You should sing it." And, um— Obviously there's nothing wrong with singing someone else's song, but there's nothing better than making a song your own, you know? So I think it's just— it all comes from you convincing. Like, it's like playing, playing poker, but like with music, you know? You're playing, you're playing you to the world, so you've got to be as convincing as possible, otherwise nobody else will believe it.

All right, so do you want lyrics?

Yes, please.

Okay, I've got lyrics. Okay, Feti Rita is about to do your, your track right now. Make it your own. 'Cause the best thing about when she did Festus Gang, for those of you that missed it, was when she just made up her own lines.

I just made up my own words.

Okay, let's drop the instrumental.

Okay, here we go.

Are you ready?

Yeah.

Rita Ora, this is an exclusive. Fetty Wap, trap queen. Show them how the UK do it.

Okay, here we go.

What? Ora in the building. Massive, massive, yes. Tell 'em now. What?

What?

Tell 'em now. Boom, boom. I'm saying hello. Seen your pretty ass soon as you came in the door. I just wanna chill, go to Sapporo. Marry to the money, introduced her to my stove. Showed her how to whip it, now she remixing for dough. You my trap queen, let her hit the fento. We be counting up from watch our money bento. We just set a goal, talking mucha lime froze. At 56, a grandma manna fento. Man, I swear I love her, how she work that dime pole.

Hit the strip club, hit the chip shop, fento.

Everybody hatin', we just call 'em fento. In love with the money, I ain't Never letting go. And I get high with my baby. I just left the mall, I'm getting fly with my baby. And I get right with my baby. I just hit the moonlight, getting fly with my baby. I'm just getting down with the remix, boy. I know that I'll get this flow. Getting down with the remix, get the act monetized. And I'm rich and broke, I'm working on the load. I'm dealing on the low. Fixing up the grind, better get it right. Better get it right with my rhyme. Better get it, get it, my mix and flow. Better get it, get it with the Ritz and Roll. See that?

Woo!

You killed that.

Oh, thank you.

You killed it.

Thank you guys so much for watching. I made this video because Latoya Afro Hairstylist asked me to. If there's a famous entrepreneur that you would like me to profile next, check out the link in the description and go and cast your vote. I'd also love to know what did you learn from this video that had the biggest impact on you? What lesson are you going to take and immediately apply it somehow in your life or in your business? Leave it in the comments below. I'm really curious to find out. I also want to give a quick shout out to Katie from Dark Blue Nutrition. Katie, thank you so much for picking up a copy of my book, Your One Word, and posting that picture on Twitter. I really appreciate your support and I'm so glad that you enjoyed the read. Thank you guys again for watching. I believe in you. I hope you continue to believe in yourself and whatever your one word is. Much love.

I'll see you soon.

What's it like working with other people in comparison to putting out solo singles? It's amazing because the pressure's off. Yeah. I mean, no, it's great. I mean, the pressure's always on. If I put my name on something, then I commit to it 100%, you know what I mean? You know, some people do collaborations and you never see them, see them for like promos or interviews, and it's like, no, I love making music, especially with another musician, because it's like the vibe and the energy and like it's exciting because you don't know what's going to happen. Growing up, I always loved music. I always listened to music. I think everyone does, but it kind of It touched me in a lot of different ways, but then when I found out I could actually do it as a job, it just made me really driven and I kind of wanted to make a statement, you know? I wanted to make a musical kind of statement. Don't know how I was gonna do it, I don't know when, or I don't know where. I just knew that one day, like, if I wrote, and I write, and I wanted to do what I wanted to do, like, someone will hear it.

Can I sing for you real quick? 'Cause I really want you to hear my voice, 'cause I really wanna jump on with you, man.

I'd love this opportunity.

Would you want to? I'd love to.

I'd love to do this.

I mean, unless they wouldn't mind, because there might be loads of questions, but then I would love you to sing if you want to sing.

We keep it super quick.

I'll do a real quick section. This is my song called Showstopper. I wrote this. It's basically about someone being proud of your other half, okay? I'll sing the hook for you real quick. You're rocking all say-so with tight, skin-tight jeans. You know you're working. You're the finest thing I've seen. Red hot lips teasing with your fingertips. Baby girl, you working. My baby's a showstopper, nobody out here can touch her. My baby's a showstopper, you better sing, and she's all mine, mine, mine.

Thank you. Amazing. Thanks, Mark. You've got a little sex to your songs then, I guess. I guess you're a fan of intimacy.

I love, I love it. Oh man, I love I listen to all the greats and I, you know, I write and produce myself.

One thing I would love to say is we as singers always like— because we listen to, I would say, American music so much, we tend to forget our accents. And I've learned this technically through recording millions of songs. Like I said, the first album I recorded, I scrapped the whole album because everyone was like, where are you from? You know? And I know we forget because that's not what we are, but because we're so surrounded and our idols are like, you know, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, what I can say to you is your accent's great. Keep it. Try and keep it in your music because it's the easiest way to distinctive, you know, it'll make it distinctive even if it's a tiny bit. I'm even learning that right now. Sometimes I stop myself in the studio. I'm like, why am I saying candy when I say candy? You know what I'm saying? So it's like, I know it sometimes doesn't flow musically, but that for me was a big, big task because I'm from London. So if you go to America, they have American singers over there. It's such a weird thing that what I'm saying, but accents and being proud, being where you're from really helps people. It's weird, I know. I don't understand it either, but it helps. But you have an amazing voice.

Thank you, Rita.

Of course.

So let me give you the one word secret to happiness. One word.

This is all you need to be happy.

The most important word ever.

If you had to think of one word that's most important to you or that sums you up or that would be kind of like a little beacon.

Hey, Believe Nation, if you want to know what the most important one word is for Tony Robbins, Gary Vaynerchuk, Oprah Winfrey, WILL.I.AM and Howard Schultz, I have a very special secret video for you. Check the description for details.