‘It’s difficult for us as a girl group in 2024 – we’re a scary concept’-Danni Scott-Entertainment – Metro

Flo are dominating the girl group game, but where’s their competition? (Picture: Tom Emmerson)

In the age of solo pop megastars like Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift, girl groups appear to have fallen by the wayside.

There’s a shocking lack of female trios in the charts at the moment, despite having defined much of the 90s and 00s music industry.

While Flo—made up of Jorja Douglas, Stella Quaresma, and Renée Downer — might be here to save us from this, they confessed to Metro they have’absolutely no clue’ why groups aren’t making waves like they used to.

Jorja mused that the drought could be due to the fact it’s ‘not easy’ being in a group, calling themselves ‘very fortunate and blessed’ to have found each other.

The London-born singers have just released their debut album, Access All Areas, which has been charting well so far with a mini-deluxe ‘Unlocked’ version also proving popular.

Stella Quaresma, Jorja Douglas, and Renee Downer have been compared to Destiny’s Child (Photo by Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/WireImage)

They’ve toured with Kehlani but now it’s their turn to take centre stage (Picture: Kaitlyn Morris/Getty Images)

Jorja continued: ‘This industry is very … it’s just difficult. This day and age is difficult.

‘The things that new generation artists have to deal with, social media and all of the negativity that’s out there in the world at the moment, it’s just very difficult for any artist.

‘So I think there being more than one artist [in a group] to some people it might be a scary thought. And even with labels, thinking there’s this new breed of children and they’re like, “Oh my God, I don’t know if we can deal with more than one of them”.’

Stella believes being in a group is actually what has enabled them to keep going in the face of a tough, unforgiving industry.

‘The thing that’s kept us going the most is each other,’ she shared. ‘I think that if we didn’t have each other, we probably would not be here with you right now.’

Jorja joked: ‘Or on this earth to be honest.’

Flo formed in 2019 and has had huge success with their single Cardboard Box and EP, even landing a Rising Star Brit Award.

This ‘proved’ they had staying power after having the ‘odds stacked against them’, rising to fame after Covid in an oversaturated industry that simply ‘doesn’t know what to do’ with a girl group.

Flo has made no secret that they’re heavily influenced by the girl groups that have gone before them but they’re not here to be carbon copies.

Comparisons to Destiny’s Child and the Sugababes have been flying but the trio from London aren’t intimidated by such high praise.

Renée said the comparisons ‘mean so much’ because it proves people are seeing the ‘hard work’ the trio have been putting in.

She continued: ‘We don’t ever want to sound like we think we’re better than people that have had much more success than we have had. We love drawing inspiration from past girl groups, from everything that surrounds us, and then just continuing to work really hard and trusting our own gut feelings about the music that we’re putting out.

‘I think the role we have played in our careers sets us apart from other artists. Because I think a lot of artists that work with labels kind of either find it easy or feel like they have to kind of succumb to the control of labels, but we said, ‘No way”.

‘Us, really being confident in our own abilities is what sets us apart from a lot of artists.’

Flo have huge control over their sound, having ‘faced trouble internally’ early on after signing to a label who were unsure of how to market this new girl group.

Flo’s favourite track from the album is I’m Just A Girl(Picture: Tom Emmerson)

Jorja revealed for most of their team, Flo is their first project and the trio has had to lead with their vision for the group.

‘It’s our thing,’ she stressed. ‘It’s our project, it’s our emotions, it’s us on the line.’

‘Everything we do has to be authentic to us,’ explained Renée. ‘Otherwise, it’s impossible for us to do and to sell something that we don’t fully believe in.’

As for girl groups, Flo insisted there are some great groups out there — the world just isn’t ready for them yet.

‘They’re definitely on their way back,’ Jorja said. ‘I think a girl group now compared to what girl groups were before is completely different.

Girl groups are about to have a resurgence (Picture: Dana Jacobs/Getty Images)

‘Before it was obviously the most successful time for girl groups, it definitely was a sure way for a label to make money, and I think it was all obviously manufactured – more so than now – but the music was incredible.

‘But I think now it feels more led by the artist. Definitely in our case, nobody can tell us what we’re going to put out, what this is going to look like, what that’s going to sound like.

‘So, it’s a good resurgence that’s coming back.’

In a time where things ‘feel really bleak for women’, Flo are just happy to be carrying on that girl power legacy — even if they’re doing it on their own for now.

Flo’s debut album Access All Areas and the deluxe version Unlocked are out now.

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