EQUATE MEETS FLO

The UK music scene has been longing for a new girl group to join and take over for a while now. And with Little Mix announcing a well-deserved hiatus after 10 years at the top, there is no better time for us to seek and champion fresh talent. Meet FLO, a London-based Gen-Z trio made up of Stella Quaresma, Renée Downer, and Jorja Douglas, who are not only tipped for huge things but are determined to make their mark on the industry and not be suffered by the girl band curse. With their perfect blend of pop and R&B, the group is providing a flavor the industry has truly missed.

Flo’s formation proves that some things are just meant to be. After spending the first five years in Mozambique, the youngest member Stella moved to London and attended the same school as Renée. “I always just loved to sing. I loved listening to music and it was the only thing I was really passionate about,” Stella tells EQUATE. From there, the pair bonded over their desires to be stars and later on became familiar with Jorja, who they vaguely knew through social media.

Born in Germany but raised in Hertfordshire, Jorja’s musical journey started before Stella and Renée’s. At age 14, she participated in the second season of the CBBC talent show competition “Got What It Takes? and took home the winning title. Shortly after, she and two other contestants from the same show created their own girl group, SGR (pronounced Sugar). However, things weren’t progressing in the way she had hoped.

After their manager, Rob Harrison, held an audition process to hunt down a talented trio to be a part of what could be the next big group, Stella, Renée, and Jorja, who were all still in education studying Music, unexpectedly found themselves in each other’s lives again. “It was a coincidence the way that we’re connected,” Stella says. Still a member of SGR, Jorja chose to wave goodbye to the group to join Flo, admitting she immediately “saw the potential in this group more than I saw the potential in the other one.” And with their first-ever performance as Flo, a mashup of Frank Ocean, Summer Walker, and Jazmine Sullivan, they instantly knew they had found the perfect harmony. “It was really easy and natural and free-flowing, it just felt right,” Renée shares.

Coming up with the group name wasn’t as simple, however. Confessing that Flo was originally just a placeholder, they rummaged through a number of other names (Her Story, Third Eye, etc) before all agreeing that Flo was in fact the right one. “I think the only reservations we had about Flo was like the connotations to your period,” Jorja explains, adding, “But, there’s nothing wrong with that. Normalise having a period!”

Flo’s introduction to the world was far from subtle. Debuting in March with the sassy, MNEK-produced “Cardboard Box,” the group not only gave music fans hope that Flo could be the real deal and not just another flash in the pan, but that their pen game is strong. “I got a confession, I don’t think I want you anymore / There’s no room for questions,” Stella opens the first verse before the trio iconically sings, “Never liked your momma, so I guess she’s blocked,” in the chorus. Influenced by the likes of Mariah Carey, Brandy, and Mary J. Blige, it is no wonder their harmonies sound so tight after learning from the best. So tight, in fact, they have been compared to both the Sugababes and Destiny’s Child, straight off the bat.

The trio was adamant that the 2000s-infused fuckboy anthem should be their first-ever release. Their label, on the other hand, wasn’t so sure. “We kind of had to like convince people at the label why it should be our first song,” Renée shares. “It’s not because they thought it was bad,” Stella adds. “Releasing your first song is a big risk because you never know how well it’s going to perform,” Renée continues.

Flo was right in standing their ground. “Cardboard Box” was an instant viral success, gathering over 5 million streams on Spotify and countless hit tweets that racked up the numbers. “Everybody can listen to it. It’s not too musically intense,” Renée says about why she believes the song resonated with listeners so quickly. “It’s very catchy, so I felt like it was a perfect introduction to Flo. You get to see a really nice side to us and it still leaves you wanting more.” With that being said, did the overnight triumph come as a surprise? “I think to the extent that of how viral it went, it was like a surprise, but, in a really good way,” Stella admits. “We knew that it was catchy but when we would play it to our friends, it was always their favorite song. So, I think we knew it would do pretty decent.”

As a matter of fact, Flo’s virality not only caught the attention of their adoring new fans, also known as Flo Lifers, but also a range of international megastars, such as SZA, JoJo, Victoria Monet, and Missy Elliott, who were confident in giving them a co-sign fresh out the gate. After securing a follow on Instagram by SZA, it only makes sense to question whether they’ve been brave enough to slide into her DMs. “We have not,” Jorja replies. “What’s wrong with us?!” Renée says before Stella mentions they are hoping to bump into the Grammy Award-winner during her Wireless Festival appearance. “Actually, Muni Long DM’d us,” Jorja adds. “That was crazy because obviously, she’s a top songwriter,” she says about the hitmaker behind songs for Ariana Grande, Little Mix, and Madonna. “She was like, ‘I’ve got some songs I wanna send y’all’,” Jorja continues in an American accent.

