Watch Rita Ora’s Wild New York City Night in New ‘Anywhere’ Video

Rita Ora’s new video for “Anywhere” romanticizes being young and free in New York City. Directed by Declan Whitebloom (Taylor Swift, One Direction), Ora prances under the glowing screens of Times Square and through the narrow streets of chinatown, singing about the joys of anonymity in the bustling city. 

Ora cowrote “Anywhere” with Andrew Watt, who penned the similarly mid-tempo hit “Havana,” for Camila Cabello. “Anywhere” strides forward on a firm EDM beat that’s more a metronome guiding Ora’s vocal. Unlike her last single, the melancholic Avicii collaboration, “Lonely Together,” Ora sounds refreshingly unadorned on this simple song. 

“I was in a routine, working every day, and found myself day dreaming about breaking out of the city and going on a road trip with my friends and never looking back,” the singer said in a statement. “This is pop at its sweetest, most persuasive form of escapism.”

Ora’s forthcoming record, which will be her first official release in the Unites States, is set to arrive in 2018. The album’s first single, “Your Song,” was cowritten by fellow Brit, Ed Sheeran. 

In October, Ora launched The Open Mic Project, which calls upon fans to submit stories of acceptance, inclusion and fear until December 1st. Ora, who felt compelled by the project due to her refugee roots, said she will co-create a song from pieces of the submitted stories and premiere the result ahead of the 60th Grammy Awards in 2018. 

Watch the video below: