Phone Home Right Now! Rita Ora Finds Inspiration from Steven Spielberg Classic in Taika Waititi Directed Video for Don't Think Twice
Key Highlights :
Picture this - you've lost control of your car and crashed in a forest, somewhere in rural New Zealand. You're alone, but fortunately you have a dog for company, a BMX bike in the boot and a handful of snug fitting hoodies to keep you warm. Granted, it's an unlikely scenario, but this is the predicament Rita Ora finds herself in throughout the glossy promotional video for her latest single, Don't Think Twice.
Directed by filmmaker husband Taika Waititi - best known for his work on the Oscar winning Jojo Rabbit - the slick three and a half minute promo was shot entirely on location in his home-country, and appears to draw inspiration from one of cinema's greatest talents. Wearing a red hooded top as she stumbles from her battered car, Rita conjures images of 10-year old Elliot Taylor in Steven Spielberg's 1982 classic E.T: The Extra Terrestrial. The Spielberg motif is all but confirmed as the singer hops onto the saddle of a BMX bike while navigating the maze like forest.
Along the way we see Rita transformed into a bizarre alien princess while chasing hooded clones through the trees, before finally emerging on a windswept beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Husband Taika also gets a look in, with the director making a blink-or-you'll-miss-it appearance as the video reaches its climax.
Discussing the song, Rita admitted its lyrical content was inspired by her relationship with the director, who she started dating while working on The Voice Australia in 2020. 'Don't Think Twice is about not thinking twice and just jumping in, romantically,' she said. 'You only live once, so it's really about seizing the moment, and not being held back by thoughts of what might or might not happen.'
Don't Think Twice is the third single to be released from Rita's upcoming album, You & I and follows the release of singles You Only Love Me and Praising You featuring Fatboy Slim, which have accumulated over 80 million global steams to date. Last weekend the singer joined Fatboy Slim - real name Norman Cook - onstage at the Glastonbury festival after travelling back to the United Kingdom from Sydney, where she spends the bulk of her time with husband Taika.
Speaking to Vogue Australia in June, the couple revealed in the interview the secret behind their successful marriage is making time for one another. 'That's the thing about marriage, about relationships, it's about finding that person that you want to hang out [with] and making sure you actually do that,' Taika said. Rita added: 'It's about sacrificing certain things and making time for one another, especially when there's two busy people in the relationship... If you really care about someone you will figure it out.'
Taika also admitted that he felt 'relaxed and at ease' whenever he's around Rita. 'I've done a lot of things with other people that I've never been in a relationship with that feel very stiff, and the energy is not really there.' 'So to do something with my best friend, it's just more relaxing for us. We're more at ease with each other and we can joke around and then we can also get serious when it needs to be.'
Meanwhile, Rita revealed that her husband was the 'biggest inspiration' behind her new album You & I. Don't Think Twice is available to purchase or stream from Friday, 30th June.
Rita Ora's new single Don't Think Twice is a powerful reminder to seize the moment and live life to the fullest. Directed by her husband Taika Waititi, the slick three and a half minute promo was shot entirely on location in New Zealand and appears to draw inspiration from Steven Spielberg's classic movie E.T: The Extra Terrestrial.
The video opens with Rita's car parked in a clearing, a curious red light emitting from its interior. As the singer navigates a dense forest she finds herself confronted with a clone, dressed in identical clothing. As if finding a way out of the forest wasn't hard enough, she's also transformed into an alien princess as the video reaches its end.
Fortunately Rita has plenty of hooded tops to depend on during her trek through the woods, with the singer promptly changing into a white number. Rita finally confronts one of the cloned versions of herself, with potentially perilous consequences. She is joined by a hooded companion as they gaze out at the water.
Don't Think Twice is a song about not thinking twice and just jumping in, romantically. It's about sacrificing certain things and making time for one another, especially when there's two busy people in the relationship. It's a reminder that if you really care about someone you will figure it out.
The video for Don't Think Twice is an exciting journey of discovery for Rita Ora and her fans. Directed by Taika Waititi and shot entirely on location in New Zealand, it's a stunning reminder to seize the moment and live life to the fullest. Don't Think Twice is available to purchase or stream from Friday, 30th June.
