Few R&B shows are impacted by the internet’s influence like a FLO show. On April 13, the London girl group came to Atlanta to play their first American headlining show under Spotify‘s R&B First Nights. The program from the streaming service aims to amplify and support the rising acts within the R&B genre by partnering to support their first live shows in select markets.
At the end of the Atlanta show, singer-songwriter Victoria Monét came out and surprised the group with a bouquet of flowers. Members of the group used to cover Monét’s songs on social media. FLO became prominent in the United States with a tweet from group superfan Ben. He posted a clip of the group’s single “Cardboard Box” and the Twitter video began with harmonizing over a bridge any R&B fan would have on repeat.
this is the r&b the girls supposed to have been GAVE. im GAGGED pic.twitter.com/iLatfouGiF
— ✭ben✭ (@BENLIKETHIS) April 8, 2022
Ben is a part of a group of FLO fans from across the South who are in a Twitter group chat primarily focused on the group. The group chat members met each other at the show in Atlanta to take in the entire experience. After the show, chat fans Caleb, Briana, Shay also known as “Angel Face,” Nucki, Prince, Tay, Ben and Saeteay spoke to rolling out about the digital connection-turned-real-life impact of FLO and fandom.
So all of you met through Twitter?
All: Yes.
When was the first time you all connected on Twitter?
Nucki: Everybody’s different because I met [Angel Face] like seven years ago.
Briana: I met [Angel Face and Nucki] like six years ago.
Prince: We’ve been together.
Is this the first time you all have met in person?
Nucki: Some of us.
Caleb: This is my first time meeting everybody.
Did you all expect to develop such strong friendships over Twitter?
Briana: It’s not something I really thought about, it kind of just happened.
Nucki: At first you don’t think about it and now it’s like, boom. Now, we’re all best friends.
Prince: When you get thrown in those group chats with all of those people, then that’s when you connect.
So this group chat is the one for FLO?
Angel Face: Yes, FLO Nation.
Is there a Hannah Montana complex of living a secret life while running a fan page?
Angel Face: No, my face is on there.
Caleb: Yeah, I have my own account. I just love FLO.
Does anyone have an account where they don’t show their face?
Nucki: I show my face. My avatar is of [Megan Thee Stallion], but I show my face.
Briana: Right, but we’re all known for stanning a certain person, though. So, I guess we might have that effect.
What is the biggest misconception about fans?
Angel Face: That we’re doing too much, and that we like to be very negative.
Briana: It’s no different than guys who are into sports. If anything, we’re less violent.
Tay: It’s all about the music.
Have you all watched SWARM? If so, what was your reaction to it?
Tay: [There are] definitely some people who act like that out here. Me, personally, [I don’t think] we act like that. Like, I would never kill anyone over an artist.
