It’s time to come back to reality after a weekend above the clouds.

The 2025 Head in the Clouds Music & Arts Festival continued at Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Sunday. The second and final day of the music and arts festival featured a myriad of performances – ranging from first appearances of rising musicians to the reunion of a famed Korean girl group – along with a final set that featured multiple artists from the festival lineup.

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

[Related: Head in the Clouds 2025: Artists spanning across genres take the stage on Day 1 of festival]

yung kai

Under the cloudy skies of Pasadena, yung kai brought cozy bedroom vibes to Head in the Clouds.

Around 2:25 p.m., the Vancouver-based singer-songwriter came onto the 88rising Stage donning a dark denim jacket and sunglasses. The 30-minute set featured several bedroom-pop and indie-pop numbers, including a few unreleased songs. Flanked by a screen displaying his artist name in light blue, the Chinese-Canadian artist warmed the hearts of the audience with his soft vocals.

Opening the set with “wildflower” and an unreleased piece, yung kai stood at the center of the stage and serenaded the listeners with his melodic verses. The musician then brought his acoustic guitar, strumming for the renditions of “my light” – during which the musician sang in Mandarin – and “do you think you could love me?” During the performances of two unreleased songs, the singer distributed flowers to the audience, jumping off the stage twice to hand flowers to some listeners at the barricades.

For the closing number – which the artist said was a song that changed his life – yung kai stood under blue and white stage lights with his guitar to perform “blue.” The singer still seemed to enjoy the stage and engaged with listeners by pointing his microphone toward the crowd to sing the chorus of the 2024 hit.

Amid the June breeze, yung kai made sure the audience knew they’re all that he wants this life.

DPR CREAM & DPR ARTIC

With two members of Dream Perfect Regime onstage, there’s double the happiness.

Around 4:55 p.m., DPR ARTIC took the Honda Double Happiness Stage and stood behind the DJ set with a black leather jacket and a pair of sunglasses. The South Korean DJ’s fellow groupmate, DPR CREAM, followed shortly after, donning a black leather vest and headphones. The duo’s 40-minute performance featured electronic music that continuously had audience members waving their hands back and forth in the air.

Opening the set with “Jealous” and “DRIFT,” DPR CREAM bounced from one end of the stage, hyping the crowd up, while DPR ARTIC was frequently seen gesturing toward the audience behind his DJ set. The performance also featured slower numbers with “darling” and “i miss u (too bad),” during which DPR CREAM boasted his musicality with his dynamic ad-libs.

During the performance of “Color Drive” – which was a groovier piece – the highlight was arguably when DPR Cream performed a lyrical run on the keys along the beat led by DPR ARTIC. The set then segued into performances of songs with stronger beats and faster tempos, such as the duo’s collaborative tracks “Jangmi” and “Do or Die.” For the final numbers, DPR CREAM exuberantly jumped along with the audience under flashing stage lights.

The energetic set of DPR CREAM and DPR ARTIC made it easier to handle the Pasadena heat.

DPR IAN

With the golden-hour sun behind him, DPR IAN enchanted the audience on the 88rising Stage.

Wearing a black leather jacket decorated with metallic spikes, the Australian singer-songwriter opened his set around 6:45 p.m with a dance break and a highly technical electric guitar riff at the end of the catwalk. As the Dream Perfect Regime member showcased flamboyant choreography and his instrumental talent with his black electric guitar, festivalgoers responded by singing along or waving their hands in the air. DPR IAN frequently went out onto the catwalk to engage with the attendees, even holding the hand of one while serenading them with “Avalon.”

Following the energetic opening numbers with “Welcome To The Other Side” and “Don’t Go Insane,” DPR IAN transitioned to rhythmic performances with “So I Danced” and “So Beautiful.” He spun and performed popping choreography during the former, while the latter was introduced by two dancers who showcased a tango dance on the catwalk. For the subsequent performance of “Mood,” an R&B-adjacent tune, the artist cast a seductive aura by taking off his jacket and revealing the collection of tattoos on his upper body. The singer followed with “Dope Lovers” and “Calico,” where he boasted his vocal skills by harmonizing with the backing track.

After a vigorous performance with a remixed version “LIMBO,” DPR IAN performed more melodic numbers such as “Nerves” alongside the accompanying band. The 45-minute set ended with “Ballroom Extravaganza,” which started with the musician behind a microphone stand and blossomed into an energetic performance where he played his electric guitar while surrounded by his supporting instrumentalists and dancers.

DPR IAN and his musical talents made the final moments of the festival “So Beautiful.”

[Related: Q&A: Ahead of Head in the Clouds debut, PIAO talks collaboration, mixing genres]

2NE1

2NE1 didn’t need to say “I Am the Best” to prove that it is the best.

Composed of four members – CL, Park Bom, Sandara Park and MINZY – the South Korean girl group took the 88rising Stage for its 12-song set around 8:15 p.m. Following an introductory screen projection to the tune of “COME BACK HOME,” the set launched with “FIRE” as the band, minus Park Bom, appeared on the stage. The three artists donned outfits that fit a black-and-tan theme – with CL in a tan jacket with black frills and black knee-high boots, Sandara Park in a black top with tan belts and MINZY in a black cropped vest and leather pants. Amid a red glow onstage, the group showcased synchronized choreography to the opening song while occasionally flanked by several male dancers.

The group then performed several tracks from its 2010 project “To Anyone.” For the performance of “Clap Your Hands,” each member approached the catwalk during their verses and danced in synchrony with the rest of the group and backup dancers for the chorus. For “Can’t Nobody,” the three members danced in a triangular formation onstage while the audience members waved their hands or event-distributed lightsticks to the beat. The performance took a groovier turn with “Falling In Love” and “I Don’t Care.” During the chorus of the latter piece, the artists went onto the catwalk and led attendees in performing a finger-shaking choreography.

At the midpoint of the 45-minute set, band leader CL performed her solo pieces including “THE BADDEST FEMALE” alongside male backup dancers who bore flags and wore patterned outfits. At the end of her solo segment, CL introduced “Lonely,” during which the members flaunted their vocal abilities against the backing track of an acoustic guitar.

The band then transitioned to more energetic pieces of faster tempo in “Ugly” and “GOTTA BE YOU,” ultimately bringing the festival to maximum energy with its 2011 hit “I Am the Best.” Despite the lyrics being in Korean, the audience sang the opening line “I am the best” in unison. The band closed its set with its 2010 release “Go Away,” during which the members jumped along with the crowd as attendees waved their lightsticks in the air.

From audience engagement to artistic talent, 2NE1’s dynamic performance was all it needed to show the power and aura the group holds.