88rising’s beloved Head in the Clouds Los Angeles Music & Arts Festival is finally home for the first time since 2023. The festival’s break saw an appearance at Coachella as the 88rising Futures showcase in 2024 and a New York version of the festival last year was lukewarm at best, filled with technical difficulties and a smaller lineup. However, 88rising redeemed itself on May 31 and June 1 at the Brookside at Rose Bowl with a stellar lineup, including headliners G-Dragon, 2NE1, DEAN, DPR Ian, Rich Brian, and Porter Robinson. The festival saw the return of the Higher Brothers and featured Tabber and Miso, who are artists from DEAN’s independent label, you.will.knovv, newcomers YY and Youha, and the rest of the Dream Perfect Regime, DPR Cream & DPR Artic. The festival boasted 75,000 attendees, showcasing its sustained popularity.
Day 1 was met with intense humidity and heat from the Pasadena sun, causing festivalgoers to seek sponsored air-conditioned places to lounge in. This year Honda sponsored the Double Happiness stage and featured a cool, ventilated immersive experience with fun vinyl players for fans to sit and chat. JisuLife was also present with a promotion where attendees could win a fan as a prize, which ended up being a lifesaver for those camping out in the pit on Saturday. Netflix was also present to promote their new TV show, KPop Demon Hunters, with a food truck featuring ramen inspired by the characters.
The food was curated by MAMA Night Market and featured trendy local Asian spots, including Odd One Out, Bang Bang Noodles, Banh Khot Lady and so many more. Jinro and Johnnie Walker were present for those over 21 with themed cocktails and photo ops.
Day 1 was well-represented with Korean talent from a variety of genres, including K-Pop and R&B. The stellar lineup had fans waiting in the heat for hours, hoping to get a close-up of their favorite artists.
Miso
Miso, a you.will.knovv artist, made her Head in the Clouds debut on the Double Happiness Stage. Wearing a simple cropped long black shirt and a gray skirt, she was the first Korean artist to start the day. Her performance was minimalistic with a DJ and simple graphics as a backdrop to highlight her sweet voice and smooth R&B instrumentals.
She began her set with “Where Did I Go,” a song expressing the confusion felt in a situationship. As she swayed back and forth, fans screamed for her, enchanted by her vocals. Miso sang “Alone” next, a track about overcoming loneliness. Her voice soared like an angel at the climax of the song, generating supportive cheers from the audience.
Without skipping a beat, Miso went into “Slow Running.” The crowd grew substantially as festivalgoers paused their day to cool down with her. Some at the barricade were spotted singing word for word, heads bobbing to the music. It was relaxing; a song that could be listened to while sitting on the dry grass nearby.
Miso then took a break to check in with the audience. “It has been a while since I’ve performed in LA. It’s kind of hot, isn’t it?” she inquired. Instead of answering her question, her fans shouted “Happy Birthday!” to her. They broke into singing the birthday song in Korean as she took a water break, thanking them sweetly.
She then introduced a new unreleased song, “Happy,” coming out in mid-June. She became nervous before introducing the song, leading to encouraging laughs and cheers from the crowd.
“Are you guys ready?” Miso asked the growing crowd. A sweet fan replied, saying, “Let’s do it!” which made her flustered and shy. She regained her confidence soon after, singing to the listener about how she loves to be happy and how they’re “worth it all even if the world falls.”
She also introduced another unreleased song, “Stay,” produced by DJ duo Christian Rich and N.E.R.D member Chad Hugo. The song was a bit more upbeat than the previous ones, reminiscent of Korean R&B back in the late 2010s. Miso used this song to move a bit more, swinging back and forth to the music and taking in the crowd.
She then performed her hit single, “Take Me,” which generated screams from the crowd. Several fans were seen singing along, recording their favorite songs on their phones. The screen showed psychedelic red and blue imagery, showcasing the thrill of trusting a new person the listener is falling in love with.
Lastly, Miso performed “Let It Go,” a track where she eventually let loose and danced for a bit, putting her hands in the air. She thanked the crowd one final time before heading out for the night. The crowd soon migrated to the main stage to see the final Korean acts on Day 1.
Tabber & DEAN
After hours in the blistering sun, fans gathered at the main stage for a long-awaited moment. Finally, it was time for DEAN and you.will.knovv labelmate Tabber to grace the stage. This was a special moment: DEAN hadn’t performed in LA in a long time. His live performances overall are sparse due to the demands of managing his independent label, you.will.knovv. Tabber emerged first, wearing a black suit and a singular black glove.
