taking their lead
i may just text your brethren... i might not... but i may
I don’t tend to put long-form versions of my thoughts on music out there. Not because I don’t think I am capable of adequately discussing music per se but because I work in the world of analyzing media. It’s my safe space and my comfort zone to connect my existential crisis to films and television shows that I have a deep love for. However, before the year ends, I thought it would be fun and joyful to go in-depth into my new musical hyper fixation (I have a feeling it will be a long-lasting one) and my favorite new musical act of the year, Flo. Flo is a London-based, primarily R&B, girl group that has taken the music scene by storm consisting of members Stella, Renée, and Jorja. Their rise might seem on the surface level like this overnight success but the group was formed in 2019 and has been working their behinds off for this moment. The group has released an EP this year and not long ago dropped a new single from what I hope to be off their debut album. They have also performed on Jimmy Kimmel, The MOBO Awards, The Soul Train Awards, and more. What has been even more impressive is that they have recently won a Brit Award for Rising Star, NO ALBUM OUT (Insert Nicki’s voice from her Monster verse). Flo shows no signs of stopping and I wanted to go on a deep dive into why Flo should be on your radar.
Girl groups in recent history haven’t been as prominent in the mainstream as they once were. K-Pop girl groups have been holding it down with acts such as BLACKPINK (in your area) and TWICE. It seems to me, however, that girl groups aren’t a part of the general zeitgeist as they once were. Having grown up with acts like Danity Kane, The Pussycat Dolls, and the incomparable Destiny’s Child, girl groups were a staple of my childhood. Girl groups made a significant comeback in the early 2010s with acts like Fifth Harmony and Little Mix, two girl groups that were derived from the X Factor era. However, now with Little Mix going on an indefinite hiatus this year after finishing their Confetti tour. There has been a need, at least for me, for another girl group and I have been craving a vocal powerhouse R&B girl group. On March 24, 2022, my prayers were answered. “Cardboard Box” had been released as Flo’s debut single and the music scene was about to change for the better.
Towards the mid to late parts of spring this year, there was a clip that was circulating my timeline and my for you page like wildfire. It was a twenty-second clip from the music video for “Cardboard Box”. It was the most beautiful harmony and the cleanest blend. However, what really gagged and gathered me was the last line of the clip where Renée sings, “Said Imma put your gold chains down the drain and your Rolly, Might just drop a text to your homies.” That was it, like many others, that clip hooked me and I had to listen to more. Their debut song “Cardboard Box” is an unapologetic and what seems to be very much deserved verbal bashing of some dude who cheated on a woman and is being told to boot it. The lyrics are STELLAR. The production created this amazing playhouse for each of the members to have their time to shine and showcase their range in R&B music. It was also produced by MNEK, who is a longtime collaborator of Little Mix and a phenomenal artist in his own right. This brought the biggest smile to my face because I know my bestie MNEK is going to help a girl group SHINE. “Cardboard Box” took the internet OVER. However, the group immediately got put into (the pun is coming, I am apologizing in advance) a box, and critics began to heavily associate them with the 2000s and 90s R&B sound. While I agree that all art will always be in conversation with art from the past and present. That the past influences will always be in the background or even forefront of current music. I believe that Flo’s sound provides an entirely different entity.
While having a conversation with a friend about Flo and their sound, the same point of the early 2000s and 90s R&B sound got brought up. I believe that the nostalgia we all feel comes more from the feelings associated with the music than the music itself, let me explain. When I am out in the streets and I randomly start hearing someone from the distance speak Somali, I immediately feel a sense of warmth and comfort. I feel this sense that there is someone out there that speaks that same language and it makes me feel right at home. That is what Flo does, they are speaking a language that R&B lovers all speak but we just haven’t heard in a minute. Their music feels as if the second you press play on any of their songs, it was like hearing a language you haven’t heard in a while and feeling at home. Flo’s sound although can be connected to the greats, it is also fresh in terms of the content and how it always feels like my three besties and I kiking. The music at its foundation is about what it means for young Black women of today to navigate love, self, and the behaviors (and consequences) of underdeveloped men. Flo is providing this personability in their music that is nostalgic, that I at least, haven’t seen since R&B girl groups and acts from the early 2000s. This became even further established with the release of their EP, The Lead.
