They say there is no rest for the wicked. While the three women of FLO may not be quite that, the schedule of an international girl group on the rise is certainly putting them to the test. Touring, music video edits, photoshoots, recording sessions, Tiny Desk performances, jetting here, there and everywhere; at the midpoint of 2026, Jorja Douglas, Renée Downer, and Stella Quaresma have already experienced more than most can fathom achieving in a year.
Habitually viewed through a lens of sexiness over substance, with little recognition for songwriting or ownership of their aesthetic, girl groups are often underestimated. So far, though, the addictive sound and irresistible harmonies of FLO have captured the world’s attention. In February, they whisked their mothers to a “wholesome” evening at the Grammy Awards, where they were nominated for Best Progressive R&B Album for their debut ‘Access All Areas’. It’s a world away from the Sylvia Young Theatre School where Downer and Quaresma first met (Douglas, daughter of retired athlete Stephi Douglas, joined later after the pair discovered her singing on Instagram). While they didn’t win their category and watched from “in the bleachers”, they walked away eyes wide and with a goal in mind. “Now we have somewhere to go,” says Quaresma.
When they manage to squeeze time with NME in the middle of their hectic schedule, there is a sense that this slate of press may be the last pause they have for a minute. Cuddled up with Douglas’ grey-haired French bulldog, Bunny, the trio seem in good spirits while conserving energy for choreography rehearsals in the evening, and are days away from their anticipated in-store run of acoustic shows. “It’s so intimate,” says Douglas. “We get to be in close proximity to the fans, so we always have lots of fun on the in-stores.”
While the bond of Douglas, Downer, and Quaresma is pure and undeniable, FLO’s fans are certainly part of the girlhood. Now, on their second album ‘Therapy At The Club’, they take listeners under their wing and galvanise each other in the way only women can.
‘Therapy At The Club’ isn’t really about the club, despite some of its tracks specifically referencing the highs and lows of a night on the town. It is about female friendship, the unexpected camaraderie of the girls’ bathroom, matters of the heart, and using the club as a means to process life – and let go of negativity through the power of music.
“Found myself on the floor unexpectedly / Chasing that good medicine in the melody / I was down, all my girls dancing next to me”, sing FLO on their latest single ‘Remedied’, a high-octane pop smash that captures the anticipation of the night to come and knowing you turned out the look regardless. To Douglas, the song is about being unapologetic. “When you’re going to the club, you need to leave it all behind [and have] a great time with your mates,” she says. “It’s about us having the best time and using each other as a form of therapy.”
For Downer, part of the allure of a night out is that, for that pocket of time, you can be anyone and anything. “You can be fully yourself, or you can pretend to be somebody you’re not to make you feel a bit better. I think everybody’s intention is to have a good night and be fun.”
Quaresma agrees that there is something about music, friendship, and the club that brings out the best in people and makes it a safe space to lower your inhibitions. “You go into the bathroom and suddenly someone that you feel like you’ve known for years is there. They have a problem [and] all the girls come out of the cubicles to fix it.
“All of the negative things about being a girl all go away [in the club]. I’ll scratch your back, you scratch mine” – Stella Quaresma
“I feel like all of the negative things about being a girl – girls being bitchy, side-eye, whatever – all go away [in the club],” she adds. “I’ll scratch your back, you scratch mine. You got lip liner? OK! I feel sometimes men in clubs are just a bit nasty, and that makes girls stick together even more.” “100 per cent!” says Douglas, while scratching Bunny’s head. “Just bond over your mutual disgust of men.”
So, what is FLO’s most memorable night out? “I remember Stella’s birthday!” says Downer, as they laugh about a dinner and night out on Mayfair that quickly fell apart thanks to a cannabis cake.
“I commissioned the cake – I had no idea what had gone into it!” says Douglas. “Stella’s friends started dropping like flies! I felt this immense guilt, Reneé left, and I thought ‘My god, I’ve ruined it’ – but Stella had a great time!” “We only had the tiniest bit,” Quaresma laughs. “If we had a whole slice, we would have died!”
