| Access All Areas | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 15 November 2024 (2024-11-15) | |||
| Genre | R&B | |||
| Length | 46:55 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Producer |
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| Flo chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Access All Areas | ||||
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Access All Areas (also abbreviated asAAA) is the debut album by English girl groupFlo. It was released on 15 November 2024 throughIsland Records.[1] It marks the group's first full-length project after releasing twoextended plays:The Lead (2022) and3 of Us (2023). The standard version ofAccess All Areas features guest vocals fromCynthia Erivo andGloRilla, while the "Unlocked" version includes guest vocals fromChlöe,Halle,Kehlani,Bree Runway andDixson.
Access All Areas received generally positive reviews from critics. The album was preceded by three singles—"Walk Like This", "Caught Up", and "Check"—and two promotional singles, while a fourth single, "In My Bag", coincided with the album release. It is acontemporary R&B album featuring production and songwriting fromMNEK and notable contributions fromCamper,Jay Versace,Pop Wansel,Sevyn Streeter, and more.
On 3 July 2023, Flosurprise announced their second EP,3 of Us as a "gift" to their fans for patiently waiting for new music.[2][3] Before releasing the singles "Walk Like This" and "Caught Up" for the debut project, the group was announced as an opening act for singerKehlani'sCrash World Tour for the fall.[4]
Prior to the announcement ofAccess All Areas, the group described the album as a continuation of the legacy of girl groups:
Access All Areas is a labour of love. To us it represents our growth and dedication to making girl group history, to making a project we are truly proud to call our debut album.[5]
The album's first single, "Walk Like This" was released on 8 March 2024 after being previewed onTikTok weeks back, and the accompanying music video released a week later.[6][7] The single was Flo's first single since "Fly Girl" with American rapperMissy Elliott in 2023.[8] The group, then, revealed there would be at least 17 songs on the album after posting a picture of an unconfirmed tracklist on a drawing board on social media.[citation needed] On 24 May 2024, Flo released the second single for the album, "Caught Up", along with the visualizer.[9][10]
On 2 August 2024, Flo released the third single for the album, "Check".[11][12] After officially announcing the album's title, artwork, and release date on the same month, the group released pre-orders for vinyl, CDs, and exclusive bundles that include an autographed ticket, and three bonus tracks.[citation needed] The group released two promotional songs, "Bending My Rules", which they performed live forVevo Studios,[13][14] and the album's title track, "AAA".[15]
On 1 November 2024, Flo announced the Access All Areas Tour, which will visit Europe and the United Kingdom.[16] On 7 November 2024, Flo partnered withAMC Theatres to give their fans an early listen to the album in select theatres in theUnited States.[citation needed] On 10 November 2024, Flo revealed the official tracklist of the album, revealing collaborations with singer and actressCynthia Erivo and rapperGloRilla.[17]
Three days after the album's initial release, Flo hinted at "unlocking" features, and released a deluxe edition titledAccess All Areas: Unlocked featuring extended remixes with collaborations fromChlöe,Halle,Dixson,Kehlani, andBree Runway.[18] The group, alongsideChlöe and Halle, all hinted a collaboration before the album's release.[citation needed]
On 7 February 2025 Flo uploaded an official lyric video for "On & On" to YouTube, marking its release as the 5th single after an influx of airplay of the song on US R&B radio. Flo initially was going to make "Soft" the 5th single after the song gained almost 2 million streams in its first month. Flo also hinted at wanting "Get It Till I'm Gone" to be the 5th single on TikTok.
