This post was updated July 16 at 7:08 p.m.

Despite her best efforts, Rita Ora unfortunately falls short of becoming “That Girl” with “You & I.”

In her electropop third studio album, Ora explores deep topics of self-discovery and love through her 12 club-worthy tracks. A seasoned veteran in the music industry, Ora fully utilizes the pop song formula – resonant lyrics, electronic beats and strong vocals. However, in an effort to harness these elements to their fullest potential, the vocals and instrumentals end up competing against each other instead of uniting together.

The album begins with an alluring composition of strings, which slowly builds into Ora’s familiar synth beats. Worthy of a movie soundtrack, “Don’t Think Twice” creates a sonic story arc, tempting listeners to take a risk on love. The high-tempo electronic sound and slow, ominous strings work together in a hypnotic way that simulates leaving rational thinking behind. Although the song shares the repetitive nature of the rest of Ora’s discography, an earworm is worth the risk. This song starts the album at its culmination, leaving high expectations and unfulfilled promises.

Ora’s album comes just in time for “hot girl summer,” especially with seductive anthems “Unfeel It” and “That Girl.” “Unfeel It” flawlessly portrays the internal struggle of unexpectedly catching feelings. The brisk cadence of the instrumentals mimics the euphoric, nervous heart of a woman in denial that she is in love. Evoking similar sensations, “That Girl” is the personification of dancing and the glamour one may feel on a night out on the town. The confidence that Ora exudes through her words and tone transports listeners to the exact moment their eyes meet with a mysterious individual across the room. If it is able to reach the top charts, this electronic dance song could single-handedly revitalize the “That Girl” trend.

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Nevertheless, certain chapters of this album blend together into an electronic blur. Tracks such as “Waiting for You” and “Praising You (feat. Fatboy Slim)” have strong vocal elements that are completely buried by their not-so-subtle production. “Waiting for You” does a disservice to Ora’s vocals, as the excessively layered vocal tracks and unnecessary vocables in the product take away from her actual talent. Additionally, the domineering mix is worsened by a shortage of unique lyrics and verses, leaving listeners only satisfied on the dance floor.

A few songs stray from the energetic essence of the album, including “You & I,” “Look At Me Now” and “Notting Hill.” These melodic inclusions are a breath of fresh air in the album and a great source of contrast. Ora’s vocal power and style are on display in these slower, sentimental ballads, as the listener’s focus isn’t stolen by the beat. Even so, these songs, like the rest of the album, ultimately did not distinguish themselves from other songs within the pop genre.

[Related: Album review: Bebe Rexha’s third studio album exudes mediocrity, lacking original groovy rhythms]

A common thread throughout “You & I” is its creative allusions, both sonically and lyrically, to religion. This motif can be seen in “Praising You (feat. Fatboy Slim),” “Shape of Me” and “Girl in the Mirror.” The former two both highlight ethereal, chorus-like background vocals. “Girl in the Mirror” makes a similar religious reference in the lyric, “Held onto my angels by giving the devil a break,” describing how she developed her self-esteem. Ora masterfully employs these lyrics to guide her audience to place spiritual value in their earthly connections. Although the lyrical quality of this spiritual theme is well done and its message is arguably the most innovative part of the album, the lyrics are unfortunately drowned out by the music’s composition.

While Bruins may spend the summer dancing to Ora’s new album, it will most likely end up forgotten by the start of autumn. The repetitive lyrics and synth work overtime to get listeners to nod their heads to the beat, but this tactic can only work in the short term. With her vocal talent and lyrical potential, Ora could have crafted something much more memorable; however, Ora has not wandered beyond her comfort zone of overproduced electropop songs with remarkably few lyrics for the past decade. Without some creative evolution, Ora’s music will continue to be left in the past.

Perhaps fans should think twice before tuning into Ora’s newest album.