88Rising’s Head In The Clouds music festival got their artists talking about how much they love their Filipino fans
In case you missed it, 88Rising held their Head In The Clouds music festival here in Manila as the record-label-slash-talent-management has brought together a collective of Asian artists representing their countries through music. If you aren’t too familiar with the group, then maybe you’re familiar with their artists, namely: Joji, NIKI, Rich Brian, Jackson Wang, Atarashii Gakko!, and Bibi, just to name a few. They’ve conquered huge festivals such as Coachella and have travelled all over the world—now, they’ve stepped foot on the shores of Manila to bring the Head In The Clouds experience to their Filipino fans.
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The two-day festival was definitely an eventful one complete with special performances, an emotional set under the rain, and an electronic dance party. If you missed out on all the fun, fret not—we’ve got the details all in here. This is what went down last weekend during the Head In The Clouds music festival.
Through the rain
Head In The Clouds started off with a blessing from the skies. A light drizzle joined the main stage with opening acts Jinx Zhou and Adawa, both artists representing China. “Today, unexpectedly, it’s raining. But at the same time, the audience [was] so energetic. I love it. They were screaming. They didn’t know who I [was], but now they know, and I love them,” shares rapper Jinx Zhou.
Despite the rain, the crowd stayed energetic and excited for the acts to come. “I was so impressed by the crowd; they were so colorful and so energetic. They knew my songs and responded to them, which is always a great feeling,” said Adawa, the second act to follow after Jinx Zhou. Adawa is one of the few members of 88Rising’s Chinese subsidiary, W8VES, who performed at Head In The Clouds Manila.
Higher and higher
The event popped off with more acts later in the day. There were even performances by fellow Filipinos, including Jack Tabudlo, Manila Grey, and Manila Killa. Aside from NIKI, there was another female Indonesian artist who participated in the festival—pop singer Stephanie Poetri who visited the Philippines for the first time.
“In Indonesia, I had my mom come up [the stage.] Here, I wanted to ask around if anyone wanted to come and sing with me, but I didn’t have time and I was also really shy. I didn’t really know anyone personally, but what’s cool is that here, I feel like a lot more people [know] my random songs. It was really cool to see that,” said Stephanie when asked about her experience performing on a Philippine stage.
After Stephanie’s dopamine-inducing performance, it was followed by energetic numbers from Atarashii Gakko!, SB19, Warren Hue, Milli, and Yoasobi. Fans were particularly excited for the one of a kind performance done by Japanese girl group Atarashii Gakko!, where the girls encouraged the crowd to chant and dance to the beat.
The night ended with special sets by four of the biggest names in the Asian music industry. Korean rap artist Jessi interacted the most with the crowd, drenching them in water from her supply backstage. She got all of her Jebbies to twerk to her songs before once again vowing to return to Manila as soon as she can.
88Rising pioneers, Rich Brian and Joji, followed shortly with their unforgettable performances, giving us the full emotional experience from laughter to tears. Chinese rapper, Jackson Wang, wrapped up day one with performances of his hit songs, “I Love You 3000 II” and “Blow.”
The hype is real
A pumped up first day did not tire the fans for day two. We can say they were even more excited for the lineup to come. This time around, there was a big party feel buzzing around the venue, especially since the DJs got the crowd’s hearts racing. DJ E-Man, an artist from the Californian music scene, started the day off with hit songs everyone can jam too. Producers came onto the main stage as well, such as Elephante and special guest Zedd, who ended the night with a jaw dropping performance that took us back to 2012.
Day two of Head In The Clouds featured many Filipino artists. There was a sweet yet sexy performance by Denise Julia and an electrifying performance by Guapdad 4000. Unfortunately, Ylona Garcia was not able to push through with her performance because of the weather, but made an appearance at the Valorant booth for her eager eyed fans. American rapper, August 08, also wasn’t able to make his performance due to scheduling conflicts.
First time performers in the Philippines, such as Chinese rapper Spence Lee and Chinese singer Akini Jing, made their way to the festival stage with much excitement, spreading love and light throughout their entire sets.
When asked about her experience performing in the Philippines Akini Jing said, “It’s my first time to be here, so before I got here, I was [kind of] nervous. I didn’t know what kind of vibe the audience would bring to the festival, but when I stepped foot on the stage, I thought, ‘Wow! Everything’s amazing.’ The energy is so high.”
Always Rising
There’s nothing like the euphoric feeling of hearing your favorite song live. For many of 88Rising’s fans, each of us fell in love with their artists for their relatability and authenticity. We see themselves through the lyrics of our favorite Asian artists who are giving us a sense of acceptance and validity. That’s why music festivals like Head In The Clouds mean the world to us. It’s a way for artists and fans to connect with each other through music.
There was mad love being shared during the last few performances of the night. Acts by Bibi, EAJ, Zedd, and NIKI closed the show with so much fiery passion. During each of the artist’s performances of their hit songs, the energy of the crowd got higher and higher until it came to a close with NIKI’s moving performance of some songs from her latest album, Nicole, along with her classics like “lowkey” and “La La Lost You.” Truly, it was a night that Filipino 88Rising fans will never forget.
Photography KIERAN PUNAY of KLIQ INC.
