Get to know FLO: Winners of The BRITs Rising Star Award 2023
Their song 'Cardboard Box' was produced by MNEK
Last updated 30th Aug 2023
FLO were announced as the winners of the highly-prestigious BRITs Rising Star Award back in December 2022, but who is the girl group hotly tipped for success over the coming years? Let's get to know them a little bit better.
FLO were the first group to win The BRITs' highly coveted Rising Star award, so here we get to meet the members Jorja Douglas, Stella Quaresma, and Renée Downer, their viral tracks, and when you can see them live in 2023.
Who are FLO?
FLO consist of three members, Jorja Douglas, Stella Quaresma, and Renée Downer. In 2021 the group shared an introductory video on TikTok introducing themselves and showing fans their singing talents.
How did they get their name?
We have yet to find out how FLO got their name, but in a press release it says: 'FLO's origin story speaks to their name - it flowed.' This is mirrored in their social media handles.
How did the members of FLO meet?
Stella and Renée met at school in London where they bonded over their love for singing, the pair were familiar with Jorja over social media. They later met her at an audition which is where their musical journey together began.
Jorja recalls: "I saw the girls and we screamed across the room. I knew from that moment we were about to start something big."
FLO officially formed as a group in 2019.
Who are FLO influenced by?
When asked who their influences are, FLO replied: "Mary J Blige, Aaliyah, Brandy, Whitney Houston, Faith Evans, Mariah Carey, Mýa – do you want us to go on?" They also revealed that they also see Jazmine Sullivan, H.E.R, Frank Ocean and SZA as contemporary influences.
Are they going on tour?
They are! However, through North America. Flo announced their April tour dates on Instagram on 31st January 2023 - later gushing on 6th February that their international tour dates had sold out!
The group are headed back to the UK in time for Glastonbury 2023, where they took to the stage to deliver an amazing performance. FLO joined an incredible line-up, including the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Elton John, Lizzo, Becky Hill and Lewis Capaldi.
FLO will also be appearing at Isle of Wight Festival, TRNSMT and Wireless Festival in the summer.
The group have also been announced for KISS Haunted House Party, which takes place in Liverpool for the first time. Other acts announced so far for the event on Saturday 28th October include Becky Hill and Jax Jones.
What was FLO's debut song?
FLO's first release was called 'Cardboard Box'. The song was written by the trio and produced by none other than MNEK. It was the lead single from their extended play, 'The Lead' released in 2022.
WARNING: THIS VIDEO HAS STRONG LANGUAGE
What other songs have FLO released?
As well as their debut song, FLO have also released four other songs, 'Immature', 'Summertime', 'Losing You' and 'Not My Job'. 'Cardboard Box', 'Immature', and 'Summertime' feature on their EP 'The Lead'.
FLO have now released 'Fly Girl' featuring Missy Elliott, the song is inspired by the rapper's iconic song 'Work It', and she has recorded a special rap for the new song. In June 2023, the band continued their collaboration by dropping two remixes of the Summer anthem 'Fly Girl' - collaborating with Eliza Rose ('B.O.T.A.') and Magicsticks ('Sungba').
What songs have FLO featured on?
FLO released a remix of Stormzy's song 'Hide & Seek' featuring them. They shared a clip on TikTok telling their fans: 'Stormzy ft FLO the ‘Hide & Seek’ Remix is out now! The is our first time featuring on a single and we couldn’t be prouder to jump on this beautiful track🤍 Link in bio'. (sic)
'3 Of Us' EP
FLO surprised fans by releasing the three-track EP '3 Of Us' in July 2023. The EP is a celebration of Jorja, Reneé and Stella's journey so far and represents the power of three - three members, three matching tattoos, three songs and 3rd July.
The EP consists of the songs 'Control Freak', 'Change' and '3 Of Us.'
What are the lyrics to their song 'Cardboard Box'?
'Cardboard Box' is a song about the shared experience of breakups, and features meaningful lyrics such as: 'I got a confession / I don't think I want you anymore / There's no room for questions / I saw her panties on the bathroom floor (oh, oh)
'Been putting up with this for far too long / You ain't gonna change, boy / What's the point in stringing me along? / We're done for real'.
The chorus then goes: 'So I'ma put your sh-t in a cardboard box / Changing my number and I'm changing the locks / When you can't get in, know your heart gon' stop / You may be crying, but boy, I'm not
'I'ma put your sh-t in a cardboard box / Changing my number and I'm changing the locks / Never liked your momma, so I guess she's blocked / You may be crying, but boy, I'm not.'
Is there a remix of 'Cardboard Box'?
Happi remixed FLO's song 'Cardboard Box' and the group shared the music video, which also served as a lyric video on their YouTube channel.
WARNING: THIS VIDEO HAS STRONG LANGUAGE
How did the collab with Stormzy come about?
The girls revealed in an interview on KISS that Stormzy asked him to feature on his song, saying: "He asked us to do it, and obviously we said 'yes', something that we want to be part of you know, another side, a nice acoustic vibe. So we deffo wanted to jump on that."
What awards have FLO won?
FLO might have only been around for a few years, but they have won several awards already, including The Rising Star BRIT Award and The BBC Sound of 2023 award.
See the list of awards Jorja Douglas, Stella Quaresma, and Renée Downer have won below:
2022
BBC Sound of... - Sound of 2023
Guap Gala - Music Artist to Watch
2023
The BRIT Awards - Rising Star
MTV Europe Music Awards - Best Push
See all the previous winners of The Rising Star BRIT Award:
Adele: 2008
Adele won the award in 2008 and has since gone on to enjoy world domination. The singer has released four albums, '19', '21' ,'25' and most recently, '30' in November 2021.
With hits like 'Rolling In The Deep', 'Chasing Pavements' and 'Easy On Me', it is no surprise the singer is adored across the world by fans.
