RITA ORA’s fourth studio album is almost complete – but no one is quite sure what to expect from it.
Aside from her husband, Hollywood director Taika Waititi, that is.
Speaking to Bizarre’s Jack at a London screening to mark the 10th anniversary of his hit film, Hunt For The Wilderpeople, Taika said Rita’s long-awaited album was “amazing”.
He added: “This new record is incredible. I’ve heard a lot of it.
“It was such a departure from stuff that she’s probably known mostly for. It’s a different sound.”
Taika directed the sultry video for Rita’s latest single, All Natural, and also directed and starred in the video for 2023’s Don’t Think Twice.
Getting Oscar-winner Taika to work on your project can’t come cheap, but Taika assured us with a wink that he and Rita had come to an arrangement.
He chuckled: “There is a very mates’ rates deal going on. I think it’s been free each time. It’s just fun to get to work together.
“It’s great because we’re kind of in similar industries, but they’re very different disciplines – and when you’re with someone, you want to be able to do some work together.
“I’m really amazed and surprised at what she does, but also super- confused all the time.”
Taika masterminded two of Marvel’s biggest hits – Thor: Ragnarok in 2017 and Thor: Love And Thunder in 2022.
He also plays the alien Korg in the films.
Taika admits that he’d love Marvel book bosses to sign up Rita for a role alongside him one day.
He said: “Younger me would like to see a Bond Girl Rita, but I think I’d find it more fun to see her doing a Marvel film.
“It would be great to see her as a villain.” Watch this space . . .
RAYE’S GLOWING WITH PRIDE
CHRISTMAS came early for Raye fans as she took to the stage in a sparkly red dress.
The Where Is My Husband! singer wouldn’t have looked out of place at a festive party as she headlined Brighton Pride on Saturday.
Her bill-topping set followed epic performances from Jessie J and Leigh-Anne Pinnock.
The Little Mix singer kept cool in a yellow bikini top and combat trousers – putting her growing baby bump on display.
She is expecting her third child with footballer husband Andre Gray. They had twin girls in 2021.
Brighton hosts the UK’s biggest Pride festival, but it is dwarfed by WorldPride, which took place in Amsterdam over the weekend.
Going all out to impress, organisers in the Netherlands somehow managed to land Madonna to perform.
She owned the Dutch stage in a bright purple corset and matching boots.
Taking camp to the next level, Madge was joined for her epic set by Kylie Minogue, who sang with Nick Cave at his Brighton gig on Friday.
Rumours are rife that the duo have a song together on a remix edition of Madonna’s latest album, Confessions II.
We should be so lucky . . .
THE WEEK IN BIZNESS
TUESDAY: ALEXANDRA BURKE struts her stuff in front of a star-studded audience at the press night for I’m Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre in West London, with Chaka herself set to attend.
WEDNESDAY: Ted Lasso is back in the dugout, three years after the last series aired, as Jason Sudeikis and Hannah Waddingham return for the fourth series on Apple TV.
THURSDAY: A weekend of festivals begin with Boardmasters in Cornwall, headlined by Kasabian, as well as Lakefest in Herts, Back 2 Festival in Leics and Deva Festival in Cheshire.
FRIDAY: Edinburgh Festival Fringe kicks off three weeks of comedy.
ARIANA’S IN FULL BLOOM
ARIANA GRANDE is dominating this week’s Official Chart First Look.
The One Last Time singer is on track to land three songs from her new album, Petal, inside the UK Top 20.
The album’s title track and second single, Petal, is currently at No3, while Kiss Me is at No6 and Stay sits at No11.
The album was streamed 62million times on its first day of release on Spotify, making it the platform’s 16th biggest first-day album debut by a female artist.
Ariana’s 2019 album, Thank U, Next, remains her biggest first-day debut, with 70million streams in its first 24 hours.
MUSIC guru Chris Herbert is the man who discovered the Spice Girls more than 30 years ago, and now he’s backing another feisty young act, Allegra.
She is gearing up to drop a new project called Unreleased EP on August 21 and has her sights set on collabs with top stars.
Allegra, right, said: “I’d love to work with someone like Rita Ora. We’d have so much fun. She’s got such cool style and I think we’d just have fun.”
Opening up about how she performs best, she added: “I like it when I’m feeling a bit sexy.
“I think I’m a bit angry at, like, a situationship or an ex- boyfriend, I’m looking hot in the music video and I’m like, ‘OK, I’ve got this’.”
1D GOING IN RIGHT DIRECTION
DURING their heyday, One Direction were a money-making machine.
And even though the That’s What Makes You Beautiful singers split up back in 2016, the cash keeps rolling in.
New accounts for the band, made up of Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and the late Liam Payne, have revealed they each made £2,636 a week last year.
And to top it off, they had to do absolutely no work for it.
Their two firms, 1D Media Ltd and PPM Music Ltd, are now worth a combined £3,814,044 – up more than £687,000 from the previous year.
It’s not a bad life, eh?
BEST TIME AT BESTIVAL
FATBOY SLIM brought the house down at Camp Bestival last night with his timeless dance classics.
Kids and adults alike were rocking away to Norman Cook’s high-energy hits Praise You and Right Here, Right Now.
He topped off an ace weekend of music at DJ Rob Da Bank’s ultimate family-friendly festival at Lulworth Cove, Dorset, where childhood innocence meets wild raving.
Packed crowds enjoyed brilliant sets from Billy Ocean, Example and Bastille. The latter even brought kids’ fave Bluey out as a surprise guest.
The highlight of the weekend for me was Self Esteem’s top performance. Unapologetically brilliant Rebecca Lucy Taylor didn’t tailor her trademark sweary songs for the young audience – and rightly so. “No one told me it’s a family-friendly festival,” she laughed.
“Not my fault you booked me,” before launching into racy sex positions track, 69.
Dashing from Mr Tumble to drum and bass bosses Fabio and Grooverider, there’s nowhere else people of all ages can sample the best of both worlds.