Rita Ora dedicates album to ‘good friend’ Avicii

Rita Ora says her long-awaited second album is dedicated to Avicii, who died earlier this year. The singer, 27, worked with the Swedish DJ for her song Lonely Together, which was released as a single last August.

She has paid tribute to the late producer, who died in a suspected suicide, by including the track on her new album Phoenix.

She told A List: “I am paying homage to him by putting Lonely Together on the album. We are holding the flame for him. He was an incredible person and such a talent. We were very good friends and he changed my life. In a way, the album is dedicated to him.”

Ora launched her album — the first since her debut Ora in 2012 — at a private party at Annabel’s in Mayfair last night. She was joined at the bash, sponsored by Cîroc vodka, by friends including Nick Grimshaw, as well as her sister Elena and parents Vera and Besnik.

Ora said the lengthy lawsuit with former management company Roc Nation was partly to blame for the delay between albums, but said the legal battle had also inspired the title.

She said: “It really is an empowering message. I’ve never really been into Greek mythology but phoenix is a really common theme — it’s really strong.

“It’s like a new lease of life — like a phoenix which has so many lives. I felt like a phoenix to be honest — I’ve had to go through a lot to get this album done, and I finally did it.”

The star said she will always make London her home, adding that one of the songs is dedicated to the city.

She said: “Falling To Pieces is about London and is the track I’m most proud of. It has a lot of musical elements to it. It has very sad lyrics but it is juxtapositioned against upbeat music. It’s a balance of what London makes me feel like. It’s my home."