Flo’s first body of work, their EP titled The Lead was released on July 8th of this year. The EP contains five tracks and a 6th one that was added in September which showcases their range in terms of lyrics and vocals. The first song off the EP is “Cardboard Box” and we all know how much a slay the house boots down that was. The second song off the EP is “Immature” and let me talk about my good sister in Islam for a second. The track has this edge, the production is refined and luscious, and the lyrics make it ABDUNATELY clear why mans from “Cardboard Box” is boo-boo trash. The music video also highlights the edgier elements as the members are in darker colors and leather. “Immature” is a personal favorite of mine. The third track is titled “Not My Job” which is what I am claiming to be a necessary addition to every house party… IMMEDIATELY. “Not My Job” takes us on a journey as each member takes a stand and states that they cannot be responsible for a man’s willingness or rather unwillingness to be emotionally present in a relationship. The production on this one starts with the group harmonizing the group’s name in a way that can only be described as heavenly and then takes us to a distorted voice rapping along to the beat. Also, I am going to need my siblings to WAKE UP because their Vevo live performance of “Not My Job” changed me, like the cells in my body, my mitochondria, something shifted in me for the better when I watched it.
Now onto the second half of the EP. The fourth song off the EP is “Summertime.” Now although, I personally cannot stand that season. I am sorry summer is the worst out of the four seasons. There is nothing enjoyable about hot flashes and the beach. However, what is incredibly enjoyable, is this track. “Summertime” as stated in the first lyric, “It’s a vibe.” This track showcases the beautiful blends of the members but it also puts at the forefront the bond these women have. It’s a song about the joys of being with the girls, out on vacation, and centering their own joy with each other. Their performance of “Summertime” in the Boiler Room was also sensational and emphasized the same joy the track provides. Next up is “Feature Me.” Now, “Feature Me” is my favorite track off the EP and I need the girls who for some reason don’t get it, to start getting it QUICKLY. This track discusses how the members are centering their sensuality and how even if it’s with a man they don’t have much of an emotional commitment to, they deserve to be centered and taken care of. This track also puts a spotlight on the most gorgeous tones and registers each member has and blends them together oh so deliciously. If this track was food, it would for sure be one of those chocolate molten lava cakes you get at them fancy restaurants. Just really really good food! The final track of the EP is titled “Another Guy- Acoustic.” This track goes into detail about how if we are being honest, most men be moving the same way and how even the ones that might present themselves as “the nice guy” end up just being… another guy. The track is an acoustic production that focuses on the vocal agility of each member and my God, their gorgeous harmonies that are otherworldly.
The Lead as an EP is almost self-explanatory. In each song on the EP, they are taking the lead in their relationships and their lives, rather than focusing on a man who does not deserve it. It is also about how Flo as a group is taking the lead in their sound and how they plan to show up in the music scene. The Lead and every live performance of the songs off of the EP put forth that the group is going to be ten toes down on who they are and their impeccable vocal skills. What made me fall in love with Flo is at the core it is 3 young Black women trying to make sense of the relationships in their lives and the world around them. This is done through a language that speaks to me and so many other lovers of R&B and more specifically R&B groups. It is also amazing to see pure, unadulterated, vocal TALENT. Every live performance proves that these women are SINGERS. It has been so exciting to get to see an R&B group take center stage from their debut single to now with their newly released single “Losing You” (which whew that ascending harmony towards the end TOOK ME OUT). Their success is incredibly deserved and I am immensely excited to see what is next.
why am i reading this giggling at my own jokes 😭