album Rita Ora - 'You & I'

[Nashe]

so in conclusion, it's not her being lazy but that company doing a sh!tty job?

[Nefertiti0]

11 minutes ago, Nashe said:

so in conclusion, it's not her being lazy but that company doing a sh!tty job?

even if the messages were pre-written then at least Raye's signature looks like hers. Banquet is not the one to blame for Rita Ora's fake signatures, they canceled some of Rita's orders because those were not signed.

[Nefertiti0]

 

[haimpedro]

as expected this made zero noise.... actually it's worse than i expected with this signed copies mess lol

[Nashe]

#99 in UK midweeks

[Supervillain]

10 minutes ago, Nashe said:

#99 in UK midweeks

Christ  

[SomeGirl]

14 hours ago, Nefertiti0 said:

even if the messages were pre-written then at least Raye's signature looks like hers. Banquet is not the one to blame for Rita Ora's fake signatures, they canceled some of Rita's orders because those were not signed.

Rita doesn’t exactly have a consistent signature though. Most of the ones from the in-person signing look different. Not saying I believe firmly one way or the other, but I do find it a bit weird that someone would mimic certain elements, like the way she draws a heart, but not one of her signatures or initials, which in a lot of cases is pretty much scribbling. Wouldn’t be that hard to mimic. Ultimately, Banquet are selling a product that they should absolutely be liable for the authenticity of, so if they messed up by not making sure it was a time they could be present to verify, they should definitely be refunding people anyway, whatever the case. Imo, if people received signed copies looking the same as some of the HMV ones, that you’d think could’ve been signed by anyone if not for the pics, they’d be calling them fake too. 

[Cbreezy]

14 hours ago, Nashe said:

#99 in UK midweeks

Now, will some of the head-in-the-clouds stans in this thread admit that there is indeed a disconnect between Rita and the public?!

 

Almost dropping out in week 2...after only selling 6k in week 1 makes it crystal clear that there is no audience. 

 

Saw way too much coddling and justifications for not using certain promo platforms properly. Now, look. 

 

Wishing her the best and some kind of bounceback. Be that with a random DJ collab or some chance luck with a TikTok viral moment. 

 

I think she ought to explore dropping EPs (much like Bang) to take the commercial pressure off ever really needing to drop an "album".

[Winged]

 

little controversy 

[SomeGirl]

4 hours ago, Cbreezy said:

Now, will some of the head-in-the-clouds stans in this thread admit that there is indeed a disconnect between Rita and the public?!

 

Almost dropping out in week 2...after only selling 6k in week 1 makes it crystal clear that there is no audience. 

 

Saw way too much coddling and justifications for not using certain promo platforms properly. Now, look. 

 

Wishing her the best and some kind of bounceback. Be that with a random DJ collab or some chance luck with a TikTok viral moment. 

 

I think she ought to explore dropping EPs (much like Bang) to take the commercial pressure off ever really needing to drop an "album".

You could’ve just tagged me. Don’t think anyone else really responded. I definitely do not have my head in the clouds, but I am a woman, so not the first time I’ve heard that. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone denying that her audience has always been the GP and that she doesn’t have a big fanbase. (And I could go into my belief on a big reason why that is but half of it is what I’ve already said). But you can’t really mean that the whole reason this didn’t do well is her disconnect with the public because she didn’t say exactly what you wanted to hear in an interview. What was the difference regarding connection during Phoenix then? What is Anne-Marie’s connection then? Becky Hill’s? Ella Henderson’s? 

The album isn’t good. Most comments on here have said as much. And beyond that, both Gustavo and myself laid out a bunch of issues we feel there are in campaign strategy. Yeah, clearly going the Bang route would be a good strategy…because it’s literally the sound people on this forum and others were hoping/begging for from her. Which this album was not. People want big bops from her and it’s clear from what she’s been saying in interviews that she knows that, and that’s what she’s going to focus on now. 

[SchmoodRing]

5 hours ago, Cbreezy said:

Now, will some of the head-in-the-clouds stans in this thread admit that there is indeed a disconnect between Rita and the public?!

 

Almost dropping out in week 2...after only selling 6k in week 1 makes it crystal clear that there is no audience. 

