By: Aleisha F. & Sarah P.
On September 20, 88rising’s Head in the Clouds New York Music & Arts Festival made its 2025 comeback with a grittier, revamped version of itself. This year, the festival leaned into New York City’s reputation as the “city that never sleeps” with a one-night party at Under the K Bridge Park in Brooklyn. The unassuming concrete park transformed into a sprawling festival ground, complete with two stages, merch booths, and a food court serving a selection of food and beverages from the Asian diaspora.
Fans came out in full force to see artists like big names like ISOxo, Rich Brian, C-Pop star KUN, viral Japanese rapper Yuki Chiba, and the buzzy new Indonesian girl group No Na take the 88rising main stage by storm. Chinese Canadian DJ Juelz, the TikTok-loved DJ Mandy, New York nightlife mainstay Nick Cheo, and Vietnamese American DJ Adonix helped keep the fun going throughout the night at the Double Happiness stage.
GEMINI and GroovyRoom, representing South Korea, rounded out the night at the Double Happiness stage. Fans knew that they could anticipate a sultry R&B show from GEMINI and an EDM and hip-hop set from GroovyRoom. In the end, the two sets melded into a showcase of each artist’s versatility, along with those of their talented AT AREA labelmates and collaborators.
GEMINI
GEMINI, an artist known for his soulful vocals and genre-blending style, delivered a standout performance that showcased both his musical range and undeniable stage presence. Even though his set slightly overlapped with Rich Brian’s time slot, GEMINI attracted a sizable crowd. His dedicated audience sang along to all the lyrics, highlighting the growth of his global fanbase since his AT AREA debut in 2020.
The stage was bathed in blue lighting for much of the performance, which felt like a reminiscent nod to his 2023 Still Blue Tour in North America. DJ POOL served as the MC and incorporated subtle remix elements into each song to enhance the set’s festival atmosphere. GEMINI, dressed in all black, delivered a robust setlist filled with fan favorites. Songs included “Bad,” “Love Is Banned,” “365,” “Know Me,” “mon amour,” “UFO” (ft. Seori), and more.
A surprise appearance by rapper and AT AREA labelmate BLASÉ added an extra layer of excitement, as the two performed “INDUSTRY” from Blasé’s album, SELF MADE. GEMINI then departed the stage as BLASÉ greeted the crowd.
“Hi, I’m BLASÉ. Make some motherfuckin’ noise!” he shouted, before diving into his high-energy track, “Peace Out (ft. KHAN, foggyatthebottom).” The crowd danced and jumped along, making the Double Happiness stage feel like a club.
GEMINI returned to the stage a song later, this time with his abs on full display, with his long-sleeve hanging loosely off his neck. Fittingly, the next song was “Naked.” He performed the track against a backdrop of deep red lighting, sending the crowd into a frenzy. GEMINI closed his set with a gritty, percussion-heavy rendition of “Rollercoaster,” prompting the audience to jump and dance before handing things over to AT AREA co-founders GroovyRoom to close out the Double Happiness stage for the night.
GroovyRoom
After GEMINI left the stage, prep began for GroovyRoom’s set. Much of the crowd for GEMINI stayed and waited patiently for GroovyRoom, and a few more trickled into the lowered pit area of the stage. Since 2016, GroovyRoom has been the brains behind some of the biggest mainstream hits and underground hip-hop favorites in Korea. Their iconic collaborations and extensive production credits inspired a few attendees to bring Korean flags to show their support for GroovyRoom, along with their national pride.
Finally, Lil Moshpit and IÖN, the duo behind GroovyRoom, walked onto the stage and positioned themselves at their decks. Stage floodlights glowed red as GroovyRoom began playing a deep bass-trance intro, which gave the Double Happiness stage a sultry vibe. The tune, complemented by organ sounds courtesy of IÖN on a keyboard, was reminiscent of an action movie montage.
After a steady start, GroovyRoom changed up the energy with faster-paced drums and techno synths. The change-up excited the audience, who danced and jumped along to the moving blue lights on the stage.
GroovyRoom’s house and bass set was primarily instrumental; however, they also played some recognizable tunes. Fans went wild for the duo’s iconic 2017 hit “iffy,” a collab with Jay Park, Sik-K, and pH-1, and “Yes or No,” their more recent collab with Huh Yunjin of LE SSERAFIM and Crush. Additionally, they made sure to remix a few other K-Pop fan-faves like “ETA” and “Hype Boy” by NewJeans and “JUMP” by Blackpink. But their set wasn’t limited to just Korean faves – GroovyRoom included their take on Travis Scott’s track, “FE!N.” The infamous song’s influence on global producers is clear: it was also remixed by fellow Head in the Clouds New York performers Juelz and ISOxo.
IÖN stepped away to sling a keytar around his shoulder, setting the stage for a special guest. He began to play the introductory notes of “Heart” by singer-songwriter and rapper, DAWN, who signed with AT AREA in 2023 and released his most recent album, Narcissus, with them that same year before stepping away to complete his mandatory military service.
Not long after, DAWN himself emerged onto the stage to perform the song to the surprised roars of the crowd. Despite being dressed in a casual white t-shirt and black jeans, the stage’s foggy effects gave DAWN an otherworldly vibe, and the laid-back energy of the song offered the crowd a break from dancing. Afterward, DAWN reignited the party-like atmosphere by performing “DAWNDIDIDAWN,” his 2020 collab with Jessi. This guest appearance was his return to the public eye and performing live after being discharged from the military back in July.
Just as the audience thought that DAWN’s performance was the only surprise of the night, another AT AREA guest appeared. GEMINI – with his shirt back on – returned to the stage to perform “IG” with DAWN. Fans cheered for the unexpected duo after reining in their shock, and danced along with them to the jazzy song. The two transitioned into “Attention,” another collab, and BLASÉ, who is also signed to AT AREA, came onstage to perform his verse of the song. DJ POOL also returned to help hype up the audience.
IÖN rejoined Lil Moshpit at their turntables, but GroovyRoom still had one more jaw-dropping surprise up their sleeve. After DAWN, GEMINI, and BLASÉ left the stage, Korean American rapper Okasian appeared to the continued delight of K-hip-hop fans in the crowd. While not an AT AREA-signed artist, he has collaborated with GroovyRoom in years past, and like the former, is often cited as one of K-hip-hop’s pioneers.
Onstage, he performed “LOV3,” his collaboration with Lil Moshpit, Sik-K, and Bryan Chase. The audience bounced and waved their hands in the air to the song’s heavy trap beat. Okasian kept the intense, hype vibes going with “IT G MA” by Keith Ape, to which he contributed a verse. The nostalgic inclusion of the iconic 2015 track, which spurred a remix with American rappers A$AP Ferg, Father, Dumbfoundead, and Waka Flocka Flame and continues to inspire hip-hop DJs and young rappers, was a testimony to its legacy.
GroovyRoom closed out their set with a dubstep remix of “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters. They included fun bass drops and layered synths that gave the song new life without taking away from the elements that made it such an earworm in the first place. The crowd sang along at the top of their lungs and released the last of their energy with the epic finale to GroovyRoom’s set. After thanking the crowd and taking a bow, GroovyRoom and the AT AREA crew took one last photo with the audience before leaving the stage.
Overall, Head in the Clouds New York’s ‘Party Under the K Bridge’ was a roaring success. Fans are eager to see if the festival will return in its party iteration next year, and find new ways to uplift Asian artists in a way that’s unique to New York City’s energetic nightlife.