FEATURE:
Go with the FLO…
Are the London Trio Leading a Renaissance for Girl Groups?
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AN act who have been talked about…
IN THIS PHOTO: En Vogue
a lot the past year or so, there is no doubt FLO are primed for bigger things. Already the BRITs’ Rising Star recipients, if you do not know about FLO, then go and make sure that you follow them on Instagram and Twitter. I am going to come to a bigger question and a bigger question. I did want to use this opportunity to revisit a couple of interviews from last year. As they rose last year and are being tipped as one of the names to watch (when it comes to those defining the sounds of the year), it is worth seeing how far they have come. The Line of Best Fit interviewed FLO as a trio on the rise back in July:
“Enter FLO, a trio of talented women who are ready to resuscitate R&B with their silky harmonies, Y2K sensibilities, and gorgeous looks. Renée Downer (19), Jorja Douglas, and Stella Quaresma (both 20) used TikTok to record group covers of songs such as the Backyardigan’s "Castaways", or Destiny’s Child’s "Bills, Bills, Bills." But it was the release of "Cardboard Box" - a slick, groovy ‘bye boy’ anthem - that saw FLO explode, and win fans among the likes of SZA and Missy Elliot.
“I expected the song to do well… but it literally went viral,” says Downer. “We've had many people in the industry that we look up to, like reposting us and tweeting us. It’s really unexpected and it feels crazy.”
What’s refreshing about FLO is that they’re genuine mates, which goes against an entire history of girl-group drama looming over them. So far, there’s little chance of any Spice-Girls-style dropouts, or Pussycat Dolls passive-aggressiveness. They’re going to need each other, too: even in a group setting, it’s easy for tensions to flare and for communication to break down, as Jesy Nelson’s story proves.
It’s even harder when the struggles musicians face are largely invisible to outsiders. “You become a machine,” Douglas says. “Everyone wants a piece of you. And it feels really nice to be wanted and appreciated, but you have to remember that you’re still human. It goes for the same as any job, but it’s something that you really notice in this one. When you see everything that needs to be achieved and the little amount of time you have – that adds pressure and stress”.
FLO make songwriting appear easy – that’s down to their intuition, which feeds into their effortlessly catchy hooks. The girls will go into the studio and chat with the producer, feeling out the mood and running with it. The producer, in response, might start sketching out a track, or playing some reference songs. The girls will also play around with melodies, selecting the perfect melodies for each part of the song: verse, pre-chorus, chorus, retrofitting the words after them.
Where some artists spend months tinkering with the right melodies, the beauty in FLO is how intuitive everything is. “It sounds so disgusting what I’m gonna say, but everything is just authentic,” jokes Douglas. “We are! We don’t go in and think, oh, it has to be this – it’s free. We just make what we want to make. Apart from the exceptions of a few songs, we’re very much in control of our music also, which I think is a bit different to what previous groups have experienced.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Jack Alexander
What makes a song FLO-worthy? “I think first of all, you just have to love it and it has to be one we all listen to,” says Quaresma. “And we have also we've made of the ones that we see, the ones that are connected. And there's also a lot of opinions you have to take into account sometimes. Mm hmm. But, yeah, we have people around us who have really good taste.”
That’s what FLO really wants to achieve as a group. Forget about the penthouse views in "Summertime" - The Lead is a presidential bid to bring back R&B into a starved industry. “I definitely see us as being trendsetters and leading ladies of our field,” Downer envisions. “I really hope that R&B is more of a thing. I really hope that by us doing well, it inspires people and labels to pick up R&B artists to help them be amazing”.
It does seem that FLO’s music has made an immediate impact. The would have started life whilst the pandemic was in full swing, so last year was the first where they could really make an impact. Rolling Stone were excited to embrace a group who were inspired by past sounds but looking to the future. They asked if FLO were the next great British girl group:
“You’ve yet to hear of the music of FLO, most might wonder where you’ve been the past few months. When the London trio dropped debut single ‘Cardboard Box’, it managed to cause a flurry online, to say the least; the likes of Missy Elliott and SZA shared their appreciation with the video now sitting at more than two million views.
Created by pop maverick MNEK, the beauty of their sound is how it flitters between contemporary and nostalgic. Harking to the golden days of early-00s and late-90s R&B, ‘Cardboard Box’ is all lush harmonies and strong vocals. But their music isn’t intentionally retro, they say; instead, it’s a natural progression from what hit their ears in childhood. “When we’re in the studio, it’s not even like, ‘Oh, let’s do a Timbaland beat!’” says Jorja. “It’s nostalgic because that’s the music that has influenced us the most.”
