Album Review: Access All Areas by FLO

Drawing from the powerhouses of 90s and 2000s R&B, the London based trio comprises three exceptionally talented vocalists - Renee Downer, Jorja Douglas, and Stella Quaresma - who feel a "dedication to making girl group history. " And these ambitions aren't far-fetched at all - the girls have received a great deal of accolades already, most notably winning the Brits Rising Star award in 2023, being the first band to ever do so. Having introduced themselves via a promising batch of songs across EPs The Lead and 3 Of Us, showcasing a solid and sophisticated approach to their craft - meanwhile rubbing shoulders and joining artistic forces with a range of eminent musicians traversing the R&B spectrum - the sheer potential of FLO could be detected from a mile away.

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FLO - comprising Jorja Douglas, Renée Downer and Stella Quaresma - carry the vocal-based pop baton passed down from the likes of Sugababes, SWV and "countless other iconic baddies," to use the words of Wicked actor Cynthia Erivo on the record's red-curtain opener 'Intro'. This legacy is reanimated full-throttle by the 2023 BRIT Rising Star recipients across debut 'Access All Areas'. It's meta in its imitation, depicting a staged showcase of inspired, energetic, throwback R&B that infuses "bad bitch replenishment" to a post-Destiny's Child world with campy reverence.

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The past two years have bore witness to FLO's rocketing breakthrough – from TikTok covers to Jimmy Fallon , the group have already ticked off a plethora of global achievements. Nonetheless, their profusely anticipated debut album surprisingly only arrives this year. The 16 track project begins with ethereal narration from Cynthia Erviro. The multi-faceted Wicked star gives off fairy godmother-like energy as she expresses "Planet Earth was in dire need of bad bitch replenishment".

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