 

Saw way too much coddling and justifications for not using certain promo platforms properly. Now, look. 

 

Wishing her the best and some kind of bounceback. Be that with a random DJ collab or some chance luck with a TikTok viral moment. 

 

I think she ought to explore dropping EPs (much like Bang) to take the commercial pressure off ever really needing to drop an "album".

Lmfaooo wait for me to have a day off sis. I got you. Secure that wig. 

[Cbreezy]

43 minutes ago, SomeGirl said:

You could’ve just tagged me. Don’t think anyone else really responded. I definitely do not have my head in the clouds, but I am a woman, so not the first time I’ve heard that. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone denying that her audience has always been the GP and that she doesn’t have a big fanbase. (And I could go into my belief on a big reason why that is but half of it is what I’ve already said). But you can’t really mean that the whole reason this didn’t do well is her disconnect with the public because she didn’t say exactly what you wanted to hear in an interview. What was the difference regarding connection during Phoenix then? What is Anne-Marie’s connection then? Becky Hill’s? Ella Henderson’s? 

The album isn’t good. Most comments on here have said as much. And beyond that, both Gustavo and myself laid out a bunch of issues we feel there are in campaign strategy. Yeah, clearly going the Bang route would be a good strategy…because it’s literally the sound people on this forum and others were hoping/begging for from her. Which this album was not. People want big bops from her and it’s clear from what she’s been saying in interviews that she knows that, and that’s what she’s going to focus on now. 

Honestly didn't remember who said what. I just recall a lot of back and forth and getting downvoted for a few of my initial remarks.

 

Bringing up the Anne Marie's, Becky Hill's etc actually reinforces my point. They are all rather faceless, generic, and indistinguishable from each other musically (especially from a  streaming/radio perspective). Rita should NOT want to be in that bracket (yet unfortunately is). It's too reliant on the need for hits and GP approval. The music almost feels like an afterthought to the hustle of pleasing the most basic lane of the GP. Rita's own trajectory has shown why this is not the way to go. We're not going to sit here and pretend that this positioning happened "to" her and those girls. It's a willful lane they venture down: cater to the many rather than find savvy or interesting ways to grow artistically. There's never any incline, transformation, or experimentation. Like a Madonna, Rih, or Bey. In Rita and co's case, it's always so...mid. 

 

Relating that to my overall point, it's the exact reason why using her promotional spots effectively is vital. It's a fact that audiences respond to compelling stories. They respond to things that strike a personal chord. Rita is screaming that this "is my most personal album yet" (a very tired cliche in and of itself btw), yet her interviews still come across as vanilla and devoid of any real information that would foster a personal connection to...her. 

 

She can't have her cake and eat it too. She can't all at once put out generally basic music, be plagued with an air of "who is she / what does she even do" and still give little of interest in promotional settings and expect much back. 

 

It's not all her fault. She's done well in many regards all things considered. Ageism in Pop is a thing (Pheonix = her 20s / this album = her 30s) and the music industry at large is ruthless. But let's not pretend that a) she's a victim or b) that she hasn't had many chances (musically and across promo duties) to better sell herself artistically...and she constantly doesn't meet the mark. Nothing (literally nothing) separates a Rita song, performance, or interview now from 10 years ago and that's sad.

Edited July 27, 2023 by Cbreezy

[reymiu]

 

 

Notting Hill is my fave from the album too 

[reymiu]

21 hours ago, Nashe said:

#99 in UK midweeks

Girl using the Ellie Goulding comparison

 

Ellie's album lasted 2 weeks on the chart : 1 - 84 - OUT

 

This album sold less and debuted lower, it's bound to drop out the 2nd week 

[Power love]

16 minutes ago, reymiu said:

Ellie's album lasted 2 weeks on the chart : 1 - 84 - OUT

That’s ok Ellie already had a massive career & hits. 

Edited July 27, 2023 by Power love

[Nashe]

36 minutes ago, reymiu said:

 

 

Notting Hill is my fave from the album too 

Mine too. It's so good! 

I was actually expecting the album to be more like that song.

Since the album was bound to bomb, she could've taken a lot of risks sonically. 