The group are looking to blend those influences with contemporary sounds: “I feel like [our music] takes the best bits from now and the 90s; it’s struck the perfect balance,” Stella offers. “We want people to be surprised and feel like we’re bringing something back from when music was quality.”
With all three girls aged 19 or 20, much of their core musical palette had its heyday decades before their births (the likes of Brandy, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige and Faith Evans are all referenced during our chat).
It was their mothers who inspired the trio’s interest in music. “I had to ask my mum to buy me the iTunes 99p songs,” Stella giggles. “And then every year she got me the Now That’s What I Call Music album.”
“Oh, yeah!” Jorja concurs, continuing their endearing habit of completing each other’s thoughts. “Everything I had was my mum’s when she was done with it. Even her iPod; it had all the American old-school R&B songs.”
The girls signed to Island Records in 2020. Their label put them through a period of artist development including writing camps to hone their sound, along with studio time to develop their upcoming EP. So what are FLO’s hopes for the future?
Although their careers have only just begun, they exude a seriousness about their artistry that’s evident when they discuss fighting for ‘Cardboard Box’ to be their first release. “It was quite a risk putting out such a big song when no one knows who you are. But we knew that that was the song that could represent us the best,” Jorja says.
“As a band we’re incredibly hard-working and hold ourselves to the highest standard. We never want to do something without giving our all,” Renée adds.
It’s a work ethic that we’ll hopefully see in their upcoming EP, something they describe as “quintessential FLO”.
If the buzz so far is anything to go by, listeners worldwide will be holding out to see what that entails”.
NME gave FLO a lot of love and salute in their interview from April. Although a few other British girl groups have emerged since and started to make some minor moves, I think FLO are the most prominent at the moment. They are very much leading the charge in this country:
“NME: There’s a lack of major girl groups at the moment, particularly as Little Mix are currently on their farewell tour. How does it feel to be starting out without many peers?
Renée: “We kind of stay in our lane, we wouldn’t say there’s competition because that’s not for us to look at. We want to focus on bettering ourselves and being the best we can be.”
Stella: “I’m glad we’ve had each other and not been on our own. It’s a relief to see the single doing so well, especially since it’s our breakout song. We’re so happy with the reception it’s had.”
Jorja: “There’s a lack of girl groups I guess because it’s hard putting girls together as the chemistry is not easy to find. We haven’t had to sell our friendship or force it to come across authentically, as for us it comes so naturally.”
Navigating the music industry both as newcomers and an all-Black girl group must be daunting. How have you developed the confidence to stick to your vision?
Renée: “As three young Black women, one thing that’s important when you get signed to a label and have to do what people say, is to remember to be strong. We’re not going to be pushed over or go with someone else’s decision without believing in it ourselves. Know that you can say no and do what you genuinely believe in – and it will be successful. That’s something I really believe in with my whole heart.”
Stella: “There were some decisions that we really had to push for with the EP and it paid off – the reception so far has been great. It’s all about trusting your instinct, and [making music] is an experience, and we’re learning a lot.”
How important is it for you to promote female empowerment through your music?
Stella: “We all grew up with strong women in our lives, and were surrounded by music with that sense of female empowerment, so we want to bring that to a new generation of young women. It’s important to bring it back.”
Jorja: “We also pull inspiration from each other. Since working with each other more, I think, ‘What would Renée do? What would Stella do?’ We’re always writing songs for ourselves, so it’s important for it to come from each of our experiences.”
What can we expect from FLO in the future?
Renée: “Since girl groups are basically non-existent right now, we have a chance to really make music that people can feel and relate to and bring back that sound. We want to sell out arenas and just completely take over!”.
I want to expand more on the idea that FLO might be the U.K.’s prominent girl group. I do not like that term, but that has historically been the term used to describe female groups/trios making R&B/Pop. I want to quote some of Random J Pop’s review of FLO’s debut E.P., The Lead:
“But for how good songs on The Lead are, and the quality that everybody involved brings to the table, the EP has me really torn. I appreciate that they managed to release it so quickly after their debut single. A single of which wasn’t even remotely a hit. Especially at this point in music where record labels like to sit on albums and not entertain EP’s. Especially when the singles did nothing on the charts. (Shout-outs to Normani and Chloe Bailey). But I also feel that The Lead could have been packaged better to make it feel more like a body of work. The Lead feels like 5 songs plucked off of an album. But it also features songs which adhere to the no-longer-than-3-minutes trend which is plaguing music right now because of streaming. I’ll let “Cardboard Box” and “Immature” slide, because they still manage to feel like whole songs. But “Summertime”? Unacceptable. Best damn song on the EP, and the bitch just ends after 2 verses whilst I’m in the middle of a slow whine? Uzo, sweetie. Where was the middle-8? Where was the bridge? If “Summertime” ends up on Flo’s debut album, it’s absolutely going to need to be an extended version.
