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Better than the hype, flawless FLO are on road to superstardom

Outernet, WC2H ★★★★★ Lisa Wright

ENTERING into their first proper headline shows with a Brit Award win, a BBC Sound of 2023 top placement, a Mobo nomination and yet barely more than half a dozen released songs to their name, it’s worth banishing the elephant from the room before it’s even had time to fester. FLO are even better than the hype, a vocally flawless trio whose comparisons to Destiny’s Child are truly legitimate in a way that regularly left last night’s central London crowd hollering at the sheer jaw-dropping dexterity of it all.

There was no obvious Beyoncé in the group, composed of early 20-somethings Jorja Douglas, Stella Quaresma and Renée Downer — but nor was there a clear Kelly or Michelle. Instead, the three were a unit that thrived off their chemistry and shared solos equally. With Powerpuff Girls-style avatars of the band greeting you upon entry to upmarket Tottenham Court Road venue Outernet, everything about the evening felt like an event. However, clad in matching red Noughties cut-out outfits, it’s when they delivered an immaculate a cappella during second track Immature that their real hustle made itself known.

There were moments throughout the set when FLO’s live vocals could have rivalled any pop superstars on the circuit. Veering from Christina Aguilera-circa-Stripped powerhouse sass on excellent new track Control Freak via a perfectly timed cover of Jamelia’s Superstar to the pure Beyoncé balladry of Losing You, the trio were a masterful composite of nostalgia and a talent that was clearly incredibly present.

That FLO decided to eschew costume changes and big pop star tropes was probably a good choice for their still-early moves. However, to make a 2,000-capacity debut headline feel like an intimate stop-off on the way to inevitable superstardom was a rare feat. By the time the trio introduced recent Missy Elliott collaboration Fly Girl and a closing, elongated trip through their all-conquering debut single Cardboard Box, their trajectory felt like a done deal. You imagine that people will be talking about this in the same giddy fashion as having seen any of pop’s true greats at their start.

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2023-03-31T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-31T07:00:00.0000000Z

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