FLO

FLO is a British R&B trio consisting of Stella Quaresma, Renée Downer, and Jorja Douglas. The group formed in 2019 after the three met at auditions and through London's Sylvia Young Theatre School, where Quaresma and Downer were both enrolled. They began performing independently before signing to Island Records, where they found their sound under the guidance of British producer MNEK.^[1]

Stella Quaresma was born on November 28, 2001, in Kingston upon Thames, and spent part of her childhood in Mozambique before returning to the UK to train at Sylvia Young. Renée Downer, of Nigerian and Jamaican heritage, grew up in North London and drew on a mix of R&B, house, and gospel music as early influences. Jorja Douglas was born on January 2, 2002, in eastern Germany, and moved to Hertfordshire at eight months old; her mother, Stephi Douglas, was a professional sprinter, and Jorja won the CBBC talent competition Got What It Takes? in 2017.^[3]

Their debut single "Cardboard Box" was released on March 24, 2022, and went viral almost immediately, establishing the trio's signature blend of crystalline harmonies, late-1990s R&B textures, and sharply observed romantic narratives.^[1] The group won the BRIT Awards Rising Star prize in 2023 and topped the BBC Sound Of poll, cementing their status as one of the UK's most significant emerging acts.^[2]

Their debut album Access All Areas (2024) became the highest-charting debut by a British R&B girl group in 23 years and received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Progressive R&B Album, the first GRAMMY nomination for a British girl group in two decades.^[2] The group also featured on a track with Stormzy and received three MOBO Award nominations in 2026.

FLO's music draws on American R&B of the late 1990s and early 2000s alongside the legacy of UK girl groups including All Saints, Sugababes, and Girls Aloud. Their 2026 lead single "Leak It," co-written with Julian Bunetta and Steph Jones, marked the beginning of their sophomore album era and signaled a broadening of their sonic palette toward the polish of Y2K pop.