Wilder Music

By Niall Mirza.

On ‘Henry’, Flo Wilkes smiles as she twists the knife further into someone who keeps her guessing. Effortlessly, the London-based independent blends rock grooves with pop sensibilities to refine something sharper than a catchy hook: a tongue-in-cheek sensuality that feels at once playful on the surface and quietly ruthless underneath the rubble.

Structured around a dreamy, pulsating rhythm that almost leans into bossa nova territory, ‘Henry’ moves with the calm and bittersweet charm of a late-night sway. The beat feels alive, like it’s breathing. It loosens and tightens, pulsating in and out to let certain lines punch and others hold back. A perfect dialectic of freedom and control. The chorus speaks with a subtle restraint, punctuated by an understated beat that both restrains and drives the song just enough to let Flo Wilkes’ voice cut through clean and certain. The narrative, carried through this voice, is controlled, deliberate, and effective.

Lyrically, Wilkes plays with jealousy and desire as equals. “Should’ve got down with Henry, even though he’s your bestie”, she teases playfully, framing the song’s central tension with a wink rather than a sob. A rush, rather than a downward spiral. She juggles sexual banter, humour, and shade with a curated and purposeful edge: “He definitely would’ve lasted longer than two… minutes after you called me”, stretching the pause for maximum impact. With the lyrical throughline, the song becomes a theatrical and self-aware alt-pop banger that ticks every box.

But Wilkes does more than just tick the boxes, she scribbles rapidly across the page, with one foot firmly planted in rock music. Beneath the sharp-tongued flirtation rooted in the lyricism of modern popstars like Sabrina Carpenter and Alessi Rose is a groove that borrows from the playbook of soft-rock legends like Tame Impala, LCD Soundsystem, and Arctic Monkeys. The guitar, bass, and percussion lock into a steady forward motion, driving the song to its narrative endpoint, while giving the track sonic weight beyond glossed-over pop. While taking a backseat to the vocals, the instrumentation is reactive: it nudges, pulses and withdraws when it needs to.

‘Henry’ ultimately thrives on the balance between softness and sting. It’s far from saccharine, but it maintains a playful sentimentality that leans into the rush. With an excess of provocative lines made to be delivered with a smirk, including one where she questions her subject’s sexuality, the track bites without compromising its central charm. In a modern pop landscape that can often feel polished into conformity, Wilkes pushes through with the sheer force of her songwriting and character.

If this is the sound of her next chapter, it’s one defined by control. ‘Henry’ is the type of song that demands attention without begging for it, making its point with an assured confidence. That confident precision extends beyond the music. Self-managed and fresh from directing a 120-person video production for the track, Wilkes builds her stories from the ground-up with deliberate control. With a history of success on BBC Radio 1’s Future Pop and endorsements from Spotify’s editorial team, the track is bound to define a surefire path to fame for Flo Wilkes.