A CLOSER LOOK AT 6 ARTIST WHO SHAPED HEAD IN THE CLOUDS

STORY BY: JESSE ZAPATERo

EDITOR IN CHIEF & PHOTOGRAPHER: IRVIN RIVERA

The California sun showed little mercy as thousands gathered at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on August 8 for Head in the Clouds. Beneath the summer heat, the festival grounds became a meeting place for different languages, musical influences, and generations of artists. Organized by 88rising, the one-day festival welcomed a lineup that stretched across hip-hop, R&B, electronic music, and pop, with KATSEYE and XG leading a bill that included familiar festival favorites and artists making some of their earliest appearances on American stages. Between the music, fashion, and crowds moving across the grounds, there was a shared excitement that carried well beyond any single performance.

What makes Head in the Clouds particularly interesting is how comfortably it places artists at different points in their careers alongside one another. Some have spent years developing their relationship with the festival, while others are only beginning to introduce themselves to audiences outside their home countries. This year, we stepped into that atmosphere to photograph six acts whose performances offered a closer look at the range of talent gathered in Pasadena. Rich Brian, Warren Hue, LNGSHOT, ONE OR EIGHT, Rhea Raj, and BE:FIRST each brought something distinct to the day, whether through familiar records, ambitious choreography, or music that challenged the expectations of their respective genres.

Rich Brian

For Brian, Head in the Clouds has become something of a familiar meeting ground. The Indonesian rapper, born Brian Imanuel, has been closely associated with 88rising since his breakout single "Dat $tick" introduced his unmistakable deep voice and offbeat humor to an international audience in 2016. A decade later, his career tells a much broader story. What began with viral internet success has developed into a catalog that balances sharp lyricism, emotional vulnerability, and a willingness to experiment with different musical styles. His appearance in Pasadena was an opportunity to revisit that history while introducing the audience to the artist he has become.

Taking the stage at 6:40 PM, Brian moved through 14 songs that connected different eras of his career. Material from his latest album, Where Is My Head?, including "Senja" and "Tear," brought a more reflective atmosphere to the performance, while "Glow Like Dat," "edamame," and "100 Degrees" supplied familiar moments for longtime listeners. "Tokyo Drift Freestyle" and "Gospel" added another dimension to the set before the emotional pull of "Drive Safe" and "History." By the time he closed with "Dat $tick," the performance had come full circle. The song that first brought him international attention remained part of his story, but the music surrounding it demonstrated just how much ground he has covered since.

Warren Hue

There is something refreshingly unpredictable about Warren Hue. The Indonesian rapper and singer has built his reputation on an approach to hip-hop that rarely settles into one particular sound. His records can be abrasive, playful, melodic, or deliberately unconventional, sometimes within the same song. Since joining 88rising, Hue has become one of the label's most recognizable younger voices, pairing an experimental musical sensibility with a visual style that draws as much attention as his performances. His fifth appearance at Head in the Clouds suggested an artist who has grown comfortable taking creative risks in front of an audience that has watched his career develop.

His early-afternoon performance moved through 13 songs, with "COMME DES," "I <3 RAP," and "MARTIAN" establishing the pace before "Candy Choppa," "omomo punk," and "IN MY BAG" pushed the set into more aggressive territory. Hue's music thrives on sudden shifts in production and delivery, making his catalog particularly suited to a festival environment. One of the performance's notable moments came with "Getcho Mans," his collaboration with Rich Brian, bringing two Indonesian artists closely associated with 88rising together onstage. Closing with "BOY OF THE YEAR" and "DROPTOP," Hue offered a reminder that his appeal lies in refusing to make his music too predictable.

LNGSHOT

Few groups arrived at Head in the Clouds with quite the same sense of anticipation as LNGSHOT. Consisting of Ryul, Woojin, Louis, and Ohyul, the South Korean quartet represents a different approach to the increasingly crowded boy-group landscape. Formed under Jay Park's MORE VISION label, the group draws heavily on hip-hop and R&B, favoring a sound that makes room for both individual personality and collective performance. Their introduction through the 4SHOBOIZ MIXTAPE in 2025, followed by their official debut with SHOT CALLERS in January 2026, established the foundation for a group still in the early stages of defining its musical direction. At Head in the Clouds, they had an opportunity to bring that material to a wider international audience.

Opening with "Backseat," LNGSHOT delivered a 14-song performance that made considerable use of their growing catalog. "Moonwalkin'," "Never Let Go," and "FaceTime" highlighted the group's melodic tendencies, while "RUN IT UP," "NO HI, NO HEY," and "4SHO 4SHO" leaned into the more energetic side of their music. Songs including "Good Girls," "Boo Thang," and "For Us" allowed the four members to move between contrasting moods without losing the group's overall character. Their performance concluded with "Saucin'," a fitting final statement for a set built around confidence and momentum. With material spanning Training Day, SHOT CALLERS, and the 4SHOBOIZ mixtape series, LNGSHOT demonstrated how much they have already assembled in a relatively short period, and how much potential remains ahead of them.

