88rising are history makers, artisans of the music industry, and global influencers. But none of those titles fully sum up what the global music & media company accomplished this past weekend at the world-renowned Coachella music festival! From their own Head in the Clouds Music & Arts Festival to executive producing and curating the soundtrack for the major Marvel Studios blockbuster hit Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, 88rising truly only rises.
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Their Coachella set was the very first time a record label got a time slot to showcase their artists at the festival. Can you say trendsetters? Icons pave the way for themselves as well as those that come after them, and 88rising is doing just that. We’ve never stanned an entertainment company before but we might have to now.
The unprecedented and legendary ensemble lineup included up-and-coming artists such as Warren Hue, BIBI, and MILLI, as well as world-renowned K-Pop icons Jackson Wang, CL, and the queens of K-Pop themselves, 2NE1. Yes, they really did that. The reunion no one saw coming, 88rising made happen!
However, 88rising decided that wasn’t enough. They wanted to give fans even more and dropped a three-track EP, the Head In The Clouds Forever Compilation! The EP includes the songs ‘Best Lover’ by 88rising & BIBI, ‘froyo’ (feat. Warren Hue) by 88rising, BIBI, & Rich Brian, and ‘T’ by 88rising, Hikaru Utada, and Warren Hue. You can listen to Head In The Clouds Forever Compilation right here!
More On The Horizon For 88rising
If you thought the party stopped after 2NE1 crushed the stage, think again. 88rising held their own weekend-long celebration at the brilliantly named Cloud Mansion. The party included performances by Luna Li, Warren Hue, Yeek, and Shotta Spence, and the event was sponsored by several companies including Year Of, 88rising’s new hard seltzer. They’re not stopping with music, 88rising is even getting into the beverage game!
Their Head In The Clouds music and arts festival will be arriving on August 20 and 21, 2022 in Pasadena, CA. Presale is currently happening at their website so stay tuned to snag your passes! And be sure to follow their socials that we have linked at the bottom of this page so you don’t miss 88rising’s main stage performance during the second Coachella weekend coming up in only a few days!
Those who tuned in to 88rising’s set at Coachella’s first weekend will know there were quite a few surprises and epic moments. Let’s get into just a few of them!
The Lineup
88rising created an opportunity for multiple artists to share the stage and show everyone watching exactly what they’re capable of. One thing we love here at THP is discovering newer artists and seeing them get a platform to thrive, so we’re big fans already.
Warren Hue, BIBI, MILLI, NIKI, and Rich Brian took to the stage and captivated the crowd with beautiful and energetic performances. The passion and joy visible on their faces as they sang and rapped to the Coachella audience made the set even more special. One moment we have to mention is when Yoon Mirae joined BIBI to sing ‘The Weekend!’
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Kingdom Hearts Nostalgia
No one could have prepared us for Kingdom Hearts music being played in front of a massive crowd at arguably the most popular music festival in the world. As soon as the opening notes to ‘Simple And Clean’ played, all the childhood memories started flooding in.
Hikaru Utada killed their performance and we were honored to witness it. If you can’t get enough of their music (same) then mark your calendars, because the vinyl version of their latest album BAD MODE will be available on April 27! Hikaru Utada also feature on the new 88rising song ‘T’ which is included on the Head In The Clouds Forever Compilation.
Magic Man Moment
Okay, we screamed so loud when Jackson’s intro video started playing. But is anyone really surprised? It’s the Jackson Wang. Something about his stage felt historic, like we needed to remember that moment, because something began right then and there before our eyes.
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There’s no question that he has started a new chapter of his musical career with his latest release ‘Blow’ and we’re excited to see where his path takes him! His Coachella performance further solidified his musical strength with powerful choreography and even the debut of a new song called ‘Cruel,’ which we’ll have in our rotation as soon as it’s on streaming services. His upcoming album, Magic Man, doesn’t have a release date yet, but we’re keeping our eyes open on the lookout!
‘SPICY’
Let’s collectively take a deep breath before we talk about CL’s stage. From the moment she stepped on stage, it was clear a queen was present. Her opening song, ‘SPICY,’ is the title track off of her first full-length solo album, ALPHA, which dropped last October and rocked the world.
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CL is a masterful force and an innovative musical artist. Not to mention a great actress. In fact, it was her acting that caused her to meet her friend John Malkovich, who voices the intro of ‘SPICY!’
It seems she has even more on the horizon. CL posted a teaser for a collaboration with YouTube and Blackjack has already started their speculations. Perhaps a documentary is in the works?
2NE1 Reunion
As the massive screen turned white, four silhouettes took their place center stage. CL’s voice echoed over the speakers repeating the iconic lyrics “내가 제일 잘 나가…” and we forgot how to breathe. Then CL, Bom, Dara, and Minzy towered over the eager music-loving crowd on the big screen and an electronic beat of their hit song ‘I Am The Best’ kicked in as the lights went up to reveal 2NE1 reunited for the first time in seven years.
Epic, astounding, stunning, perfect, heavenly, we could go on but we’ll stop ourselves there. They went so hard on stage that Dara literally lost her shoe. She later updated fans that she also reunited with her shoe, as well as her members. Though, legend has it, her sock remains somewhere on the Coachella main stage…
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All in all, 88rising’s Coachella set was a whirlwind of insane talent and incredible surprises. We’re already wondering what they’ll have in store for Head In The Clouds and next year’s Coachella!
What was your favorite moment from 88rising’s Coachella set? Let us know in the comments below, tweet us @TheHoneyPop, or comment on our Instagram and Facebook.
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