Rita Ora Parts Ways With Roc Nation, Signs With Warner Music

Rita Ora and Jay Z's Roc Nation have officially parted ways, following a lawsuit filed last year describing an "orphaned relationship" between the British singer and the label, which issued a counterclaim a month later. A source confirms to Billboard that Ora has signed with Warner Music, though specifics of the deal have not been disclosed. Requests to Roc Nation for confirmation of a settlement between Ora and the company were not returned.

Ora's legal team filed a suit in December in Los Angeles Superior Court seeking a break from a five-album recording contract she signed in 2008. She had accused the company of a "diminished" status with "only a handful of admittedly worthy heritage superstar artists" in its roster, and that said she felt increasingly neglected as the company began diversifying into sports management and other endeavors.
Roc Nation responded a month later with a cross-complaint, arguing that it spent over $2.3 million recording and promoting Ora's debut release, 2012's Ora, and that she was in breach of her contract for not producing four more albums.

Roc Nation Files Counterclaim Against Rita Ora -- But Ora's Attorney Says Out-of-Court Settlement Is Near.
Despite the contentious tone of the lawsuits, Ora's attorney Howard King told Billboard at the time that Jay Z had called the singer shortly after she filed suit to ensure her that a release was imminent and that the matter would be settled out of court. "We're in the process of finalizing those details," he said. "[Jay Z] could not have been more gracious."
Ora signaled a new era for her career in a Snapchat post over the weekend. In it, the singer shares a photo of two pieces of paper with smiley-faced suns covering them, along with the caption "Contract time!!"