[reymiu]

23 minutes ago, Power love said:

That’s ok Ellie already had a massive career & hits. 

I'm not using this to drag Ellie whatsoever

 

Delirium is actually one of my fave albums last decade

 

This is just the reality for UK pop girls. Jessie J flopped, Ellie flopped, Rita flopped and Jess Glynne's going to flop

[reymiu]

7 minutes ago, Nashe said:

Mine too. It's so good! 

I was actually expecting the album to be more like that song.

Since the album was bound to bomb, she could've taken a lot of risks sonically. 

Yeah I rly think she should have pushed You & I as a single 

 

She's going to bomb anyway. 

 

Releasing songs like You & I / Notting Hill / Girl in the Mirror would actually help her to be less anonymous and invite more audience to connect with more of her personal story

 

[Nefertiti0]

16 hours ago, SomeGirl said:

Rita doesn’t exactly have a consistent signature though. Most of the ones from the in-person signing look different. Not saying I believe firmly one way or the other, but I do find it a bit weird that someone would mimic certain elements, like the way she draws a heart, but not one of her signatures or initials, which in a lot of cases is pretty much scribbling. Wouldn’t be that hard to mimic. Ultimately, Banquet are selling a product that they should absolutely be liable for the authenticity of, so if they messed up by not making sure it was a time they could be present to verify, they should definitely be refunding people anyway, whatever the case. Imo, if people received signed copies looking the same as some of the HMV ones, that you’d think could’ve been signed by anyone if not for the pics, they’d be calling them fake too. 

if you look at copies from Banquet you can see that R is written like this   so both the message and the signature were signed by the same person
this handwriting looks much neater than Rita's

Spoiler

Rita's "R" from HMV events looks different 

Spoiler

July 15
https://www.instagram.com/p/CuwxklGsuxM
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cuwxa_sMBbo/

July 14

July 16

the person who signed those for Banquet writes the letters P R D from the bottom to the top:



Rita writes from the top to the bottom




when Rita signs something she doesn't use capital letters and her "R" never looked like this on Banquet copies

Spoiler

 

[Mordecai]

I got this email:

 

 

Doesn't change the fact that we've seen 3 different signatures of Rita's

 

Oh well, looks like I'm not buying anything from her again

[SomeGirl]

3 hours ago, Nefertiti0 said:

when Rita signs something she doesn't use capital letters and her "R" never looked like this on Banquet copies

She has written in capitals 

 

Spoiler

 

I don’t disagree that there are elements, like that initial R, that are off. Was just noting that some elements are the same. My point is that ultimately Banquet are responsible for verifying, and as they didn’t do that, they should be refunding people regardless as there’s no proof. These should all come with some COA or what’s the point? For all I know, she got tired and started signing with her right hand. 
 

On top of that, now there’s people saying that they were told by Sophie Ellis Bextor’s team that they weren’t aware of personalizations, though she did sign them, and there’s people saying their Ellie Goulding signatures don’t match. So clearly this is a very flawed process on Banquet’s part. 
 

Spoiler

 

 

[Nefertiti0]

"You & I" left the UK Albums Chart after 1 week

it went from #6 to #179 [1,100 sales]

Edited July 28, 2023 by Nefertiti0

[Nashe]

47 minutes ago, Nefertiti0 said:

it left the UK Albums Chart after 1 week

 

this must be very discouraging for her. she needs to completely reevaluate her strategy.

[Nashe]

18 hours ago, SomeGirl said:

On top of that, now there’s people saying that they were told by Sophie Ellis Bextor’s team that they weren’t aware of personalizations, though she did sign them, and there’s people saying their Ellie Goulding signatures don’t match. So clearly this is a very flawed process on Banquet’s part. 

This is what I've been saying. It's not Rita's or her team's fault, these are sneaky methods from that company!!

[SomeGirl]

2 hours ago, Nefertiti0 said:

"You & I" left the UK Albums Chart after 1 week

it went from #6 to #179 [1,100 sales]

The difference between #6 and #179 is only around 5K copies??  I think there are a few big artists fooling fans into thinking that people still care about albums in 2023 because these sales are soooo low.