After making her comeback to music in 2021, Adele hasn't slowed down since, with the singer currently enjoying a stint in Las Vegas.
Florence & The Machine: 2009
Florence Welch of Florence & The Machine was given the award in 2009, much to her fans' delight. The singer went on to release amazing albums and perform at sell-out shows across the world.
Ellie Goulding: 2010
Ellie Goulding was crowned the winner of the award in 2010.
Ellie went on to release five massive albums, with her latest arriving in 2023. She teamed up again with Calvin Harris in 2023 on the track 'Miracle', which the pair performed at The BRITs 2024.
Jessie J: 2011
Jessie J won the award in 2011 and has smashed the charts ever since. After releasing her debut album 'Who You Are' in 2011, Jessie went on to achieve global success with hits like 'Domino', 'Price Tag' and 'Bang Bang' featuring Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj.
Emeli Sande: 2012
Emeli won in 2012 and released her massive debut album 'Our Version Of Events' in the same year.
The singer went on to perform at the London Olympics closing ceremony in 2012. She then went on to wow fans across the world with her incredible vocals on hits like 'Clown', 'Next To Me' and 'Heaven'.
Tom Odell: 2013
Singer-songwriter Tom Odell won the award in 2013, going on to release five albums since. His fifth album 'Best Day Of My Life' was released in October 2022.
Sam Smith: 2014
Since winning the award in 2014, Sam Smith hasn't look back! The vocalist has released four massive albums which include hits like 'Too Good At Goodbyes', 'One Last Song' and 'Promises'.
After teaming up with Calvin Harris in 2018, Sam then worked with former Fifth Harmony singer Normani on the track 'Dancing With A Stranger' and has since dropped tracks such as 'Unholy' and 'Gloria'.
James Bay: 2015
One year after winning the award in 2015, James Bay went on to win a BRIT Award for Best British Male Solo Artist in 2016.
The singer has since released amazing singles such as 'Hold Back The River' and 'Let It Go'.
Jack Garratt: 2016
Jack Garratt won in 2016 and continues to wow his fans with his vocal. The singer dropped his debut album 'Phase' in February 2016. Jack released his second album 'Love, Death & Dancing' in 2020.
Rag'N'Bone Man: 2017
Since Rag'n'Bone Man won the award in 2017, the singer has gone on to massive things.
Not only did he drop the massive hit 'Human', Rag'n'Bone Man, real name Rory Graham, teamed up with Calvin Harris on the amazing song 'Giants', with the pair working together again in 2024 on 'Lovers In A Past Life'.
Jorja Smith: 2018
Singer-songwriter Jorja Smith won the award in 2018 at the age of just 20.
Since winning the award last year, Jorja has released her debut album 'Lost & Found' which was positively received by fans.
Sam Fender: 2019
Sam Fender has become hugely popular over the last couple of years, so it's no surprise he won the award in 2019. His debut album 'Hypersonic Missiles' was adored by fans.
Sam dropped his second album ' Seventeen Going Under' in October 2021 and has since sold out shows across the world.
Celeste: 2020
British singer-songwriter Celeste won the prestigious award in 2020, going on to perform at the 2020 ceremony. After her victory, Celeste released her debut studio album in January 2021 and her single 'A Little Love' featured on the 2020 John Lewis Christmas ad.
Griff: 2021
Singer-songwriter Griff picked up the award in 2021. Gushing over her win, she said: "In my head I'm still screaming from the phone call when I found out. It's honestly such a miracle: how on earth did we manage to win a BRIT and break through during a pandemic?"
Holly Humberstone: 2022
Holly Humberstone picked up the award, now named the Rising Star Award, in 2022. She is known for her tracks 'London Is Lonely' and 'Falling Asleep At The Wheel'.
On receiving the award, Holly said: "I remember watching the BRITs with my parents each year and being totally awe struck by the artists coming together in what felt like another universe. Now to be named the BRITs Rising Star and nominated alongside two other incredible women, with the songs that started within those four walls at home is so mad. It just doesn't feel real. This year has been a wild ride and a year of firsts, and I am so grateful and thankful for everyone who has helped make this happen!"
FLO: 2023
The 2023 Rising Star Award went to girl group FLO, known for their songs 'Cardboard Box', 'Not My Job' and 'Immature'. They said of their win: "From growing up watching the BRITs, to finding each other and forming FLO, releasing our first body of work in 2022 and winning a BRIT award in the same year!! We are so shocked and grateful. We are the first group to win the BRITs Rising Star! We've just made history and couldn't have done it without our wonderful fans and supportive families. It's truly a dream come true. We feel so empowered creating the music we love and we hope others feel that too."
The Last Dinner Party: 2024
The Last Dinner Party were announced as the winners of the 2024 award after a stratospheric rise to fame. The five-piece from London started out only in 2020, giving their first performance in 2021 - so it's a pretty impressive trajectory.
They said of the win: "We are so proud beyond measure to have won the BRITs Rising Star. It's an honour to achieve something so iconic so early on in our career and we can only hope to keep making music that connects with all the incredible people who have listened to and supported us so far. Thank you!"
Myles Smith: 2025
Myles Smith was announced as the winner of the 2025 award ahead of Elmiene and Good Neighbours. Myles said of his victory: "Winning the BRIT award for Rising Star is such a surreal moment. Music has always been about connecting with people, and to see it resonate on this level is incredible. I'm so grateful to my team, my family, and especially the fans who've supported me every step of the way. Your belief in me means everything. This is just the beginning, and I'm so excited for what's to come—thank you for being part of this journey."
Now read:
BRIT Awards announce FLO as Rising Star 2023 winners ✨
BRIT Awards: All the winners of the Rising Star award
The BRIT Awards 2023: Everything you need to know