Head in the Cloud Festival Artists Dish on Their Craziest Fan Stories & How Performing At Coachella Is Different

(G)I-DLE

They were the Super Ladies of the weekend. As the sun set at 8 p.m. on Saturday, a surge of anticipation crept over the crowd for (G)I-DLE. The K-Pop girl group comprising of MIYEON, MINNIE, SOYEON, YUQI, AND SHUHUA dominated the stage with ease and the utmost confidence—giving their all in singing “I Want It” and “Never Stop Me.” A true highlight of the whole festival was when the group surprisingly sang and danced to their viral song “Wife” as you can spot many fans in the crowd donning blue wigs and all-white outfits similar to the ones the members wore in the music video. They closed out the memorable night with their English track “I Do” and assured that they’ll be back for more for their fans NEVERLAND!

You just celebrated your sixth-year anniversary! What’s a life lesson that you’ve learned since your debut?

SOYEON: For the past six years, I learned Effort never betrays! Even though it may be challenging now, I believe that one day your efforts will pay off, so I hope NEVERLAND never gives up!

Looking back at your discography, what’s your favorite B-Side?

MIYEON: “My Bag” is my favorite B-side track. Since it’s the first time that every member has rapped, and SOYEON created it with each member in mind. That’s why whenever we perform this song on stage, it gives me a lot of confidence.

YUQI: For me, it’s “Allergy” from the Queencard album. We filmed the two music videos for “Allergy” and “Queencard” back to back and the storyline connects. It’s the first time that we put two songs together like that. We got a lot of energy about the message to just be great on your own when we did “Queencard,” because “Allergy” is about not being confident and having thoughts of hating myself. But from that kind of story to “Queencard,” it changes, and I want everyone to get encouragement from those two songs. I think it’s a really good story and it sounds good when you listen to them together.

What are you looking forward to the most when you’re touring?

SHUHUA: There are a lot of countries we haven’t visited. I’m excited to meet all the fans we haven’t met yet.

SOYEON: Fans all over the world watch us through their phone. To have us performing in real life in front of them is something I’m looking forward to.

Awich

Awich unleashed her unapologetic energy in the early afternoon on Sunday at Head In The Clouds. In between her fierce and unstoppable raps in “Queendom”, she gave a poignant tribute to her deceased husband who was from NYC. Despite several setbacks on stage and jetlag, she came back on top with limitless and radiant energy while the sun was shining on her.

How do you feel after coming off the stage?

It was a humbling experience and it’s definitely one to remember forever because it’s my first time being here. It’s always nerve-wracking and a lot of work. I’m in the middle of the tour in Japan and I just flew in this morning. We had a lot of problems and troubles but we just winged it because you gotta go through it with it, and I’m glad we did it.

I fell on stage because I was walking and didn’t see the monitor speaker. I was like you just got to get up and continue with the show. It felt like a whole metaphor of my life, or anybody’s life because you don’t know what’s going to happen. And you just gotta take it as it goes. 

How does it feel to be vulnerable in your lyrics and telling your story on stage?

It’s a lot of work again, to show that vulnerability and to be that open. I feel like the overall meaning of doing that is to connect with somebody who’s going through the same process—for somebody who feels like they’ve hit rock bottom, or they can’t get up anymore. To show them that I was there, to show them that I got back up, and to show them that I became who I am today to show them the whole process is the meaning of it all.

You’re very proud of your Okinawan heritage. How did it feel seeing people cheer for you when you said that in your performance?

I saw people holding up an Okinawan sign and I felt so proud. They helped me so much. The nerves got the best of me for the first song. My voice was cracking, but the crowd was amazing. They were so supportive and full of love. It’s like we’re already friends and family. I don’t know if it’s just a New York thing or if it was just that particular stage, but I feel so welcomed. I’ll definitely come back and want to give them more of me. I feel like we are all connected.

Juliet Ivy

“Well, we’re all gonna die,” isn’t something you’d expect to hear from a sweet voice like Juliet Ivy’s. The 24-year-old’s nihilistic song “We’re All Eating Each Other” became an instant classic on TikTok. Donned with her nostalgic butterfly guitar and passionately red bows, Juliet is embarking on her first ever tour and made a full circle by playing a festival that’s only a hundred feet away from her home.

What’s one thing you want the world to know about your home neighborhood of Forest Hills in New York City?

I truly grew up in the heart of Forest Hills. The neighborhood is really close to my heart and it’s a huge part of who I am. So by association, it’s a huge part of my music as well. Also, I just think it’s a beautiful place and I want more people to come here. I used to come to Forest Hills Stadium a lot since I lived a few blocks away. This is the venue I grew up going to and I can’t believe I’m here. It’s so crazy.

What’s one thing that you learned on tour?

I’ve learned how much I actually love it because it’s my first time doing it. There are just so many firsts, but every show is so much fun. I’ve also learned how different every city is. Everyone brings a different view and it’s always felt like a new thing and routine. I also really look forward to seeing the people who I interact with online in person. I recognize some of them when I look at the crowd. I see some girls who I recognize on Instagram and to see them in person. That’s one of the reasons why I wanted to do this tour.

Do you have any crazy fan stories while on the road? 