Tabber began the set with “Hysteric Glamour,” featuring dark, devilish graphics across the screens. His husky croons were met with cheers and excitement as he sang about a heartwrenching incident with a lover. He entertained the crowd by getting them riled up to scream at his command, and the crowd obliged. He introduced himself soon after with immense support from the audience.
He seamlessly went into the next two songs, “shut the fuck up, that’s mine” and “Adrenaline.” The atmospheric vibe of the crowd was immaculate as many swayed along to the music. He ran to the end of the extended stage to screaming fans who took in every single detail of Tabber’s essence and features.
During a short break while Tabber drank water, fans yelled words of love to him, showing their passionate devotion to the artist. “If you don’t know me yet, then let’s go!” Tabber exclaimed, getting into “Honey!” on the extended stage. Tabber’s charisma was palpable as he flirted with a few fans, staring straight into their eyes.
As Tabber left the stage, ZICO’s “Bermuda Triangle” began to play. The song, which features DEAN and was a smash hit in Korea upon release, was the perfect setup for DEAN himself to emerge in a tan tracksuit, complete with a big fedora. The crowd went wild, singing the chorus at the top of their lungs. He sustained a long note during the lyrics, “Nobody can’t come over here,” which was met with roaring cheers. When the song ended, the crowd erupted into barking, a Korean concert staple response.
“It feels good to be back!” DEAN exclaimed, noting his last appearance in LA was in 2018. He introduced his “10 year old” song he produced while in LA, the all-English “Put My Hands On You.” The chill vibe of the song got many to dance along, putting their hands up when DEAN asked them to.
He continued with the groovy and catchy tracks like “Love,” generating an ear-splitting response from the festivalgoers. DEAN fans were heard screaming back, “I let you if you let me baby,” and “I know, I know, I know” as he ripped through bewitching riffs that made attendees swoon upon immediate listen.
DEAN took a short break to sit down, take off his fedora, and put on black glasses. Barks continued to echo throughout the park into the dark night. “The weather is so nice,” he stuttered in English shyly. “Let’s bring the temp down a bit.” He asked the audience to sing along to the next heartwrenching song, “Die 4 You.” His sweet ad-libs were met with much praise and adoration.
Fan favorite “Instagram” was next, and incredibly, DEAN removed his in-ear to sing without it, showing off his perfect pitch. It was to be expected for the R&B darling, who has been in the industry for over ten years.
The mood switched immediately when Tabber came back on stage to perform “007” with DEAN. The duo made their way down the extended stage while the seductive song continued on. DEAN jumped in to sing the second verse, replacing Syd, the original featured artist on the track. It was a delightful surprise to hear DEAN’s soaring high vocals against Tabber’s husky, dark voice.
Of course, the set wasn’t complete without the two performing “Chi-Ka,” a collaboration track that was equally smooth and sexy. DEAN ended the song with a sweet call for the audience to sing, “Oh yeah,” with him, and the crowd gave back the energy tenfold. The duo did another collaborative track, “3 AM Hongjowolf Freestyle,” which especially showcased Tabber’s charisma. He spent a great deal on the extended walkway, capturing the fans’ hearts simply with his presence.
While Tabber bowed out, DEAN teased one last song to perform, and it was another fan favorite, “I’m Not Sorry.” He flawlessly executed Eric Bellinger’s rap verse, incorporating additional riffs that got the crowd to go wild. The song wouldn’t end with a little bit of a party – DEAN grabbed a water bottle, looked around to pick his victims, and splashed the people in the barricade. He said his final goodbyes at the end before heading backstage, leaving many fans hoping for an encore.
G-Dragon
Finally, the moment everyone was waiting for on the 88rising main stage: G-Dragon. Up until this point, many VIPs had stuck out in the smoldering heat for almost eight hours to get a closer view of BIGBANG’s main rapper. After being passed endless water bottles and bags of ice by the security team in the pit, they were ready for the highly influential K-Pop star to strut on stage like he owned the festival himself. VIPs (BIGBANG’s fandom name) were elated to see the K-Pop veteran idol, whose career spans over twenty years, command the stage. For many, it was their first time seeing the leader of BIGBANG, and his solo comeback came after being on hiatus for several years.
