FLO has taken over R&B one song at a time. Stella Quaresma, Reneé Downer and Jorja Douglas have dazzled music lovers ever since their 2022 debut single “Cardboard Box” leading up to their debut album Access All Areas, which dropped this past November. The project is the highest-charting album by a British girl group in over 20 years, reaching No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart. The talented and fierce trio has made waves on both sides of the Atlantic. Before they begin their North American tour this April, FLO returned to the U.S. this week to perform the album’s title track on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
From the first few seconds of the “AAA” performance, the girls looked and sounded polished with clean movements and smooth vocals. They harmonized on the intro before Stella started the first verse. They sang in a key lower than the original, which likely allowed them more flexibility and freedom with the song.
Their voices blended perfectly on the pre-chorus as Jorja took the lead on the hook. Reneé shined on the second verse with her effortless vocals. All three ladies sounded amazing, making it hard to highlight one in particular without acknowledging another — they all held each other down. If one was killing her lead vocals, the other had dreamy harmonies to follow. If one was singing her verse, the others followed with punchy ad-libs. The live drums and horn section drove the performance as well.
When it came time for the bridge, Jorja, Stella and Renée showed off their vocal power with a modulation to the song’s original key. The trio harmonized on the arrangement as the key changed and Jorja belted, “Why don’t we explore?” On the last hook and outro, they continued to serve with their best riffs and runs. The performance ended with the girls striking a fabulous pose.
This latest television appearance is a testament to how hard FLO has worked at their craft. You can see the growth from their U.S. TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! when they sang “Cardboard Box” to their visit to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon where they sang “Fly Girl” to now. They’ve clocked in great performances before, but it’s evident that they’ve leveled up. They owned Stephen Colbert’s stage with captivating vocals, glam looks and killer stage presence.
It’s only up from here for Reneé, Jorja and Stella. They’re headed on their Access All Areas UK & Europe Tour starting in February before hitting the U.S. and Canada this spring on the Access All Areas North American Tour 2025 produced by Live Nation. For a taste of what to expect at FLO’s upcoming live shows, watch them in action singing “AAA” on Late Night With Stephen Colbert right here.