I’ve posted on my Discord once that I like Minions from Despicable Me and multiple people have brought me Minion gifts. This girl in San Francisco named Sarah knitted me a Minion hat that has goggles on it. It was just so crazy, because San Francisco was just the first show on tour and I only talked about it a week prior. I’ve also loved seeing all of them dress up in their bows and stuff and like be part of the theme. 

ATARASHII GAKKO!

With their incomparable and blazing stage presence, ATARASHII GAKKO lit up the crowd on Day 2 of Head In The Clouds NY. The Japanese four-piece girl group appears in matching jacket uniforms as they run and jump across the stage. With “Tokyo Calling” fans like JENNIE of BLACKPINK and Megan Thee Stallion, Forest Hills Stadium roared when they performed the hypnotic anthem while they unveiled their precisely synced choreography.

You just performed a monumental set at Coachella— what was it like and what do you want to bring to this stage at Head in The Clouds New York?

SUZUKA: We performed on the substage last year, but this year we get to perform on the mainstage, which is very exciting. We just had a performance at Coachella, so fans can expect everything from that for our awesome performance. People really loved it so we’re bringing that same energy or even more here today.

You guys have very explosive sets. How do you get pumped before the performance?

RIN: We hit each other’s back with a little slap. Then we connect our pinkies together and then we charge our energy there and blow on them before we go on stage.

What’s your favorite memory you made together? 

SUZUKA: The very first moment we met each other! 

What was your first impression of each other? 

SUZUKA: Mizyu was like a doll! 

KANON: She’s our big sister and she knows how to do her makeup and hair. When we were in junior high, she knew all the trends. 

RIN: And we were like “Wow, she’s so adult!”

SUZUKA: When we first met KANON and RIN, we were like “Oh she’s like a princess! Where did she come from?”

MIZYU: Osaka is very famous for having takoyaki (octopus balls) and for SUZUKA, we immediately thought that she was from Osaka and she was like a bomb. We had the impression that she was like an explosion.

RIN: It’s kind of random but that’s how we felt. 

YOUNG POSSE

Just a little over six months since their debut, YOUNG POSSE is already rocking the stage withtheir impeccable stage formation. The 5th gen K-Pop group, consisting of Sunhye, Yeonjung, Jiana, Doeun, and Jieun, made their Head In The Clouds debut on early Saturday and treated the stage like pros with their colorful jerseys. Their catchy debut song “Macaroni Cheese” bloomed on social media and became viral within a week of its release.

You just performed your first overseas festival. How was the experience?

JIANA: It feels like a dream. A big dream because we’ve always wanted to perform outdoors. It was so many people in the crowd. 

Is there anything that performing in New York is different from Korea?

YEONJUNG: It was the first time we saw people dancing to our songs, especially “Macaroni Cheese.”

What was your reaction to becoming viral online with that song?

SUNHYE: We were so happy to see the song played on Instagram Reels on TikTok!

JIANA: I was watching every suggestion on YouTube and suddenly, I saw people dancing to our song, and I was really surprised. 

Before you debuted did you imagine that this was like going to be your life right now?

JIANA: I always dreamed about being here in HITC because we always searched this festival and saw other artists’ performances, but I didn’t expect it at all. 

What was your favorite memory off-stage together? 

JIANA: We took a boat to see the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. We were amazed to see that it was so big!

thuy

“Where are all the baddies at?” Thuy yells elegantly at the crowd. The Bay Area native has such a magnetic charm that compliments her silky voice. With affirming ballads like “girls like me don’t cry” and “all I want,” Thuy knows how to please a crowd while also trying to be her authentic self.

Being from the Bay Area, what’s one aspect of your identity or your performance that reminds you of home? 

I always like to make everything a party. The Bay Area just knows how to party! I mean, no shade to like any other places, but I will say we love to have fun. We are unapologetically ourselves. I’ve never felt different being from the Bay Area, I just felt really accepted. So I feel like I bring that sense of energy on stage and acknowledge as many people as I can and making them feel seen. Because at parties, I’m the host. And through that, I need to be the most on stage.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to young Thuy?

Never let that little dream go. And I didn’t. I guess in hindsight it’s so funny because I’m like “Don’t let that dream go because this happened.” Even when you felt like nobody was going to help support you or build you up because his dream was just so crazy and big, just never let it go. Never let that little fire die.

You just performed Coachella, how was that? 

I had a lot of fun. We had a couple of hiccups the first weekend, but regardless, I just felt so present in the moment. I just fully loved being there. I recognized that there were so many other Asian kids in the crowd every time I have a performance. Head In The Clouds LA was one of the first times I played a big festival. And I remember telling my team, “I don’t think anyone’s going to show up.” Then I got on stage, and the whole crowd was filled up. It just reminded me that community is so important. I love that they see me as like the older sister that they always just want to come and support.

From that performance specifically, what do you expect for your future performances? 

I have a smaller team here today. Despite how stressful a big production is, I loved it and it was such a fun process. I look forward to taking that into my future sets and bringing in set designs and dancers. But at the core, it’s always about the music. My musicians are just so insanely talented and they helped me out on stage to shine. That aspect of raw live music will always be at all my shows and also having fun at any show, despite how big or small it is. No matter if something goes wrong, just have fun! You only get to experience things for the first time once, so make it meaningful.