FLO wants to be known as the girl group of their generation. It’s a bold statement for any group to make, but following a collaboration with Missy Elliott, dropping a critically acclaimed debut album and announcing their headline North American tour —FLO is well on the way to achieving just that.

Inspired by ’90s R&B groups like Destiny’s Child and TLC, the British trio’s music evokes strong feelings of nostalgia while still creating infectious hits for a modern audience. Jorja Douglas, Stella Quaresma and Renée Downer have built up a big fanbase in recent years with their empowering hits like “Fly Girl” and “Walk Like This.” However, they admit that up until this point in their career, their music hadn’t gone beyond the surface.

“We wanted to broaden the topics that we talked about,” Douglas tells PAPER. “We are definitely used to being a little bit boy-obsessed, and although that is a part of our lives, we wanted to tap into the other areas of it. We lean into our work ethic and grind as three young girls in the industry. Also, [we touched on] the more vulnerable side of being in a relationship. We just wanted to give people more insight into what we go through, hence the name Access All Areas.”

The early writing stages of their hotly-anticipated debut continued down this trajectory until the group quickly realized they needed to challenge themselves and get vulnerable and honest within their songwriting to show the audience a different side of themselves. Access All Areas is a result of that process, welcoming listeners on a journey into the world of FLO and providing strong foundations for the “soul-searching” and exploration they knew they would need for equally open future projects.

Just before the release of their debut album, FLO talked to PAPER about collaborating with Cynthia Erivo, touring with Kehlani and how vulnerability changed the way they make music.

How are you feeling ahead of the release of your debut album, Access All Areas ?

Renée Downer: We are so excited for this album to come out. It’s been a long time in the making and we’ve achieved all that we wanted to accomplish with this album. We love every song. We can’t wait for people to hear it and love it as much as we do.

What did you want to express with this album as a group?

Stella Quaresma: We wanted to convey strength and confidence and our relatability. We wanted to experiment and try different sounds and really take people on a journey.

What did you want this journey to look like?

Jorja Douglas: We wanted to broaden the topics that we talked about. We are definitely used to being a little bit boy-obsessed, and although that is a part of our lives, we wanted to tap into the other areas of it. We lean into our work ethic and grind as three young girls in the industry. Also, [we touched on] the more vulnerable side of being in a relationship. We just wanted to give people more insight into what we go through, hence the name Access All Areas.

What was it like to show that vulnerable side in your music?

Renée: At the start, it was a little nerve-wracking because we were used to being relatively surface-level. But we are very proud of ourselves that we did and we have more to do as well. We say that we’ve gone quite deep but I think we can go deeper.

Stella: But It’s a good starting point. We are proud of ourselves and it’s something that we had to do to elevate our songs to the next level.

Has this given you confidence going forward to be more vulnerable in future projects?

Jorja: The track list is extremely developed from where we started and that was because we felt that initially, it wasn’t telling anyone anything that they didn’t already know. Naturally, there are always going to be songs about boys but even on that topic just developing that and different areas of the relationship. We really tried but we have got a lot more soul-searching to do.

For the opening track “Intro,” you collaborated with Cynthia Erivo. How much did this mean to you but also how did it come about?

Jorja: We knew that we wanted a female to introduce us because the whole female empowerment thing has been integral to how we’ve made it this far, just really believing that we can do it. We were thinking, “Who could it be?” And then all of a sudden Cynthia Erivo just popped into our mind and it was like, “How didn’t we think of this sooner?” We asked her and she was so quick to jump on it that it made it even more special. because it didn’t feel like a chore, it felt natural. Her being Black and British and extremely talented, I don’t think we could have asked for a better spokesperson.

When listening to the album, it has a great nostalgic feel but it’s simultaneously modern. Was this intentional in creating this vibe or was it natural due to your influences?