In terms of having me anticipating a studio album, The Lead does the trick. But I really would have liked The Lead to feel a little more whole, and less of a sum of a bigger part. And we can blame Rina Sawayama for me coming down on The Lead for this, because her EP was what really shifted my expectations for EP’s. Rina and producer Clarence Clarity pushed the boundaries of what an EP should be; creating a body of work, and applying a level of detail to an EP that most don’t even give an LP. It was so full and so whole, that sometimes I even forgot the damn thing is an EP.
It felt like a complete package. There were no loose ends with it. It had a through line. It had a beginning, a middle and an end. And up until it came along, I’d never heard an EP which was approached like an album before. Rina definitely set the bar and a standard for EP’s that everybody should be taken better note of. And I wish Flo’s The Lead had followed suit. But this doesn’t take away from how good the songs on the EP are. Every song on The Lead has single potential, and each song is different enough that there’s going to be something for everyone who is into the sound.
When “Cardboard Box” first released, I knew from one listen and one look at the music video that Flo had the potential to go the distance and be the girl group that pop / R&B needed. They have JUST the right blend of sounding like a London based, round-the-way girl group, with a sound that can carry across the US, and every market. It wouldn’t surprise me if K-pop fans ended up getting into Flo, because their package and concept is so airtight out of the gate, and K-pop fans live for a group that is well packaged.
The vision for Flo is very clear with The Lead, but not to a point where it feels (cardboard) boxed. Flo’s debut album could be 12 tracks of what we get on The Lead, and it would be cool. But it could also see Flo’s sound being pulled and expanded, which would also be cool. What The Lead does is provide a solid foundation for Flo, whilst also honouring the talents of the girls and their team of writers and producers, in that they could in fact do anything. The Lead is good. But as a prospect of what Flo could deliver next, it’s even better”.
It wouldn’t be true to say girl groups have been obsolete or irrelevant the past twenty years or so. Although there was an influx in the ‘90s (and before), there has been a shift in tastes. It does seem FLO are the most exciting, connected and commanding example of the modern girl group. I have said previously how U.S. girl groups are the strongest, but it does seem that FLO are at the top of the tree right now. Many are comparing them to Little Mix, as they are seen as the best U.K. girl group of the past decade or so. They are on hiatus at the moment, and I am not sure what their future holds. The Guardian asked where all the good girl groups have gone in a feature from May. They named lesser acts like SVN (the London collective of Aimie Atkinson, Alexia Mcintosh, Grace Mouat, Jarneia Richard-Noel, Maiya Quansah-Breed, Millie O'Connell and Natalie May Paris):
“Like many of their fans, Little Mix fell victim to the public abuse and bullying potentiated by Instagram and Twitter: that Little Mix would then get on stage full of confidence and sexiness helped others feel that they, too, could take control and conquer their lives. And that’s exactly what Little Mix did, hitting back against jibes from Noel Gallagher and Piers Morgan, and splitting from Simon Cowell’s record label.
Little Mix also levelled up the UK girl band. Performances by groups such as the Saturdays and even Girls Aloud had a ropiness to them (arguably this was part of their charm) but Little Mix threw themselves into precise choreography and powerhouse vocals. Although vocal strength has never been a prerequisite for the girl band, the low-key, low-energy, girl-next-door styling of this new crop will feel very drab after Little Mix’s explosive arena finale.
IN THIS PHOTO: SVN/PHOTO CREDIT: Danny Kaan
However, the Spice Girls, Girls Aloud and Little Mix all benefited from a pop market that wasn’t as saturated with artists as it is today, and in the case of the latter two, a big reality TV springboard. Today, TikTok’s guileless stars have created a growing distrust of artifice – something that is incompatible with manufactured girl groups. Anyone with a whiff of label interference is swiftly shot down as an industry plant. As Dorian Lynskey wrote in the Guardian of the wider malaise surrounding the band format, in rock or pop, the limited size of a phone screen, and the portrait format of TikTok, favours the solo artist. Shrinking budgets at record labels may also be to blame – girl bands, with their multiple members, glam squads, choreographers and travel needs are a poor investment – and with musicians making so little money from music these days, why would any singer want to split their royalties four ways?
