When ‘Cardboard Box’ by Flo dropped in March of 2022 and set the internet alight, it felt like nobody saw it coming. But of course, that wasn’t the case. The infectiously R&B-tinged ‘dump him sis’ lullaby that felt fresh but familiar was the result of almost 3 years of careful exploration and preparation. “And we still weren’t ready!” Jorja laughs. While nobody could have predicted the extent of the response that would instantly have them dubbed Britain’s hottest new girl group - Renée Downer, Stella Quaresma and Jorja Douglas had actually been the ones to push for that track as the perfect introduction for them to the world, and they were not wrong. “It felt like oh wow, everything has happened for a reason, this was the perfect moment,” explains Renée with Stella adding, “and it gave us a bit more trust and confidence when it did so well.

First formed in 2019 through scouting and audition processes, it just so happened that all three girls were already familiar with each other through either theatre school or social media when they ran into each other during the early stages of this opportunity. Gravitating towards each other instantly and navigating with the effortless ease of a sisterhood now, it’s a testament to the chemistry and care fostered between them over time behind the scenes. “We definitely learned that it was a blessing in disguise, because we did want to release music a lot earlier than we had. But we were in the studio loads, working on our sound, figuring that out. Also on how we sounded together, our blend. All really important things when you’re in a girl group,” Renée says. 

The frenzy that followed their launch however, even they could not have anticipated. Garnering an army of fans from the get go, now known as Flo Lifers, the global appetite for them has shown no signs of stopping. With this seismic cultural current behind them, it felt as though the group sped on from strength to strength thriving in the heat of the pressure - with a string of stellar singles, two critically-acclaimed EPs and amassing tens of millions of streams in the span of just two years. Since then, the trio have sold out shows globally, played festivals from Glastonbury to Coachella, appearing on Later with… Jools Holland and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, have been nominated for MOBO’s, VMA’s and BET awards. Sampling Missy Elliot’s ‘Work It’, the group’s hit single ‘Fly Girl’ saw the group seamlessly integrate their infectious beats and harmonies with Miss Elliot’s signature sound creating a refreshing collaboration. To top it all off, they picked up top spot in the BBC Sound of 2023 poll and the Rising Star Award at the BRITs in the same year. 

There are a lot of common threads between the lives of the girls in their B.F years (Before Flo). Performers from the jump, Renée was an only child who instantly had her sights set on drama school with a triple threat passion of singing, acting and dancing. Stella started out in a performing arts school aged 3 in Mozambique where she lived until she was 5, and Jorja won her first talent show at 10 before making it on CBBC’s Got What It Takes in her early teens. Powerful female role models are also a theme, empowering each of them to want the world for themselves and arguably leading them to where they are today. Stella’s mum helped her pursue her dream of attending Sylvia Young Theatre School as a teen, she says, “that was hard for her because she was a single mum and I was just leaving to go to London and I’d come back on weekends.” The matriarchs in Jorja’s family gifted her her headstrong nature: “my mum used to be in the Olympics and she told me as long as you’re putting your all into it, you can do whatever you want and I’ll support you.” Renée’s mum, an eldest daughter who had her at 19, worked two jobs to save up and send her to Sylvia Young too and support her dream: “she did that all by herself. So she’s been able to get me this far and now I have that instilled in me that I can do whatever I want to do if I put my mind to it, because I’ve literally seen her do it.”

Naturally, it’s that same energy that the trio embody today as artists, but beyond that, it’s also what they hope to inspire through their music. “I think that’s just how we approach life [now] as well, it’s how we were brought up. Any situation you’re in you can get out of and you have to be the strong one in it,” Stella explains. “Being a bad bitch really is at the crux of everything,” Jorja agrees. “Even when we talk about songs that are about the industry, it’s coming from a place of ‘don’t cross me, don’t test me, I’m a bad bitch’. And songs about relationships, it’s ‘how does it feel to be with a bad bitch?’” Stella adds, “Even the songs where we’re being vulnerable, the fact that we are being vulnerable, it’s like ‘wow, that’s a bad bitch!’” Renée chimes in, “There's nothing wrong with showing all sides of yourself, but you just need to do it with confidence.”

Blending the rich tones and luscious melodies of R&B and soul with pitched up original samples, futuristic production, contagious hooks and candid, relatable lyricism, 2024 feels like yet another arrival for the group. First single of 2024 ‘Walk Like This’ pulls no punches as far as strut-worthy anthems go, Stella’s smoky tone on the chorus intoxicating and playful in its energy, over a reverberating bassline and sirenesque harmonies. On it, Flo proudly own their lover girl status, leaning into the sensual and the benefits of being blissfully boo’d up: “Relationships were such a key point for us, because we’re all in relationships,” Renée explains. “We all have a friendship, we have working relationships, there’s so much within that one category.” Follow up ‘Caught Up’ is the flip side of that same coin - showcasing their signature harmonies and R&B flair as they deliver a cautionary tale to a trifling lover urging him to resist the temptation of other women or face the consequences of his actions.

At the core of FLO as they step into this next chapter, is embracing and subverting their power as strong young women who are just getting started. Taking the things they love and refracting them through refreshing new lenses. “We are the brains and the heart and the life and soul behind Flo,” Jorja says proudly. Stella agrees, “it comes from us!” And when it comes to what they have their sights set on, they all answer quickly at once saying some version of ‘world domination’. Already in such uncharted territory, the possibilities are endless. Jorja summarises with a flair, “invincible, untouchable, unstoppable. Get that on a pillow.” Wherever this road takes Flo next, one thing we know for certain is that they are firmly in the driver’s seat.