Breakout act of the year breaking records as first group to ever win BRIT Rising Star Award
London-based girl group Flo release their new song “Losing You” for fans this holiday season.
“It’s fitting that ‘Losing You’ is being released this time of the year as it’s all about going through a loss but somehow being comforted by it. It reminds you of how content you are by yourself and finding that cheerful spirit during a tough time,” the trio shares of the track.
British R&B girl group Flo have made history in the past month by becoming the first group to ever win the prestigious BRIT Rising Star Award, following in the footsteps of global superstars including Adele and Sam Smith. Believing in their “vision from day one,” Flo has become the most hotly tipped British and US music act this year, shortlisted for the BBC Sound Of 2023, nominated for Best Newcomer at the MOBOs and making their sublime debut TV Awards performance, as well as winning cult platform No Signal’s Yearbook Top Of The Class accolade, breaking records with thousands of votes.
Flo’s debut single “Cardboard Box” has now amassed over 40 million global streams, with their debut EP The Lead reaching 100 million streams to date. But at the heart of Flo are three ambitious young women – 20 year-olds Renée and Jorja and 21-year-old Stella – whose immaculate three part harmonies, contemporary take on 00s R&B and era-defining music videos have connected with hundreds of thousands of R&B fans globally. Wanting to thank fans for their unparalleled support this year, Flo release “Losing You” this holiday season, an R&B slow jam that showcases three voices so connected with each other and their growth as the most remarkable vocalists coming out in music scene. With a video directed by Meekz and Frost (Pa Salieu, Headie One, SK), “Losing You” is a beautiful love letter to 2022, ending Flo’s astonishing debut year and signaling the start of a global superstar girl group.
Nine months ago, the trio released their debut single “Cardboard Box,” which catapulted them into the collective consciousness and won them fans R&B and hip-hop luminaries such as Brandy, JoJo, SZA, Victoria Monét and Missy Elliott, as well as girl group royalty – none other than Destiny’s Child’s Kelly Rowland and Sugababes – have all co-signed the R&B girl group. “Cardboard Box” has become the biggest girl group opening statement in over a decade and was the first song Flo ever wrote together as a group, with executive producer and longtime friend MNEK. “Cardboard Box” has set the world alight, with the Happi Remix becoming the number 1 sound on TikTok UK after a Polynesian-creators dance routine went viral on the platform, leading to over 5 billion views and 11 million versions of the dance created.
Having been in the studio with legendary producer Darkchild (Destiny’s Child, Michael Jackson, H.E.R) recently and receiving a tweet from Stormzy saying he was “ready when you are” to collaborate, Flo are building a global family of high-profile fans and artists. They recently gave a world-class performance of colossal track “Not My Job” for VEVO DSCVR, leading to an online conversation with fans stating they hadn’t seen a group’s bond so strong in decades. It’s no wonder FLO sold out their debut London show at The Outernet and New Century in Manchester in record time – just under two minutes – following a sublime performance at fellow R&B star Mahalia’s club night. FLO also made a surprise appearance at Pink Pantheress’ Boiler Room earlier this month, personally invited by the BBC Sound Of 2022 winner. Schooling us with a masterclass in R&B and pop harmonies, Flo prove they have carved out their own lane, with a sound that is reminiscent of classic 00s R&B, but with the London grit and attitude of three young black women who know their voice.
Flo released their debut EP The Lead at the height of summer in 2022 to critical acclaim, which sparked a cultural conversation about the future of British R&B. Working closely on The Lead with their “extended family;” executive producer MNEK, Jamal Woon, KABBA and Aston Rudi, Flo hustled every day in the studio to create a sound that recalls the greats from peak-era Timbaland and Aaliyah, but also captures three young women finding their voice through the genre of R&B, which they know has the capacity to become pop, “people need to give R&B the same love and chance”. Flo are an act at the helm of their musical and visual identity, with each track off the 5-track EP a vignette into how they have navigated their late teens through struggle, romance, heartbreak and friendship. FLO’s fusion of the old and new takes the best bits of R&B’s experimental phase and grounds it with UK swagger.
In March 2022, one tweet stating “the UK girl groups are coming hard,” led to over five million views, 140k likes and 20k retweets, and catapulted Flo to the center of the cultural conversation about the important role girl groups play in our society, and the alchemy and science behind why they work. It’s Flo’s sister bond that runs deep, having all been raised by powerful single mothers and understanding the gravity, hustle and tenacity of picking this career path. From Kelly Rowland visiting them in a studio session in LA earlier this year, to hundreds of thousands of fans showing up on their growing Instagram (200k) and TikTok (300k) channels, and have been announced as VEVO DSCVR’s Artists To Watch 2022, as well as Apple Music’s Global Up Next artist accolade, following in the footsteps of Billie Eilish and Holly Humberstone. Flo have taken The Lead in 2022, and this is just the beginning.