As an album, ‘Therapy At The Club’ is a journey from beginning to end, from wanting love to being scared of getting hurt, then getting hurt and being done with it all – the whole tumultuous experience of modern dating. Upcoming single ‘Cry Ugly’ shows off FLO’s killer harmonies and vocal riffing while recounting a lover’s tiff moments before stepping out the door for the night: “1am on the dot, guess it’s bullshit o’clock / This man don’t know when to stop”, Quaresma sings over skittish beats and chunky bass, as they throw notes seamlessly between them.
“I really wanted to talk about the more negative aspects [of relationships and the club],” says Douglas, who drew from personal experience. “I don’t know what it is about the stress of getting ready to leave [but] that’s when we start to argue!”
Payback is best served cold and through a thirst trap, and comeback track ‘Leak It’ marked the beginning of their new era with confidence. Serving body tea and channelling the bolshy flirtatiousness of Pussycat Dolls’ ‘Buttons’, FLO wear their nostalgia on their sleeve while pushing their songwriting chops to thrust girl groups into the future. This time around, they spent a big chunk of time in the US writing day in, day out. Whether collaborating with songwriters or working individually, the trio used the concept of ‘therapy at the club’ to steer their writing towards its North Star.
“We wanted to venture out on our own and develop our talent as songwriters and singers,” says Downer, recalling the challenge of getting out of their comfort zone and advocating for themselves in sessions. “It was a lot of mental preparation. Going in, we’re going to say what we want to say, how we want to feel, and take control of the room.” It’s an ambitious collection at 16 tracks. As Douglas says: “She’s thicc.”
Yet from undeniable pop anthems to sexy slow jams and earnest tear-jerkers, there’s no filler here. Rappers Juicy J and Kwn feature on ‘Pose’ (driven by a surprising sample of Technotronic’s ‘Pump Up The Jam’) and the slick and sultry ‘Sex In Peace’ respectively. Standout single ‘Don’t Break Her Heart’ thinly veils threat through honeyed vocals and shimmering production while reinforcing the importance of girls having each other’s backs; while the video is tongue-in-cheek sleuthing, there’s nothing covert about: “‘If you break her heart, I will break your face”. So, what side of FLO comes out when they see each other go through heartbreak?
“[Recording this album] was a lot of mental preparation. [We wanted] to say what we want to say and take control of the room” – Renée Downer
“You want to go into the motherly role, but we are sisters,” says Downer. “So that comes with a balance of maintaining respect for each other’s decisions. So long as we are able to talk about anything, that’s the most important thing.”
“We know rationality is the only way to get through to each other,” Douglas chimes in. “As much as you want to” – she mimes slapping the air – “sometimes you have to not.” “There’s no handbook,” adds Quaresma. “People have tried to write one. It’s not one size fits all.”
The group are now seven years deep into their quest to be the UK’s biggest girl group, and FLO are excited by what appears to be some healthy competition bubbling up in girl band land. “At the start it was just us [in the west] – Little Mix had just left,” says Quaresma, who is excited about KATSEYE’s new single ‘Animal’. “It’s definitely more of a buzz. I’m loving GIRLSET and Say Now!” says Douglas.
No longer carrying the torch alone means it’s FLO’s turn to conquer new land. First up is Asia, where they will be touring for the first time this summer. As newcomers no more, there’s little time for the rearview to see who’s coming up behind. With ‘Therapy At The Club’, FLO let go of the past and are focused firmly on the future; plus, there’s plenty of time to be nominated for another Grammy. “Next time, we’re gonna sit at the bottom,” says Quaresma “And we’re gonna win.”
FLO’s ‘Therapy At The Club’ is out on August 7 via EMI.
The post Growth, girlhood, and getting down: for FLO, ‘Therapy At The Club’ captures the spirit of life and love in your twenties appeared first on NME.