Renée: I’m glad you said that. Obviously, we are influenced heavily by ’90s R&B but also we are the age of the new school and we are influenced by the new R&B artists as well. We are always trying to push the envelope and see what R&B could be in the future so you’d like to think we could be pioneers for that.

You’ve had such a huge year, have you had time to let it sink in or do you have to take it day by day?

Renée: We definitely have to take it day by day. Because we are so busy, we don’t realize how much we are doing, how much we are growing, how many new fans we are getting and how many people are talking about FLO. But there are definitely points where we sit back and look and be very proud of what we’ve accomplished.

Jorja: We have zero concept of time. It feels like we’ve been together forever but then also for such a short space of time. God knows what year it is and I can’t believe the lead came out in 2022. It’s just been such a whirlwind but every time we get on stage or put something out, we are reminded how loved and appreciated we are and we are grateful for that.

You recently supported Kehlani on tour, how did that feel?

Jorja: We’ve always looked up to her and she’s one of our most loved R&B artists. In the lead-up to being asked to support her, we could feel that something was coming and we didn’t need to rush to do anything. When it came along, it was like, “Wow, this has just answered all of our prayers!” She was so encouraging and supportive of us and it has given an insight into tour life. We’ve seen the ugly and the beautiful and we are really excited to begin our own tour next year.

How valuable was the experience of touring with Kehlani?

Renée: We couldn’t have asked for a better artist to tour with and for that to be the first artist we’ve ever supported was just the most perfect thing. It aligned with everything, it aligned with our album coming out. And it was a great opportunity to get some new FLO fans before our album comes out.

After the tour, Kehlani got you a bouquet of flowers with the note, “The sky is not the limit, it’s just the view.” You’ve carved out a great space for yourself in the R&B scene, so it must feel that the possibilities are endless.

Jorja: As far as R&B music goes, we are made to feel that there is a ceiling on it. With the release of our singles, we are always very cautious about whether it’s ‘too R&B’ or whether it’ll be able to reach the masses. Is this what’s going to break us? We are made to have that thought in our minds when releasing singles. Stepping into this new era, a hit is just what you make it. Really, any song can be a hit so we shouldn’t be limited to thinking that R&B is what the smaller population wants to hear because if more people heard it then R&B will soon be Pop.

What lessons did you learn from your Missy Elliott collaboration, “Fly Girl?”

Renée: To make sure you get paid [Laughs.] Also, when you become a legend, it’s just a whole different ball game. There’s a certain level that people need to speak to you with and there’s a respect that your name carries.

Stella: She was super lovely though. For us, it was crazy that she actually agreed to do it so we were very humbled by it.

You’ve had many big moments early in your career, but was that one of the most surreal?

Stella: 100%. When we got on FaceTime with [Missy] to discuss what we imagined her verse would be like. She asked if we had anything we wanted from her and she did it. That was the best part, she actually listened to how we imagined it and she totally nailed it. That verse will go down in the FLO history books.

The way that she approached the collaboration and asked for your suggestions must have been inspiring and given you guidance on how to approach collaborations with artists in the future.

Jorja: We learned that regardless of how big you are and how long you’ve been in the game, there’s still a level of care and respect for the artist who is asking you to feature on something that’s so personal to them.

You have a tour coming up next year. What can fans expect from a FLO show?

Stella: A level up! We are going to work super hard to put on an incredible show with great movement for the new music. Seeing Kehlani’s show every night really inspired us. To even think about things that we may not have thought about before.

Jorja: Every night that we had the energy to watch that show, we watched it and each time we saw something different. Even from watching her choices of changes throughout the tour, it was very inspiring to not feel limited to what we rehearse. It is much more than rehearsing a set, it is your craft.

What are the plans going forward for FLO?

Renée: With this album, we would have solidified our sound and solidified ourselves as artists and a girl group. We just want to sing our music everywhere and do more live performances. We want to be really present, especially in the UK [scene], and really connect to the people who really support us. We want our music to travel worldwide and be known as the girl group of our generation.

Photography: Tom Emmerson