Head in the Clouds NY Review

Forest Hills Stadium | New York, NY

May 20-21, 2023

88rising’s Head in the Clouds Festival finally made its New York City debut this past weekend at the Forest Hills Stadium. The renowned two-day music festival launched five years ago in Los Angeles and has since made its way to Jakarta and Manila before heading to the media company’s birthplace for its first installment in the city. Continuing its celebration of Asian talent, the festival featured a lineup of Asian and Asian-American artists including 88rising’s heavy hitters, Rich Brian and Niki, as well as ITZY, Yeek, Raveena, Veegee, and more.

While organizing a festival of this magnitude in a new city presented its challenges, the Forest Hills Stadium did not disappoint. The festival grounds were packed with activities such as the Spotify and McDonald’s booths giving attendees a chance to win various prizes as well as spaces for photo opportunities. For the food options, the entrance was lined with several booths serving popular Asian/Asian-inspired dishes including Korean fried chicken, sushi bowls, chicken rice, spring rolls, boba, and more. Personally, I was a huge fan of Patok by Rach’s lechon and rice croquettes. The lechon was crispy and cooked to perfection while the rice croquettes helped to balance out the salty flavors from the protein. However, it is important to note that even with the various options food, lines were still ridiculously long with some attendees waiting up to 45 minutes to order and receive their food. Unfortunately, this issue is a common occurrence at all music festivals, but in this case, the food at Head in the Clouds was well worth the wait.

Activities and food are great reasons to attend a festival, but this is a music festival at the end of the day so the main selling point for this one was definitely the music. First, 88rising never disappoints when it comes to their music selections, and they certainly didn’t for their hometown debut. Throughout the weekend, DJs curated by Bubble_T and Mood Ring were spinning at the 88nightmarket, a space for fans to not only purchase merch from their favorite artists performing at the event, but also dance the night away with New York based DJs spinning a variety of different genres.

As for the artists on the lineup, the festival showcased a mix of well-established acts and rising stars. Paravi, an Indian-American singer/songwriter, opened the festival and wowed the audience with her heavenly vocals for her first ever festival performance. Japanese girl group Atarashii Gakko! immediately grabbed the crowd’s attention with their intense choreography and stage presence that left a lasting impression. XG, a Japanese girl group based in South Korea, had their highly anticipated first performance in America that was well worth the wait as eager fans screamed the lyrics to their songs so loud that it amazed the members of the group. Bay area Filipino-American rapper P-Lo hyped up the crowd with his hit records “same squad” and “Put Me on Somethin’,” and San Diego based DJ and producer Knock2 continued that energy with his bass house hits and bone-rattling trap anthems deep into the night.

Unfortunately for the festival and its attendees, the long lines weren’t the only setback of the weekend, as the unexpected heavy rainfall on the first day left many scrambling to find ways to stay dry. Thankfully, the acts that performed during this time kept everyone’s spirits up to a point where fans were willingly standing in the pouring rain to see their favorite artist live and in person. Thai rapper/singer Milli did exactly that with her high energy set and infectious vibe. The heavy rain would normally dampen the mood for many, but in her case, it gave life to the crowd as they cheered and danced as she ran through her discography of bangers.

88rising’s very own Rich Brian and Niki closed out the festival on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Both are veterans of Head in the Clouds and for good reason. Rich Brian, an Indonesian rapper, delivered an electrifying set where he performed hit songs from his entire catalog of music including “History,” “Tokyo Drift Freestyle,” “Drive Safe,” and “edamame.” Fans, old and new alike, screamed the lyrics back to him and at one point, turned their cell phone lights on while waving their hands back and forth to create a sea of lights that instantly gave me goosebumps. Niki, an Indonesian singer/songwriter, took the audience on an emotional rollercoaster with many fan favorite songs such as “High School in Jakarta,” “lowkey,” “urs,” and “Oceans & Engines.” Hearing the songs live gave me a strong feeling of nostalgia as I heard fans all around me singing along to every song on her setlist. Before ending her set, she brought out the entire 88rising crew for a surprise finale where they performed “Midsummer Madness.” The finale has been a staple closer for the previous iterations of the festival in Los Angeles, so it’s great to see them continue the tradition for New York.

While the unexpected weather and long lines put a damper on the mood for some, the first Head in the Clouds New York was noteworthy in its own right. The diverse lineup, captivating performances, and immersive experience made for a memorable festival, and I know fans are eagerly looking forward to future editions as much as I am.