ONE OR EIGHT

Opening a festival can be an unforgiving assignment, particularly when the afternoon sun is already bearing down on the audience. For ONE OR EIGHT, however, the 1 PM performance slot offered an opportunity to make an immediate impression. The Japanese eight-member group, consisting of Mizuki, Ryota, Neo, Reia, Yuga, Tsubasa, Takeru, and Souma, has built its identity around the idea of taking chances. Its name references the Japanese expression ichi ka bachi ka, loosely translating to "all or nothing," a fitting description for a group whose performances favor precision, intensity, and ambition. Since debuting in August 2024 with "Don't Tell Nobody," the members have continued to develop a sound that draws on hip-hop, pop, and contemporary street culture.

With only three songs on the schedule, there was little room for a gradual introduction. ONE OR EIGHT opened with "TOKYO DRIFT," immediately establishing the choreography and attitude that have become central to their performances. They concluded with "INVINCIBLE," giving festivalgoers an advance listen before its official release. Although brief, the performance served its purpose: eight members moving with a shared sense of direction, presenting music designed to travel well beyond Japan. In a festival filled with established performers, they proved why they belong in the conversation.

Rhea Raj

Away from the larger festival stage, Rhea Raj was creating an atmosphere entirely her own. The Indian-American singer, songwriter, and producer has been developing a distinctive place within contemporary dance-pop, bringing together electronic production, commanding vocals, and influences connected to her South Asian heritage. With an early background in traditional Indian dance, Raj approaches performance with a physicality that complements the club-oriented nature of her music. Tracks such as "HUSH," "Haute Couture," and "Devil In A Dress" have helped establish her as an artist interested in the intersection of pop spectacle and underground dance culture.

Making her Head in the Clouds debut at the Toyota Music Den, Raj joined fellow artist and collaborator Slush Puppy for a 4 PM appearance that combined DJing with performances of her own material. What might have seemed like a smaller festival engagement became one of the day's particularly lively gatherings, with the audience extending beyond the tent and fans singing along to her music. The setting suited Raj's sound, offering the kind of close interaction that can sometimes be lost on a larger stage. Her performance brought another musical perspective to the festival, demonstrating that some of the most exciting moments at Head in the Clouds can happen away from its biggest crowds.

BE:FIRST

For BE:FIRST 15 minutes was all it took to make their presence felt. The Japanese group, consisting of Sota, Shunto, Manato, Ryuhei, Junon, and Leo, has developed a reputation for combining demanding choreography with an equally strong emphasis on live vocals. Formed in 2021 through THE FIRST, the audition program led by Japanese artist and producer SKY-HI, the group has steadily established itself as a major name in Japan's music scene. Their sound moves between hip-hop, R&B, and pop, with songs like "Boom Boom Back" and "Mainstream" demonstrating an ability to deliver both intricate performances and memorable records. Their appearance in Pasadena offered another opportunity to bring that reputation to an international festival audience.

Rather than easing into their performance, they delivered six consecutive songs without interruption. Opening with "Stare In Wonder," the group moved directly into "GRIT," "Boom Boom Back," and "Mainstream," maintaining the pace through demanding choreography and tightly coordinated transitions. "BRUCE WAYNE," their collaboration with Flo Milli and ATL Jacob, introduced another side of their musical range before "BE ALL DAY" brought the performance to its conclusion. Their appearance also arrived ahead of the September 18 release of their first global EP, WATCH ME. Despite one of the shortest performance windows on the festival schedule, BE approached the stage with the discipline and confidence of a group accustomed to making every movement count.

As the sun began to give way to the evening performances, Head in the Clouds had already offered a compelling picture of how varied its musical community has become. Rich Brian and Warren Hue represented two different generations of Indonesian hip-hop, each carrying a personal history with 88rising. LNGSHOT and ONE OR EIGHT brought the excitement of newer groups developing their international audiences, while BE:FIRST demonstrated the performance discipline that has helped Japanese pop reach listeners across borders. Rhea Raj, meanwhile, showed how naturally dance music could find its place within the festival's expanding musical landscape.

Beyond the headliners and the crowds gathered beneath the Pasadena sky, the 2026 festival was ultimately about the artists who made those hours their own. Some arrived with years of experience, others with only a handful of releases, but each contributed something to the larger atmosphere of the day. For us, photographing these six acts offered an opportunity to capture them at a particular moment in their careers, surrounded by an audience eager to hear what comes next. And perhaps that is what continues to make Head in the Clouds worth returning to: the chance to witness artists at different stages of their careers sharing the same afternoon, with no telling which performance might become someone's favorite memory of the summer.