Metro Manila (CNN Philippines Life, Dec. 13) — There was no shortage of shouts of “Manila, I love you!” “Salamat po!” and “Mahal kita!” at last weekend’s Head in the Clouds Music & Arts Festival.
These were the favorite phrases of the music festival’s lineup of 27 artists — a mix of Asians and Asian-Americans, many of which are signed under US-based record label 88 Rising. Held from Dec. 9 to 10 at the SMDC Festival Grounds in Parañaque City, the whole festival clocked in at over 20 hours.
The two-day festival was abundant with fan-artist interactions. Korean rapper Jessi spent a lot of time with her artist ments, pumping up the crowd and eventually inviting some of them to dance with her, 88 Rising singer Joji teased a fan for recording him with a Samsung tablet, while acts like Suzuka from the Japanese group Atarashii Gakko! and Korean-American singer eaJ jumped into the audience area at some points during their sets.
Much of this was unexpected for a crowd that may not have imagined themselves stepping foot at a live music event at all this year. Back in January, concerts remained a distant dream as many parts of the Philippines had just extended Alert Level 3 lockdown status due to rising COVID-19 cases. While vaccination rollouts enabled places like the US to have full-scale arena shows and festivals as early as June 2021, the future of live music shows featuring international acts remained uncertain until April.
But when they started being announced, they kept coming. First came the OPM and K-pop festivals, then came the fanmeets, and soon, we were seeing artists sell out and add more nights to their schedules.
A fan wearing the HITC Manila merch watches an early performance. Photo by NIKKI BONUEL
A fan’s sign for HITC Manila headliner Rich Brian. Photo by NIKKI BONUEL
Organizing a festival of this scale for the first time didn’t come without hiccups. Many festival goers complained about the venue layout, which was an even 50/50 split between the VIP and general admission sections, not guaranteeing a better view for those who paid more.
The layout was indeed a far cry from Jakarta’s grand two-stage setup from a few days prior, but the size of the Manila festival grounds ensured that everyone had a decent view all throughout. There were no issues of overcrowding, as entrance and exit lines were orderly. Water was readily available and food concessionaire lines weren’t long in both sections.
The worry was that the lack of a secondary stage would make the set changes take longer, but this didn’t prove to be an issue. Day 1 (impressively and unexpectedly) ended a little earlier than scheduled, while Day 2 was on schedule but only because of the set cancellations for Pinay 88 Rising signee Ylona Garcia and rapper August08. The news of these cancellations was disappointing, given that the festival was to be Ylona’s homecoming set and the acts after them went on as scheduled.
Despite the organization issues that can be chalked up to the event’s growing pains, there’s no doubt that audiences went home from HITC Manila with a list of more artists to listen to and memories worth highlighting on their Instagram stories.
Below are some of the highlights from the two-day festival.
“This is my first time playing while the sun is out,” remarked Filipino singer Zack Tabudlo, whose set was early in the afternoon on Day 1. He was later spotted enjoying the other artists’ sets from the VIP section. Photo by NIKKI BONUEL
SB19’s performance level was unmatched with extended dance break versions of their hits. The group performed “WHAT?” “WYAT?,” “MAPA,” “Mana,” “Bazinga,” and their new single “Nyebe.” “Maraming salamat sa pagtiis ng ingit, ng pagod,” said Stell during their ending ment. Photo by NIKKI BONUEL
Josh and Justin from SB19. Photo by NIKKI BONUEL
Suzuka from Atarashii Gakko sends a heart to fans. Photo by NIKKI BONUEL
Atarashii Gakko! members Mizyu, Rin, Suzuka, and Kanon delivered a high-powered set with energetic stunts and choreography. “Gusto kong sabihin sa mando,” said member Suzuka before repeating the phrase but pronouncing it as “mundo” before the group sang “Pineapple Kryptonite.” Photo by NIKKI BONUEL
Atarashii Gakko! members Mizyu, Rin, Suzuka, and Kanon delivered a high-powered set with energetic stunts and choreography. “Gusto kong sabihin sa mando,” said member Suzuka before repeating the phrase but pronouncing it as “mundo” before the group sang “Pineapple Kryptonite.” Photo by NIKKI BONUEL
Canadian R&B duo Manila Grey consists of Ghostride Neeko and Blame Soliven. The two brought out Filipino rapper Al James to perform the “Again and Again” Remix. Photo by NIKKI BONUEL
Filipino-American rapper Guapdad 4000 hyped the crowd with the catchphrase “Issa Check!” Photo by NIKKI BONUEL
Thai rap star MILLI was one of the artists that got the crowd jumping on Day 1. For her performance of “Mind Games” ft. Jackson Wang she took a fan’s cutout of Jackson’s head and raised the mic to it every time his parts would play. Photo by NIKKI BONUEL
Dressed in orange paint-splattered jumpsuits, Japanese superduo Yoasobi (composed of Ayase and Ikura) ended their set with “Tracing a Dream.” Photo by NIKKI BONUEL
88 Rising signee and Indonesian rapper-singer performed his hit “BOTY.” Photo by NIKKI BONUEL
The over 50-minute set had the Indonesian rapper shuffling between his discography, including hardcore hip-hop of “Glow Like Dat,” the more mellow “100 Degrees,” slow banger “Drive Safe,” and even his “Tokyo Drift Freestyle.” The set was one of the more balanced ones of the entire festival. Photo courtesy of HEAD IN THE CLOUDS MANILA
The night’s headliner had the crowd singing along to “Sanctuary” and “Glimpse of Us” in the rain, which some would argue is the way to go when listening to any Joji song. The airhorn sound effects and random samples played by his hype man SavageRealm had some fans saying they saw a glimpse of the artist’s comedic Pink Guy persona.
Though the stage was wet and it was still drizzling by the time Jackson came on stage, it was clear that the singer wasn’t going to let the weather conditions dampen the mood. Together with his back-up dancers, he delivered a shorter version of his “Magic Man” tour, steamy choreography included. Photo by NIKKI BONUEL
“This is a song about a boy who couldn’t commit,” said Filipina R&B singer Denise Julia as she introduced her song “Pity Ya.” Photo by NIKKI BONUEL
Chinese pop artist Akini Jing entertained the crowd with her dreamy vocals while decked out in an all-red outfit covered in little pouches. Photo by NIKKI BONUEL
“I wanted to go last year, this January I wanted to leave it all. But I made it here and it was worth it. You guys made it worth it,” said Korean-American singer eaJ (former Day6 member Jae Park) in between songs. The singer’s set started off slow and emotional, but quickly turned high-energy as he showcased his powerhouse vocals. Photo by NIKKI BONUEL
Korean singer BIBI said “Salamat po,” and “Mahal kita,” during her set, which included her debut single “BINU,” the “Street Man Fighter” OST “LAW,” “Cigarette & Condom,” and “BIBI VENGEANCE.” Photo by NIKKI BONUEL
Ending with his remix of “Alive,” Zedd played hit after hit, including “Rude,” “Break Free,” “Stay the Night,” and the audience ate it up by singing the loudest they could from start to finish. Photo by ARA MAY TANAGON courtesy of HITC MANILA
Dressed in a black set with pants bedazzled with the words “ENNEATYPE 4” and “AQUARIUS,” Indonesian singer Niki gave fans a taste of her ongoing “Nicole” tour, complete with a school uniform costume change for “High School in Jakarta.” Photo from NIKIZEFANYA/INSTAGRAM
Originally published on CNN Philippines.
