Day 2 of the Head in the Clouds (HITC) festival is scheduled today (Nov 7, PST) and it will be streaming live from Pasadena California starting at 7:00AM (PHT), Nov 8th.
The artists that I was really looking forward to watching for Day 2 are eaJ, keshi, NIKI, and Joji. But, as any festival-goer would confirm, you attend a festival initially wanting to see a few select artists perform, but by the end of the festival, you will definitely leave being a fan of more artists. Personally, after Day 2, I consider myself a fan now of The Linda Lindas, Seori, and Warren Hue. If you need me, I'll be in my room trying to catch up on all 88rising artists' discographies. 😅
Here are some of my personal and favorite highlights from Day 2 of the festival:
Seori
Okay, let me be honest. At first, I wasn't exactly fond of Seori because, as the self-proclaimed soulmate of eaJ (we share the same birthday and college course, OKAY!!!), I would naturally be jealous of everyone saying how she and eaJ look good together. But, wow, this is one of the rare times that I am glad to be proven wrong!! Seori is such an angel, both who she is on stage and that angelic voice!!! I like the texture of her voice if that makes sense, especially because it sounds like that she isn't even trying too hard to sound that good. You could say that that interesting tone is something innate in her. So, really, how could you dislike her, then?
keshi
I am a HUUUUUUUGE fan of keshi! Not only is he such an amazing lyricist, my goodness, that voice control is beyond me!!!! His voice is one of my favorites and I will always be thankful for the day that I found out about his existence. I remember, when I still did my early morning runs, I would run to a keshi playlist, because it's such an awesome mix of upbeat and slow tracks, perfect for running fast and slowing down. He really became of part my daily habit, that everytime I'd listen to certain songs of kesgi, I'd think of running 😅. But even until now, keshi would always be part of my daily list of go-to artists when I am stumped or when I feel sad or when I just need to listen to something. It has always been an easy choice to include keshi in almost all my playlists. I am looking forward to seeing him perform live soon. I think he'd be one of those artists that are really worth watching in a live setting.
NIKI
AAAHHHHHH this boss lady!!! She's so pretty!!! I love her showmanship!! But, the thing I like the most about her is her tone, most especially, the multiple layers that she can do with her voice...WOW! I also like how you could really tell that she does have an incredible voice, especially when she performed songs that were stripped of a full band sound. She also did a duet with keshi, which I loved, of course!!!
Joji
The first time I heard Joji, I knew I would be a fan because he has this fascinating / eccentric vibe that also fits so perfectly with his voice and style. I think this was the first time that I watched Joji in a live / concert setting. I would usually just watch his music videos on YouTube or listen to him on Spotify. So, it was a bit of a surprise to me how Joji is as a performer. It was interesting to see him perform, but I noticed that most of the time (at least in HITC 2021), he would really spend a significant amount of time hyping the crowd up. If I were part of the crowd, I would've really enjoyed so much. I also loved that how he sounds in the studio versions of his songs is also how he sounds in a live setting. I love listening to him!!!
eaJ
Of course, last but most certainly not the least, my favorite performance out of all the acts in the HITC festival is none other than eaJ's. Mannnn, where do I even begin?! Firstly, I am so proud that he didn't forget his roots as he went on to introduce himself as "eaJ also known as Jae from DAY6". Personally, that was such an important bit for me, since it was in DAY6 when I first knew about him. Bias aside, I think that eaJ is such an amazing writer and storyteller (Otherside's "I hate that you're gone. And when I lie in the dark alone, I die a little every time I reach out and it's cold" and 50 Proof's "I'm worried your tears still wake you up at night. And you know why but you don't know why at the same time" AAAAAHHHHHH), so as a frustrated / struggling wordsmith, I would naturally be drawn to his writing skills. But, I think because eaJ is also a musician, which is why you would really hear how much expert technical work has been put in his tracks, which make them really worth listening to. Of course, the eaJ x keshi collab performed live is FIRE, as expected!!
Post-HITC Hangover
AAAHHHHHHH I think I have an HITC hangover! 88rising and the organizers of HITC really did good coming up with solid lineup. I think I have enough HITC content to last me until the end of the month! Please do check out the 88rising artists and the HITC videos, if they are already available. You won't regret listening to these artists, I promise!
(All photos are screenshots from the event's livestream.)