Access All Areas debuted on theUK Albums Chart at number three, selling 9,500[citation needed]album-equivalent units in its first week and becoming highest-charting album by a British R&B girl group in 23 years.[19] The album remained on the chart for one week, while spending two weeks each on theUK Album Downloads Chart and the UK Album Sales Chart. It also reached number one on theUK R&B Albums Chart, where it spent three weeks in the top-ten. In Scotland, the album reached number ten on theScottish Albums Chart.[20]
In the United States,Access All Areas became Flo's first project to appear on theBillboard 200, debuting at number 163.[21] Additionally, the album charted in the lower regions of the album charts in Belgium (Flanders) and France, reaching number 127 and number 188 on each, respectively. In Portugal, the album debuted at number 182 on the Portugal Streaming Albums chart.[citation needed]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 6.7/10[22] |
| Metacritic | 68/100[23] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Clash | 7/10[24] |
| DIY |   [25] |
| The Guardian |  [26] |
| The Independent | [27] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 7/10[28] |
| NME | [29] |
| Pitchfork | 8/10[30] |
| The Rolling Stone | [31] |
| The Telegraph | [32] |
Access All Areas received generally positive reviews frommusic critics upon release. According to the review aggregatorMetacritic,Access All Areas received "generally favorable reviews" based on aweighted average score of 68 out of 100 from 9 critic scores.[23]
Puah Ziwei ofNME described Flo as "having it all down: the talent, charisma and star power" onAccess All Areas, with the album having "plenty of anthemic, showstopping vocal moments".[29] Clover Hope ofPitchfork praised the album as a solid debut, referring to the project as a "confident vision of what a modern girl group can be: tender, headstrong, and unified", while suggesting influences from girl groupsDestiny's Child andTLC on tracks such as "In My Bag" and "Nocturnal".[30] Amy Perdoni ofThe Line of Best Fit dubbedAccess All Areas as an album with "a number of remarkable pop, soul, and R&B fusions", highlighting "Check" as a standout track from the album, describing it as "maybe their most upbeat yet" and "the style of track allowing the group to gleam brighter and richer".[28]
A more mixed review came fromAlexis Petridis ofThe Guardian, who described the project as a "solid start", and noted the influences fromSWV andDestiny's Child, but criticised the lack of a stand-out track, and felt that "a sense of innovation is lacking" as found on prior iconic girl-group hits such as theSugababes' "Freak Like Me".[26] Similarly, Annabel Nugent and Roisin O'Connor ofThe Independent felt that the album failed to produce "stadium-filler" songs, describing the project as sticking to "generic themes about love", although offering praise to the group's vocal ability and producerMNEK's vocal-layering work on the tracks “How Does It Feel” and “Bending My Rules”.[27] Larisha Paul ofRolling Stone highlighted Flo's "infectious confidence" on "standouts" "How Does It Feel?" and "In My Bag", describing the latter as being "boosted by a vibrant feature fromGloRilla", however felt that at times the record "stumbles over its ambition to lean into the classic R&B playbook while remaining experimental".[31]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" (featuringCynthia Erivo) |
| 2:40 | |
| 2. | "AAA" |
|
| 3:24 |
| 3. | "In My Bag" (featuringGloRilla) |
|
| 3:08 |
| 4. | "Walk Like This" |
| 3:17 | |
| 5. | "How Does It Feel?" |
| 3:08 | |
| 6. | "Soft" |
| 2:10 | |
| 7. | "Check" |
| 2:45 | |
| 8. | "On & On" |
| 3:21 | |
| 9. | "Bending My Rules" |
|
| 3:44 |
| 10. | "Trustworthy (Interlude)" |
| 1:36 | |
| 11. | "Caught Up" |
|
| 3:50 |
| 12. | "IWH2BMX" |
| 2:43 | |
| 13. | "Nocturnal" |
| 2:03 | |
| 14. | "Shoulda Woulda Coulda" |
| 3:46 | |
| 15. | "Get It Till I'm Gone" |
| 3:00 | |
| 16. | "I'm Just a Girl" |
| 2:20 | |
| Total length: | 46:55 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17. | "Do Too Much" |
| 3:20 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17. | "Conceited" |
|
| 2:34 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17. | "Say Less" |
|
| 3:03 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Soft" (Unlocked; featuringChlöe andHalle) |
| 3:10 | |
| 2. | "Bending My Rules" (Unlocked; featuringDixson) |
|
| 4:47 |
| 3. | "IWH2BMX" (Unlocked; featuringKehlani) |
| 2:45 | |
| 4. | "Nocturnal" (Unlocked; featuringBree Runway) |
| 2:37 | |
| 5. | "Bending My Rules" (Vevo Live) |
|
| 3:50 |
Notes
Flo
Additional musicians
Technical
| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[38] | 127 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[39] | 182 |
| Portugal Streaming Albums (AFP)[40] | 182 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[41] | 10 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[42] | 3 |
| UK R&B Albums (OCC)[43] | 1 |
| USBillboard 200[44] | 163 |
| USTop R&B Albums (Billboard)[45] | 20 |
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 15 November 2024 | Island | [46] |
| Studio albums | |
|---|---|
| Extended plays | |
| Singles | |
| Concert tours | |
| Related | |