So in the era of the solo artist, the closest we have to a girl band is when these solo artists collaborate. Sometimes, such as Charli XCX, Christine and the Queens and Caroline Polachek’s various team-ups, these are explorations of simpatico pop sensibilities; others, like Dua Lipa and Megan Thee Stallion’s collaboration Sweetest Pie, are calculated positioning exercises. Supergroups such as US-based Boygenius, comprising Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus, could also signify the next iteration of the girl band: the thought of Bree Runway, Raye and other UK pop stars going full Avengers is certainly appealing. K-pop, of course, is a space where the girl band is thriving: groups like Blackpink, Twice and Everglow offer whiplash-inducing choreography, bombastic bangers and luminescent visuals with astonishingly high production values that make UK efforts look embarrassingly budget by comparison.
But a new girl band is what Britain needs. If the Spice Girls took the lairy masculine energy of 90s Britain and powerfully feminised it, whoever follows Little Mix needs to similarly tap into the spirit of the age. They will require chemistry, strong personalities, irreverence, a cache of bangers, and an ability to commune with the mood of the country: one that has now been ravaged by a decade of austerity, the fallout from Brexit and vicious culture wars. Bleak times, currently soothed by the sad girls of bedroom pop, also need brightening with bold, dynamic talent, not the second-guessing of major labels. It is a mighty task, but only then will the UK spice up its life once more – Lord knows, we need it”.
We are in an age where the solo artist is dominating and ruling. I think this is especially true of female artists. They are breaking through and capturing the public attention. With platforms such as TikTok providing a willing audience, I wonder whether it is harder for girl groups to break through. One reason why groups like Spice Girls broke through and were popular is because there was a sense of optimism and prosperity in politics and culture. Maybe the ‘girl power’ slogan and buzz of Spice Girl was a little marketed and hollow to a degree, it was exhilarating and hugely important. At a time when women in music are still overlooked and not getting the respect they deserve, I think there is a desperate need for the same wave of girl groups we had in the 1990s and 2000s. Rather than having slogans or nicknames, they can still create the same sort of awe and impact with the quality of the music and their connection. There is no doubting FLO are very close and more than live up to the hype. Whereas groups such as TLC, En Vogue, Destiny’s Child and modern groups like Little Mix have a solid, original and enduring catalogue, it might be harder now for girl groups to make the same impression. R&B is less common or has changed radically. Pop is prevalent but maybe not as chorus-rich and catchy as it was decades ago. Girl groups of the 1990s had that harmony and closeness, but they had hard-hitting and huge tunes with infectious grooves and hooks to keep you coming back. FLO definitely have some of that, but I think their music fits more into modern Pop and R&B to that of past days.
This is not a problem at all. Genres always develop and evolve, and I do think FLO’s success and rise will inspire other girl groups. Even if there are a few girl groups now that are impressive but don’t seem to stand out, this year will see more come through. We are in a time when girl groups can seize upon opportunities to provide an important voice that tackles societal ills, issues like gender inequality, politics and subjects relevant to their audience. Great girl groups have always been role models to younger listeners, but they have that weight and maturity that spreads to other age groups and music lovers. Perhaps the explosion and cultural revolution we saw with girl groups in the past will not be replicated now, but I can see the desires of many being fulfilled. It will be exciting to discover which girl groups will join FLO. I am not sure of the U.S. market, but we will definitely see more British girl groups come through. Talent shows have been a forum where girl groups are formed. As they are dying out a bit, girl groups of the future will hopefully form more naturally and not have that same factory-processed feel. No disrespect at all (as the groups are great), but they are always being moulded by others and directed to be commercial and chart-ready. The incredible FLO formed back in 2019. I think that upcoming girl groups are going to be rawer and more natural than a lot that we saw coming from talent shows.
Many are asking where girl groups have gone, and FLO are showing that there is a definite demand. I think that, here and other countries (particularly the U.S.) will see a growth in the girl group market. Some say it is a market that died away and is not out of fashion. I would disagree. Rather than it being a fashion or a nostalgic sound, it is about the quality of the music. At the heart, we get to discover and following an incredible group of women. FLO are righty tipped for bigger things, and they are going to compel others to follow into the business. Maybe it will not as big an explosion (in quality and quantity) as what we saw decades ago, but you know that this year will produce some intriguing and diverse girl groups. It is about time too! Once almost a staple of the Pop and R&B landscape, the music landscape is so busy and eclectic right now. It might take a while for girl groups to stand at the front or even be fully integrated, but it will happen – even if it starts off quite slowly. Given the success and visibility of the wonderful FLO, we are going to see some equally arresting and wonderous girl groups…
FOLLOW their example.