88rising is back to put festivalgoers’ heads in the clouds.

The two-day Head in the Clouds festival returned to Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday afternoon – in celebration of the 10th anniversary of 88rising, a music label spotlighting the work of Asian musicians. The performers of the first day’s lineup, including rappers, DJs and R&B artists, brought their artistry across two stages to beat the Pasadena heat.

Read on for the Daily Bruin’s coverage of day one of Head in the Clouds 2025.

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Miso

Alongside 88rising turning 10, Miso celebrated her 33rd birthday at Head in the Clouds.

Around 5:10 p.m., the Korean musician appeared on the Honda Double Happiness Stage in a sheer black long-sleeved shirt with a short, flowing gray skirt. For most of her 30-minute set, the singer performed behind a microphone stand at the center of the stage. As Miso swayed to the beat, the audience reciprocated by nodding their heads or dancing along.

To open her set, Miso performed “Where Did I Go” and “Alone” – songs of slower tempo that allowed the singer to showcase her vocals. After the performance of “Slow Running” with flashing red, blue and pink lights, a few audience members sang “Happy Birthday” to Miso in Korean. In response, Miso spoke about an upcoming release and provided a sneak peek with renditions of two new songs. Performing the unreleased number “Stay,” which provided a change in energy with its upbeat nature, Miso walked around the stage and led the crowd to clap along.

As the end of the set neared, the ambiance returned to a more relaxed vibe with the dreamy R&B melodies of her debut single, “Take Me.” With the final number “Let It Go,” Miso concluded her set with a lyrical farewell to the audience as she sang, “But I’m gonna go ahead and say goodbye / Too bad that it’s over.”

Living up to her name – which means “smile” in Korean – Miso surely brought smiles to festivalgoers’ faces with her ethereal tunes.

Rich Brian

Under the golden-hour sun, Rich Brian’s musical talents were shining even brighter.

The Indonesian rapper performed a 14-song set on the 88rising Stage starting around 7:10 p.m. Sharing the stage with a saxophone accompaniment, Rich Brian made his stage entrance at the top of a black staircase and moved his hands as if he were conducting before singing the verse from the trailer video for his upcoming album “WHERE IS MY HEAD?”

The opening segment featured songs with faster tempo and stronger beats, such as the rapper’s rendition of “Tokyo Drift Freestyle,” “Who That Be” and “Jumpy” with a guest appearance by Ski Mask The Slump God. Rich Brian then transitioned to a series of numbers with more melodic verses and emotional lyrics, ranging from “History” to “Drive Safe.” The rapper subsequently raised the energy with “Butterfly,” bouncing while facing the audience on the catwalk stage and engaging with the listeners waving their hands back and forth.

The most vulnerable moment may have been when the rapper performed an unreleased song that he explained was based on the emotions he felt of being unable to be with his family in Indonesia in 2020 and missing out on familial celebrations such as his siblings’ weddings. Standing in between screens displaying a series of photos from his childhood, the artist showcased a melodic rap with lyrics that included apologies and multiple references to his family.

With the sun fully set by the conclusion of his 45-minute set, Rich Brian turned the stage into a party with high energy and intensity as he performed his hit single “edamame” amid flashing green lights. The set ended with a solo performance from the saxophonist who accompanied the rapper throughout his time on stage.

At least on Saturday night, Rich Brian was more than just a “Little Ray Of Light” shining on the stage.

DEAN & Tabber

As darkness fully settled over the festival grounds, DEAN and Tabber got the party going.

Under the dusky sky, Tabber kicked off the set around 8:25 p.m. with his most recent release, “Hysteric Glamour,” where he appeared in a black crop top and black pants with white floral embroidery on the sides. The South Korean musician segued to a more groovy number with “shut the f**k up, that’s mine” as he moved across the stage dragging his microphone along with him under blue, pink and purple stage lights. He later ran out to the extension stage and danced in front of the audience before concluding his opening segment with his verse in “Honey!” – a collaboration track with the subsequent performer.

The lights dimmed as Tabber walked offstage, and the opening of the hip-hop track “BERMUDA TRIANGLE” blared through the speakers. DEAN appeared amid red stage lights with a white jacket and pants, topped with a brown hat that shadowed part of his face. The South Korean singer transitioned to bring a more relaxed vibe with “Put My Hands On You,” a song he said he worked on in Los Angeles about a decade ago. To conclude his solo segment, DEAN took off his hat and donned a pair of thick black glasses for his performances of “DIE 4 YOU” and the 2017 hit “instagram” – to which many audience members swayed and sang along.

For the collaborative segment, DEAN and Tabber boasted their synergy onstage with performances of R&B and hip-hop pieces from “007” to their collaboration single “Chi-Ka.” The set concluded with an energetic note as DEAN gave his performance of his debut single, “I’m Not Sorry,” surrounded by hues of purple and blue.

The infrequent performances of the two artists made their Head in the Clouds stage all the more special.

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G-DRAGON

As the final performer of the night, G-DRAGON enchanted attendees with his “POWER.”

Dressed in a luxurious blue coat with a lion embroidered on the back, the South Korean musician introduced himself as “GOAT, the living legend” with much energy and self-confidence. Flanked by a troupe of backup dancers, the member of the K-pop group BIGBANG performed “HOME SWEET HOME” – a song featuring his fellow band members TAEYANG and DAESUNG, who appeared on the stage screen during their respective verses.

G-DRAGON kept the energy going with “One Of A Kind,” where he occasionally showcased synchronized choreography with the backup dancers. After a brief break during which he introduced himself and interacted with the crowd, the musician performed “Crayon” – which included elements of rock and electronic music – with the stage screens flashing dynamic swirls of vibrant colors.

After hyping the crowd with the refrain “Wassup, wassup” from “The Leaders,” G-DRAGON invited CL to the stage. Strutting onto the stage, the leader of South Korean girl group 2NE1 donned a bright pink bodysuit and a matching floor-length coat, accessorized with black suspender stockings, gloves and sunglasses. With the accompaniment of the band, the rendition of the piece had an energetic feel more reminiscent of rock music than the original track. Following the duet, G-DRAGON went backstage to prepare for the next segment of his performance while CL entertained the audience with her 2013 single “THE BADDEST FEMALE.”

Upon his return to the stage, G-DRAGON performed the melodic numbers of his recent album “Übermensch” with “DRAMA,” during which he sang behind a microphone stand wrapped in white chiffon wearing a straw hat and a pair of thin glasses. He brought the energy back with “TAKE ME,” which featured electric guitar riffs. For his performance of “BULLSHIT,” G-DRAGON executed an energetic rap on a stage inundated with red lights – with the backing track featuring segments of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” and even including the American rapper’s walk performance from the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show in the choreography. The 65-minute set finished with “TOO BAD,” which featured a dance break on the catwalk and a snippet of “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk in front of stage screens projecting the lyrics of the chorus in flashing neon lights of pink and purple.

Flaunting his multidimensional artistry, G-DRAGON proved that he indeed is a musician who’s “One Of A Kind.”