Access All Areas (also abbreviated as AAA) is the debut studio album by English girl group Flo. It was released on 15 November 2024 through Island Records.[1] It marks their first full-length project after releasing their previous extended plays, The Lead (2022) and 3 of Us (2023). The standard version of the album features guest vocals from Cynthia Erivo and GloRilla, while the Unlocked version includes guest vocals from Chlöe, Halle, Kehlani, Bree Runway and Dixson.
Upon its release, 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 release. It is a contemporary R&B album featuring production and songwriting from MNEK and notable contributions from Camper, Jay Versace, Pop Wansel, Sevyn Streeter, and more.
Background
On 3 July 2023, Flo surprise 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 singer Kehlani's Crash World Tour for the fall.[4]
Prior to the announcement of Access 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.
Like their previous work, the album is primarily contemporary R&B, with elements of pop, soul and hip hop. The last track, “I’m Just A Girl,” leans into rock.
Release and promotion
The album's first single, "Walk Like This" was released on 8 March 2024 after being previewed on TikTok 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 rapper Missy 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 for Vevo 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 with AMC Theatres to give their fans an early listen to the album in select theatres in the United States.[citation needed] On 10 November 2024, Flo revealed the official tracklist of the album, revealing collaborations with singer and actress Cynthia Erivo and rapper GloRilla.[17]
Three days after the album's initial release, Flo hinted at "unlocking" features, and released a deluxe edition titled Access All Areas: Unlocked featuring extended remixes with collaborations from Chlöe, Halle, Dixson, Kehlani, and Bree Runway.[18] The group, alongside Chlöe and Halle, all hinted a collaboration before the album's release.[citation needed]
In the United States, Access All Areas became Flo's first project to chart on the Billboard 200, debuting at number 163.[21] Additionally, the album reached number 127 on the Belgian Flanders album chart and number 182 on the French albums chart.
Critical reception
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2024)
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Access All Areas received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 68 out of 100 from 9 critic scores.[23]
^Wired Strings consists of: cellist Rosie Danvers; violists Emma Owens and Jordan Bergmans; and violinists Jenny Sacha, Kerenza Peacock, Natalia Bonner, Patrick Kiernan, and Steve Morris.
![[icon]](File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small}