The Lead — released via Island Records — serves as Flo’s first EP, a collection of five tracks that the group like to describe as “moments.” Officially out into the world, what do the songstresses hope listeners will take away from the project? “I want people to get a better understanding of what we’re about. I think people are still kind of unsure, but they still have a lot of questions because obviously ‘Cardboard Box’ was definitely more pop-leaning and we describe ourselves as an R&B group,” Stella says. “I think this body of work will shape who we are and let people know what we’re about and that we’re really influenced by late ‘90s and early 2000s R&B.”

“I feel like when you listen to it, you will get a rush and a buzz from the inside out,” Jorja says. “I’d like to think it’s quite powerful in different ways,” Stella adds. “I think there’s power in the songs about taking charge but there are also vulnerable moments as well. I think it’s got a good mix of just kind of encapsulating what it’s like growing up and being young and being female. I think we’ve done quite well creating that story.”

Joining “Cardboard Box” is their most recent single, “Immature,” a song that fans have been asking to be released for some time. Featuring a baby sample and a unique beat, the song is reminiscent of both Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody” and Brandy’s Afrodisiac album. Co-produced by Jamal Woon and MNEK, it is no coincidence that “Immature” sounds like a Timbaland cut from his prime as Renée discloses that he is one of Woon’s biggest influences.

Even though Flo didn’t write this particular song themselves, they still feel a personal connection to it. “It was written in our first writing camp that took place in April last year by KABBA and Ryan Ashley, who are really close to us. It was almost like it was handcrafted for us. It felt really natural, it didn’t feel like we were trying to force it,” Jorja explains. Showcasing another side to their artistry, Renée notes that “Immature” is the “polar opposite of ‘Cardboard Box’ in terms of aesthetic,” adding, “I’m really excited to see how it does as it’s a level up from ‘Cardboard Box.’ I really hope everyone enjoys the music and appreciates the sound.”

As for their favorite from the EP, they all collectively agree that “Feature Me,” which was originally titled “The Lead,” is their top pick. “Everything about that song is so strong,” Renée says.

After working closely with fellow Brit MNEK, a seasoned musician and hitmaker of over 10 years, Flo spilled some of the advice the 27-year-old has given them. Being that the industry is so cutthroat and mental health is at stake, he recommended not reading comments said about them on social media. “He also said to pick your battles,” Renée explains. “It can get really tough and there are a lot of opinions flying about. Obviously, you want everyone to be on your side, so sometimes it’s just best to pick your battles wisely.”

It’s pretty apparent that the UK has been lacking an all-black girl group for some time now. With the exception of Eternal and Cleopatra in the 1990s and Mis-Teeq in the early 2000s, the British music scene has been short of a succeeding R&B girl group for far too long. Not only is it Flo’s mission to inspire more black girl groups to break through into the mainstream, but “black females in general.”

“There are so many R&B girls in the UK that aren’t getting enough recognition,” Jorja says. “I think we definitely want to draw attention to those artists too because some of them are our friends. We don’t want to just take up the R&B space. Like there’s enough space for us all. We wanna have an R&B army.”

Female empowerment is something they take seriously. While previous groups may have made their fair share of headlines over reported drama, Renée insists they are “taking it easy” and are “not about that life.” Although, the stereotype of women in music not being able to get along still seems to be a topic of discussion. “One thing people always ask is, ‘Oh, do you guys like each other?,’ ‘Have you guys had any crazy arguments?,’ ‘What’s the drama?’ There isn’t any of that going on,” she continues.

If everything goes to plan, Flo will be feeding us with a hell of a lot more material. “We’ve been in a group for three years, we have songs coming out of our ears and nose,” Jorja reveals. “We did a writing camp recently and we got some good stuff out of that.”

Their most recent writing camp sessions, however, have been a standout. “We’ve got so many people in different rooms writing where you’re going to get a decent song definitely every day,” Jorja continues. “We’re not talking SONG a day, we came away from that camp with pushing 20 songs, more than that in fact.”

So, what’s on the horizon for the remaining five months of 2022? “First of all, no one tells us anything,” Jorja jokes. “So, if there’s a tour coming up, I’ve got no idea about it,” she adds. “We are hoping to do some shows here and there, maybe some support slots and bigger ones in the winter,” Stella reveals. Jorja adds, “We want to drop more music after the EP because we just really want to cement who we are and let people know that we’re here to stay. We’re not going to drop and dip. We wanna keep being consistent.” Brains, talent, and a plan for the future – now those are the reasons Flo is here to stay.

Stream FLO’s EP below –

Credits:

Photographer: April Renee

Words: Fabio Magnocavallo