Photo Credit: Tom Emmerson<\/p>\n
Review by Catherine Trabazo<\/p>\n
If FLO\u2019s Boston stop on tour teaches us anything, it\u2019s that the era of the girl group is not only alive, it\u2019s thriving in three-part harmony. At House of Blues, FLO emerged, their silhouettes framed behind red velvet curtains. The unmistakable voice of Cynthia Erivo, taken from the album\u2019s intro, echoed across the venue. Regal and commanding, she introduced the trio as the rightful heirs to the girl group throne, following in the footsteps of Destiny\u2019s Child, Sugababes, and SWV. The baton was being passed, and FLO was ready to run with it.<\/span><\/p>\n Decked in coordinating outfits, Jorja, Stella, and Ren\u00e9e took the stage like women on a mission. Over the course of an hour, they did more than perform, they proved their place among pop and R&B\u2019s most promising stars. This wasn\u2019t a concert, but a coronation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Stella and Ren\u00e9e met at school in London, bonding over their shared love of music before later connecting with Jorja through social media. That connection flows through every harmony they deliver. Where Jorja and Stella soar with jaw-dropping high notes, Ren\u00e9e roots the group with a velvety alto. Their chemistry and on-stage synchronicity is something most pop acts can only dream of.<\/span><\/p>\n After refining their sound for years, FLO burst into the spotlight with 2022\u2019s \u201cCardboard Box,\u201d a cheeky breakup anthem that instantly became a fan favorite, capturing a collective hunger for the return of the girl group era. But as this performance made clear, FLO isn\u2019t just a throwback, they\u2019re an evolution. While rooted in girl group tradition, their track themes speak directly to now with lyrics about agency, disappointment, and moving on with your head held high.<\/span><\/p>\n Opening with \u201cAccess All Areas,\u201d the title track from their debut album, they immediately had the audience reeled in. \u201cI see a sea of red and I love that for us!\u201d Ren\u00e9e beamed, declaring Boston the loudest stop on their tour so far, noticeable even after one song. Singing beautifully while executing full choreography, FLO made it look effortless.<\/span><\/p>\n They lit up the room, quite literally, with house lights rising for crowd banter between songs. \u201cBoston, are you gonna dance with us tonight? Are you gonna sing with us tonight?\u201d they teased.\u00a0 During \u201cCheck,\u201d the entire room chanted along with the list of red and green flags, \u201cIs he faithful? Check. Good in bed? Check.\u201d Over 808s, the song walked the line between flirtation and high standards.<\/span><\/p>\n FLO moved easily from sweet serenades to scorned declarations. On \u201cBending My Rules,\u201d an ode to dependable love, the group raised a glass with the crowd. \u201cCheers, Boston. That was really cute,\u201d Ren\u00e9e exclaimed after the song concluded. Moments later, Jorja teased, \u201cYes, it’s very cute to sing about bending my rules and blah blah blah, but let\u2019s sing about catching that man up,\u201d before the empowering \u201cCaught Up.\u201d \u201cIf you\u2019re out here on these streets, at least be honest with me,\u201d the group sang, closing with a middle finger to the air as the lights dimmed and the crowd cheered.<\/span><\/p>\n FLO\u2019s powerhouse anthems were often introduced with a commanding call, \u201cI need the biggest scream to tell me, how does it feel?\u201d The trio lay poised on the stairs, bathed in LED backlight, before launching into the electrifying chorus of \u201cHow Does It Feel?\u201d chanting and jumping along with the crowd. While their recordings impress, it\u2019s in a live setting that FLO reaches a breathtaking level.<\/span><\/p>\n FLO didn’t let the energy dip once. Mid-set, Jorja said \u201cLet\u2019s do a vibe check!\u201d starting a chant \u201cHe ain\u2019t gonna get it till I\u2019m gone.\u201d The audience, mostly young women, roared back with conviction \u201cHe ain\u2019t gonna get it!\u201d\u00a0 The crowd was engaged all night.<\/span><\/p>\n The emotional peak of the night came during \u201cLosing You.\u201d Fans lit up the venue with cell phone flashlights and wind machines gave the group a near-angelic presence. But FLO snapped back into their empowerment mode with \u201cIn My Bag,\u201d the crowd shouting back every word. As they sang \u201cMy body, mind, and soul connected, what I got is manifested,\u201d the confidence was palpable. These weren\u2019t just lyrics, they were affirmations.<\/span><\/p>\n From there, the set dipped into their viral debut, \u201cCardboard Box.\u201d The crowd shouted every word with precision, as if cleansing themselves of every ex who ever did them wrong.<\/span><\/p>\n For the finale, the trio returned with \u201cI\u2019m Just a Girl,\u201d turning the stage into a full-blown rally. With a crowd made up largely of women, it felt cathartic. Then, silhouettes behind that red curtain once more, they disappeared.<\/span><\/p>\n FLO\u2019s set was more than just entertainment. With stunning vocals, clever lyrics, and an undeniable presence, they didn\u2019t just grant us all access. They demanded our attention and earned it, track by track.<\/span><\/p>\n What sets FLO apart isn\u2019t just talent, it\u2019s their sense of purpose. They aren\u2019t trying to replicate girl groups of the past, they\u2019re channeling them, studying their lessons, and building something new. Beneath the tight harmonies is an unshakable confidence that says \u201cwe\u2019ve been studying, now it\u2019s our turn.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Photo Credit: Tom Emmerson Review by Catherine Trabazo If FLO\u2019s Boston stop on tour teaches us anything, it\u2019s that the era of the girl group is not only alive, it\u2019s thriving in three-part harmony. At House of Blues, FLO emerged, their silhouettes framed behind red velvet curtains. The unmistakable voice of Cynthia Erivo, taken from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22960,"featured_media":48629,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1525,1523,15],"tags":[33,1128,2122,26,2403,25],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48630"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22960"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48630"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48630\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48631,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48630\/revisions\/48631"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48629"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}