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FLO, the phenomenal trio takes over R’n’B
It’s impossible not to think of the Destiny’s Child or the Pussycat Dolls… Flo, the London-based trio made up of Jorja Douglas, Stella Quaresma and Renée Downer, burst onto the R’n’B scene when no one was expecting it. Released last November, their debut album Access All Areas was a hit, acclaimed by both the public and the critics. As the singers performed last week at the Lollapalooza festival in Paris, throwback to their meteoric rise.
By Jordan Bako,
and Alexis Thibault.
Published on July 18, 2025. Updated on July 21, 2025.
Who are FLO, the London girl band taking over R’n’B?
It feels like ages ago that we first came across FLO on TikTok during a sleepless night, before they had even released their first single. That’s what that comes to mind when we stare at the three empty chairs set up on stage at Universal France’s headquarters, just steps away from the Panthéon.
In a video posted in 2021, an excerpt from one of their rehearsal sessions, the girl group was already singing in perfect harmony a cover of Castaways, a song from a cartoon. They were far from imagining it would go viral overnight…
“There are so many different ways to make music,” they said smiling. “We don’t want to stick to a fixed formula. We always follow the same process in the studio – long conversations and food. The melodies come from the rhythm… the words from the melodies.”
On November 25th, 2024, just after 8 p.m., the trio took the stage to a thunder of applause and flashes of scarlet light. That signature colour is featured on their latest album Access All Areas, released around ten days earlier. “You always associate a colour with songs,” they explained. “Our album is about strength, confidence, passion, love and power. Red expresses all of that.” Members of the crowd chanted the names of their favorite group members. Capturing a good picture of FLO was nearly impossible that night. An ocean phones were held high and flooded the venue, blocking the view…
Access All Areas, a record acclaimed by critics and fans alike
With their smiles and tangible chemistry, Stella Quaresma, Jorja Douglas and Renée Downer take turns hitting notes that most singers struggle to reach. From the hit Cardboard Box, which got a stunning VEVO live session, to the track Fly Girl featuring Missy Elliott, their performance cements their status as some of today’s best R’n’B artists. On the scarlet cover of Access All Areas, the audience discover three powerful figures: “Latex, just like our legs-spread pose, is often linked to strength and dominance. No one’s in front, no one’s behind. It’s a clear, powerful image.”
They are inevitably compared to the Destiny’s Child or the Pussycat Dolls. “The intro to the album was very dramatic and really set the tone. We immediately wanted to include a string section on the record. These instruments carry so much emotion. We wanted the strings to reappear subtly throughout the album. But the most important thing to us are the ad-libs. That’s what truly defines us.”
Access All Areas by FLO, available now. Live concert at Lollapalooza festival in Paris on July 20th, 2025.
