FLO: Up and Coming UK R&B Girl Group
Destiny’s Child, TLC, and Fifth Harmony: what do they all have in common? Oh wait: they are all American girl groups! But, we’re not talking about American girl groups in this article, we are traveling over to the UK, specifically England to discuss the up and coming R&B girl group FLO!
FLO is a British girl group that started in London that consists of three talented, powerful vocalists that are dominating the genre since 2019!
R&B Girl Group FLO’s Beginning & “Cardboard Box”
FLO has three members: Stella Quaresma, Jorja Douglas, and Renee Downer. Each vocalist has a background in vocals from their school days and met one another through different avenues.
Here’s the rundown on how they met: Quaresma knew Downer when they both attended Sylvia Young Theatre School. Before they formed the group, they discovered Douglas on Instagram when she was singing covers on the platform. Now, that we have the brief introduction of their meetup: they released their debut single, “Cardboard Box” in March 2022! Check out the single below!
The music video of “Cardboard Box” is a simplistic video that follows a similar style of early 2000s music videos. An example of this video style is PinkPantheress’s music video for her single, “Nice to Meet You” featuring Central Cee with the same white background. Check out the video with this link here! Back to FLO, the single showcases the group’s signature harmonies and chemistry to convey a story about moving on from an unfaithful love interest. During 2022, the song gained social media attraction on TikTok and from musical artists such as Missy Elliot (they did a collab with her, so good!), Victoria Monet, and SZA. One of its biggest accolades is reaching the number 7 spot on Apple Music’s 100 Best Songs of 2022!
FLO Television Debut
Furthermore, “Cardboard Box” was the leading single off of their debut extended play (EP) called “The Lead” in 2022. The EP includes songs such as “Immature”, “Summertime”, and “Feature Me”. In this Rolling Stone article, Tomas Mier said that Flo’s song, “Immature”, “is sure to launch the three girls into R&B stardom”. Read more about the article with this link here. In October 2022, FLO debuted on American television on the Jimmy Kimmel Live! by performing their debut single! At the start of their career, they show no signs of stopping! Watch their performance below!
R&B Girl Group FLO’s 2023 Breakthrough
In the beginning of 2023, the girl group has featured on Stormzy’s single, “Hide & Seek” and performed at a lineup of music festivals such as Isle of Wight and Wireless Festival. Now, this is the song I’ve been waiting to talk about! FLO released one of their most current singles called, “Fly Girl” featuring Missy Elliot on March 23, 2024! The song samples Elliot’s “Work It” (a Y2K classic!) and the video show Elliot as well! Check out the video below!
“Fly Girl” is a tribute to the R&B Y2K scene with a similar kick drum beat that many followed during this era. With the group’s harmonies and chorus encouraging everyone to be confident like a “fly girl”, the single reached number 7 on the Billboard Japan Hot Overseas charts and was on Cosmopolitan’s Best 20 Songs of 2023 So Far List. All of the members co-wrote the song and it is an absolute banger!
In the summer of 2023, the group surprised their fans with another extended play (EP) called, “3 of Us” that includes tracks such as “Change” (amazing selection!). With their debut album on the way, FLO still has a few singles up their sleeves and they just released one this year.
FLO: “Walk Like This” and Beyond
There is a reason why I walk to YouTube like this for this song! Flo released a new single called, “Walk Like This”, on March 14th this year! The song has an infectious and sexy beat that allows listeners to imagine themselves on the runway, strutting with confidence. Check out the video below!
“Walk Like This” is becoming a TikTok trend with users dancing to the song with confidence and lip-syncing to the words as if they were in the music video themselves. Although it is not on the American Billboard charts yet, the world is getting to know the group one single at a time, gearing up for their debut album!
FLO is helping to bring back the classic R&B 90’s and 2000’s sound to new generations with their style, music, vibes, and flow! For more of their content, check out FLO’s music on all streaming platforms and follow their social media accounts!
Featured Image by Levi Guzman on Unsplash