Rita Ora, ‘Roc the Life’ – Song Review

Rita Ora employs roaring electric guitars and loud drums on the new song 'Roc the Life,' which she released on her YouTube page this week. It's a big departure from her debut dance hit 'How We Do (Party).'

The title of 'Roc the Life' seems to be a reference to the rock style of the song and to Ora's Roc Nation family. With a bit of swagger and youthful enthusiasm, Ora shows that she can pull off the style quite well. Lyrically, she brags that her life is rocking because she's living a carefree life and ignoring the haters:

"Kick the motherf---er to the cizzurb / You think you're crazy, I'm bizzurb / I'm off the chain, you gotta love it / I can't express enough how bad I want it / Baby one day I wanna be there / Beyond the stars like a zillionaire / I got my clique up in here, put them diamonds in the air / You can hate this all you want but we gon' take this everywhere / Don't pay them no never mind, you just a waste of time / Baby, watch it from the sideline / While I rock the life."

Comparisons to Rihanna's rock-tinged 'Shut Up and Drive' may be inevitable, but Ora's song feels fresh and comes across as a lively pop song even as it incorporates the power of rock and roll and the self-confidence typically found in hip-hop.

It's not clear if 'Roc the Life' will be her third single, or if Ora merely wanted us to see a different side of her musical personality, but we love where this one is coming from. Her self-titled album 'Ora' is expected to hit U.S. retailers in September, with a tentative Aug. 27 release date set for the U.K.

Listen to Rita Ora, 'Roc the Life'