Latest posts by Piper Ruth
(see all)The music of girl groups from the 1990’s into the early 2000’s is a staple of R&B. Girl groups have been on the front lines of the genre in their style and sound with an equal focus on romance and self sufficiency. In the past two decades, however, girl groups have fallen off in favor of solo acts. Enter FLO, the U.K. based trio singlehandedly reviving the popularity of the R&B girl group.
FLO consists of Jorja Douglas, Stella Quaresma, and Reneé Downer. Quaresma and Downer met while attending the Sylvia Young Theater School, a prestigious London school that boasts alumni like Jesy Nelson of Little Mix and Amy Winehouse. The two met Jorja Douglas, who already had a presence in the music world after winning the British competition show Got What It Takes? at just 14 years old. All three members attribute their sound to influences like Usher, Ciara, and Destiny’s Child. Their debut track, “Cardboard Box,” is a classic R&B break-up ballad with an empowered twist that immediately made waves online in 2022 and garnered praise from SZA, Missy Elliot, and Victoria Monét.
From their debut, FLO has only grown in popularity. They won a BRIT Award in 2023 in the Rising Star category, and again in 2025 for Best R&B Act. Their first album, Access All Areas, features major names like GloRilla, Kehlani, and Cynthia Erivo. Caught Up, one of the sixteen tracks they’ve curated for the album, checks all the boxes of an iconic R&B girl group anthem: ad-libs, three-part harmonies, and a no-good man. “It’s not a threat, but it’s a warning to all those men who need to be kept in line,” they explained to Teen Vogue in an interview.
Douglas, Quaresma, and Downer all pay homage to the groups that came before them in their music and as a trio. Billboard selected FLO as their March 2023 R&B/Hip Hop Rookie of the Month, and when they asked the group what each member excelled in, they didn’t have an answer. “We’re just pretty in sync with each other… we’re like the same, but in different fonts.” Being a girl group with no set leader is a testament to the confidence and balance of FLO as a unit and the authenticity of their individual, female-first personas. No one member stands out – they all excel in their goal to bring back the iconic R&B girl group.