Rita Ora came under fire for her new single ‘Girls’ which also features Cardi B, Charli XCX, and Bebe Rexha and discusses themes of bisexuality.

Rita Ora who explained that the song came from a “personal journey” felt the need to explain herself after openly gay artists felt offended. Read on…

Openly out artists Kehlani and Hayley Kiyoko voiced their criticisms on Twitter against Rita Ora.

Kiyoko called Rita Ora‘s song to be “downright tone-deaf” for the way it “fuels the male gaze while marginalizing the idea of women loving women.”

While Kehlani, who appeared on Cardi B’s album, pointed out that there many “awkward slurs” across the song. Though, both artists emphasized their fandom of all four of the artists on the record as well as support for expressions of sexuality.

On Monday, Rita Ora took to social media to issue an apology, being offensive was NOT her message. Ora wrote that the single “was written to represent my truth and is an accurate account of a very real and honest experience in my life.”

She revealed that she had a “romantic relationships with women and men” and the song came from an organic place, her “personal journey.”

Rita continued the note to anyone hurt by the delivery of the song’s message:

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.

The full apology below: