The clock hands had barely touched six o’clock in the afternoon and everyone was already sitting on their couches, anxiously following the countdown set by Eluv.io – the 4K streaming platform – and waiting for the beginning of what would be one of the most iconic nights of the year. The evening of September 30th had long been booked on the agenda of all fans in order not to miss the broadcasting of MelRose Productions’ brand new series Iconic People in Iconic Places. Rita Ora, the first British Female Solo Artist to have thirteen TOP10 hits in the UK – an icon herself – was about to perform at one of the most emblematic monuments in Europe, the Eiffel Tower.
For the fans, the night started with extreme curiosity and a bit of nerves. Considering the physical and cultural dimension of a monument such as the Eiffel Tower, naturally, the expectations were high. However, no one could possibly expect or predict what was about to happen. The whole show was positively overwhelming and the expectations previously set were, by all chances, surpassed by the elements involved in the production of the event: the visual luxuriance of the location, the glamour of the outfits, the hard-work and dedication of all teams and of course, the amazing performance of the superstar.
Considered as the main symbol of Paris, la Tour Eiffel is also one of the most visited monuments in the world. As such, MelRose Productions could not have chosen a more iconic Parisienne place to host the livestream. Rita’s performance was structured from the building bottom up, from the good to the best. If you were able to take your eyes off the singer (Hard, I know!) you could see the city of Paris shrinking and disappearing under your eyes, almost as if the Tower was getting transformed into a musical stave to follow the melody. As Rita performed most of her songs somewhere in the middle of the Eiffel building, Let You Love Me was the first song demanding a level up and providing an emotional moment in an overwhelming combination of lights, sight and music. Finally and straight up to the top of the Eiffel Tower, Rita performed Anywhere – one of the singer’s most acclaimed songs – with a gobsmacking view of the city of Paris during sunrise. Through a Meet & Greet organized by Mude Drinks, one of the sponsors of the livestream, I had the chance to speak to Rita for a few minutes after the show. When asked about the reason why choosing Paris and the Eiffel Tower, Rita said it was MelRose Production’s idea and she obviously got on board. Besides that, Rita also mentioned ‘it took us about one year and lots of people to make it all work, considering all the logistics of performing at the Eiffel Tower.”
Broadcasting the show on the 30th of September wasn’t causality but rather something Rita also thought of, once it would coincide with Paris Fashion Week. While making the show happen in such an important week for fashion in Paris, Rita was also able to express her admiration and respect for fashion itself as well as for all the brands she has worked with on this project. During her almost 60 minutes performance at the Eiffel Tower, Rita switched between four amazing custom made outfits by brands such as Miu Miu, Lanvin Official, Alexandre Vauthier and Fendi. In what concerns her jewelry, Veder & Veder have created a special collection exclusively for the concert which is now also available for sale and accessible to everyone. On its turn, Lancôme Official was not only the main sponsor of the livestream but also Rita’s makeup and skincare products’ representative brand.
We were still hearing the last musical chords of Anywhere when we started recovering our verbalization and processing skills. That is the real ‘plug-in’ moment, when we realize the greatness of what we have witnessed through our electronic devices. It is possible to acknowledge the detailed painstaking thinking as well as the hard work of all the teams involved, since the main organizers and executive producers to the technical teams (camera, video, sound, lights), the glamour teams (hair, makeup, nails, stylists and brands), the dancers, the choreographers, Rita’s personal team and management, plus so many others involved in the production of such a memorable and epic show. There is no way we can forget to mention the superstar herself. Over 12 songs, Rita has not only taken us down memory lane , while she sang some of her most well-known 2012 hits, but she also performed some of her most recent music from her first EP Bang (2021) and this year’s summer bop You For Me. Besides that, you could truly feel the energy, the power and mostly, the happiness of someone who loves what she does. Rita Ora is exactly where she belongs, like a fish in the ocean.
The day after the concert, the media was reporting: ‘Rita Ora’s Eiffel Tower Concert is taking over the Internet!’ (US Weekly Magazine) and the effects of the livestream could still be felt in the hyped conversations between the fans. This article also aims to express gratitude to Rita and to all the people involved in making this livestream happen. Thank you for taking us back to the good times and that happy place we have all missed deeply. Thank you for making us laugh, cry, sing and dance and for providing us with a chance to attend this memorable night in the safest way: Even though we were watching from the comfort of our own homes all around the world, we felt connected once again. Home is where your heart is and Rita Ora gave ours its happy place back.
ROARA Magazine 