Rita Ora shows off her acting chops in the hotly anticipated Fifty Shades of Grey adaptation hitting theaters this weekend, but she’s known to fans and sees herself first and foremost as a musician – and secondly as a potential style icon.

Rita Ora On New Album, Calvin Harris

Ora, 24, came to the U.S. from the U.K. a few years ago to record her debut album with Jay Z. A bit older, a bit more seasoned in the business and more aware of who she wants to be as an artist, Ora is ready to take control of her career – from her music and fashion to her general persona.

“It was a process to be like, ‘F–k it! I’m just gonna be me.’ With the first album, I was so hyped up to be signed with Jay Z. I was like, ‘Whatever! Jay f–kin’ Z!’ Two, three years later, I was like, ‘You know what? People are actually interested in what I’m saying and how I’m dressing and how I’m acting,'” Ora told Nylon.

“I wanted the album to be dark and sexy, but still approachable, because I’m not a dark person,” Ora explained of her sophomore album, which was delayed following a breakup with her boyfriend/producer Calvin Harris. While the breakup did slow the release of her record, Ora seems to think it was for the best, leading her to add some more depth to her pop songs.

“I had a breakup, or whatever, and it really made me realize what I was trying to do. I had been fixated on this love fantasy, but really it wasn’t like that, and I had to take myself back,” Ora explained. “For me, this was my moment where I had to be real and tell the truth and be honest. I love my pop songs, and I’m still gonna be pop, but this has just got a lot more depth to it.”

Ora, who thinks of  herself as a strong and independent woman surrounded by likeminded pals, doesn’t just want to be a singer and actress, but “another Madonna,” who can revolutionize fashion.

“[Fashion] needs a massive boost. It needs a kind of, like, ‘F–k you.’ It needs another Madonna…which it’s not gonna get. But it needs a person who takes chances,” Ora said. “You have amazing girls like Emma Watson—glamorous, gorgeous, clean, beautiful girls. But where’s that punk energy? That fun, crazy, respected but still like, ‘S–t, she’s just doing her thing’ person?'” asked Ora, before answering,”That’s who I am!”