Before his grand entrance, his friend DJ KINGMCK opened the set with dubstep and EDM instrumentals, leaving fans initially wondering where G-Dragon was. What people didn’t know was that DJ KINGMCK had been longtime friends with G-Dragon, and had even DJ’d at events for his fashion brand, peaceminusone.
Some festivalgoers expressed confusion about G-Dragon’s absence, but it wasn’t long until the rapper came out with a slew of dancers and pyrotechnics. He glided confidently into center stage with “POWER,” wearing a dark blue long coat and a black top hat.
After a short instrumental transition, “HOME SWEET HOME” began. The hit song charted at No. 1 on the Korean charts for weeks earlier this year. The crowd waited with bated breath to see if the other BIGBANG members would join the stage. They didn’t appear in person, but the video versions of Taeyang and Daesung played on the screens for their respective parts of the song. Nonetheless, the screams were relentless as BIGBANG were reunited in a way.
G-Dragon moved on to his other hits such as “MICHIGO” and “One of a Kind,” showing his rap prowess. Fans were spotted dancing and singing along word for word, indicative of the songs’ enduring popularity.
After rapping four songs back-to-back, he humbly introduced himself. “It’s been a long time coming,” he said with fans still screaming over him. “But…we’re here now!”
A rock-inspired rearrangement of “CRAYON” was next, with G-Dragon back to rapping in his signature growly voice from earlier in his career. Pyrotechnics flew into the air at the song’s climax, and G-Dragon left the stage momentarily, with DJ KINGMCK hyping up the crowd.
The beginning of “The Leaders” echoed throughout the park, and G-Dragon emerged with a special guest: CL of 2NE1. The crowd went insane with deafening hollers. They did their verses effortlessly like any seasoned professional. The duo cheekily teased the crowd with fan interactions, waving and getting closer to them to take photographs. The coyness continued with G-Dragon sweeping CL’s feet on their way back to the main stage and them posing cutely for the camera.
While G-Dragon took a short break, CL performed “The Baddest Female,” showcasing a little taste of 2NE1’s set taking place the following night. She recounted being on HITC’s main stage four years ago as a solo artist, and thanked “her family” G-Dragon for inviting her on stage. The dancers materialized with the signature black flags from the iconic music video as she performed the infamous choreography.
G-Dragon returned on stage with a powerful breakup ballad, “DRAMA,” from his latest album, Übermensch. He sampled parts of “Veridis Quo,” by Daft Punk, which was also sampled in his other song, “Divina Commedia.” His versatility in production was crystal clear with the seamless switch of party anthems to heart-wrenching ballads.
G-Dragon then changed up the theme of heartbreak to focus on the rush of falling in love with “TAKE ME,” also from his most recent album. The guitar solo from the song was a delight to hear while he crooned to the crowd, dancing seductively with his mic stand and effortlessly making it a part of the choreography.
He then shifted the tone again with “BULLSHIT,” again showing his innate ability to switch genres in a heartbeat. The song stopped to sample the Super Bowl version of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” during the bridge, a cheeky nod to the unofficial LA anthem and staying on theme of dissing his critics.
The set ended with “TOO BAD” which saw G-Dragon cutely doing a dance break on the extended stage, prompting the crowd to cheer and yell words of encouragement. As he grinned widely at the crowd, a sample of Daft Punk and Pharrell’s “Get Lucky” played during the bridge.
He thanked the dancers and the crew, and blew kisses to the VIPs, ending Day 1 of Head in the Clouds on a high. VIPs stayed back, chanting his name and begging for an encore. The response was to be expected from a headliner whose career tracked back 20 years.
Day 1, although ending on a high note with a standout headline performance, also raised several safety concerns. Security repeatedly had to warn attendees to avoid sitting on the floor and pushing, citing the risk of a potential crowd crush. During the final performance of the night, several photographers with authorized pit access reported being shoved with excessive force by security guards. Additionally, a few reporters also experienced symptoms of heat stroke due to the lack of cooling units in the media tent. These incidents posed significant safety risks and potential liability. Kpopconcerts.com hopes these issues will be addressed and prevented in future Head in the Clouds iterations.
Overall, the heat did not stop festivalgoers from having fun for the rest of Day 1. As the lights turned back on and festivalgoers headed back to their cars, they excitedly talked about the sets they saw. There was still another day packed with activities, the return of more prominent acts, and the much-awaited reunion of an iconic K-Pop girl group to witness live. The anticipation was insurmountable, and fans were excited to see what was to come.
Stay tuned for our coverage of Day 2!