FLO has made quite the impact in the R&B world since they stepped onto the scene with their debut single “Cardboard Box” back in 2022. The British R&B trio has since released two EPs, made a splash with their debut album Access All Areas and even garnered a GRAMMY nomination. Now that they've completed the album cycle for Access All Areas, the ladies are ready to move on to their next era. But before they do that, they paid a visit to the NPR Music offices to participate in the renowned Tiny Desk Concert Series.
Stella Quaresma, Renée Downer and Jorja Douglas took us back to the very beginning to kick off their set with a reimagined torch song version of “Cardboard Box.” That soon led to a spirited rendition of their debut’s title track with intricately arranged vocals shared between the gals and their backing singers (one of whom was Gene Noble, who recently contributed his supporting vocals to Jill Scott’s Tiny Desk performance). They then segued into a string of Access All Areas tracks “On & On,” “Get It Till I’m Gone” and “Shoulda Coulda Woulda.” Each song showcased the individual members’ pipes while also breathing a different life into the tracks with sparkling new live arrangements.
It wasn’t just about their old work, though. FLO was there to give us some new-new, as well. They began with the bluesy “Therapy At The Club,” which deals with a woman talking about her relationship problems to a stranger during a night out. The cut is a slightly unexpected turn from FLO, but not as much as the set’s final song, “HaterBooth.” The song — which mixes churchy and ’80s R&B vibes — seems like a tribute to girl groups of yesteryear, with the most direct link to the sounds of The Pointer Sisters.
With their Tiny Desk Concert, FLO gave us a taste of the past, a view of the present and a look forward to the future in less than 30 minutes. We can only imagine what these baddies have in store for us next.
