HEAD IN THE CLOUDS. The first major event in our realm on U.S. soil since 2019. For a lot of our readers, the biggest highlight of this festival was the return of CL, eaJ, DPR Ian, and DPR Live, but there were a ton of other talented artists at the festival as well. Perhaps you saw some other artists perform and are interested in learning more about them. Below we will highlight some of the artists at the festival so you can get to know a little more about them.

Joji

Those who have been on the internet since the birth of YouTube may recognize this face. Joji’s career began on early YouTube, where his wildly popular and now legendary channel “TVFilthyFrank” went so viral it started the Harlem Shake craze back in 2013. In 2017, he switched focus to his music and is now a popular singer and songwriter. His music under this moniker is described as more serious and nuanced, and despite being a total 180 from his original online personality, it showed a more real side to him. Joji has done well for himself since this shift, with his first EP In Tongues peaking at No. 68 on the Billboard 200 and debut studio album BALLADS 1 peaking at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart. He signed with 88rising in 2017 and his music is described as a mix of R&B, lofi, and trip hop.

NIKI

NIKI, an Indonesian singer and songwriter, joined 88rising back in 2017 while studying music in Nashville. She began writing music at the tender age of 13, and at 15 she performed as the opening act for Taylor Swift at the Jakarta stop of her tour. While her early singles had more folk and indie influences, she is also known for more R&B-infused sounds. If you’re interested in a genre-blending type of album, MOONCHILD is cited as an exploratory release. Most recently in 2021, she was involved in the composition of five tracks for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Warren Hue

Indonesian rapper Warren Hue is a bit of a newer face, at least among the 88rising crew. The 19-year-old began making music in 2018, but recently really hit the scene with his contributions to the soundtrack for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Saweetie

One of the biggest acts at the show, Saweetie isn’t a current artist under 88rising but has released tracks on the label. She is considered a more mainstream artist in America, but her release with 88rising came in the form of a song on the soundtrack for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. She is a well-known enough artist within America that she has worked with the likes of Post Malone, Black Eyed Peas, and Doja Cat.

ATARASHII GAKKO!

There’s a bit of a twist with this one! ATARASHII GAKKO! is actually a J-Pop girl group that signed with 88rising in January for global promotions. The group has been active since 2018 and released 10 digital singles, one digital LP, three traditional singles, and two full albums. Agewise, the quartet is still quite young; it’s quite an achievement to have released this much music already.