Responding to the backlash over her latest single 'Girls', the actress/singer says that the song is inspired by 'a very real and honest experience in my life.'
- May 15, 2018
AceShowbiz - Rita Ora has opened up about her relationships with men and women while apologising for offending fans with her bisexual anthem "Girls".
The 27-year-old singer has teamed up with Cardi B, Charli XCX and Bebe Rexha on the tune, which features the chorus lyrics "Sometimes I just wanna kiss girls, girls, girls/Red wine, I just wanna kiss girls, girls girls", and boasts about how "open-minded" the singer is.
She sings: "I'm 50/50, and I'm never gonna hide it."
Following the release of the track, Rita was asked if she is bisexual, but she declined to label herself, stating, "I think the way... If people look at it like that, it's very narrow-minded, and I don't think that's what this record is. I don't think that that even matters."
However, she has now revealed she has been in relationships with men and women in an apology letter she posted on Twitter on Monday, May 14, after some fans and fellow artists, including pop singer Hayley Kiyoko, criticised the song's "tone deaf" lyrics as "dangerous" because they "completely belittle and invalidate the very pure feelings of an entire community."
In her apology, Rita explains the tune "was written to represent my truth and is an accurate account of a very real and honest experience in my life."
"I have had romantic relationships with women and men throughout my life and this is my personal journey," she adds.
— Rita Ora (@RitaOra) May 14, 2018
Real talk 🌈 pic.twitter.com/9EbZd5dYZq
— Hayley Kiyoko (@HayleyKiyoko) May 11, 2018
"I am sorry how I expressed myself in my song has hurt anyone," she continues. "I would never intentionally cause harm to other LGBTQ+ people or anyone. Looking forward, I hope that continuing to express myself through my art will empower my fans to feel as proud of themselves as I'm learning to feel about who I am. I have strived to be a contributor to the LGBTQ+ community throughout my entire career and always will be."
