With headliners DPR Live & DPR Ian, Jackson Wang, NIKI, RINA Sawayama, XG and Rich Brian plus an epic overall lineup, the fifth year anniversary of Head in the Clouds (aka HITC) Los Angeles is expected to be the must see festival of the summer. Though it’ll be RINA’s first round to the series stateside, the rest are all veterans of the festival. As such, let's turn the wheel back and look at what they have brought to past HITC festivals, including the most recent New York stop, and see why you need to be there. If you haven’t bought your ticket yet, take a look at why you need to buy one now!

DPR LIVE & DPR IAN

Following their world tour, DPR Live and DPR Ian were on the headlining roster for Day two of HITC New York. With DPR ARTIC as their DJ, DPR Live hit the stage resplendent in pink, stunning the crowd. Starting the set with the energy on max, “Legacy,” was on his lips and the crowd was ready for it. With “Out of Control '' and “Laputa,” there was nobody who failed to be engrossed from the aura he exerted onstage. Followed by “KISS ME'' and “Jasmine,” the voices of the fans overwhelmed the music itself, leading DPR Live to state that the energy that night landed in top three of his shows ever (L.A., the gauntlet has been thrown). “Martini Blue'' was his last solo song of his set before he was joined by his comrade DPR Ian. Sauntering onto the stage with the added level of a live band, Ian broke into “No Blueberries' ' and “Boom” with DPR Live to everyone’s delight.

Where DPR Live brought the energy with the pink, DPR Ian brought on the dark and dramatic. “So Beautiful” and “Dope Lovers” wove us into his trance. Sucked into the music while enthralled with sexiness in his voice and being, voices turned into screams and cheers as DPR Ian shed his coat during “Calico.” Resplendent and topless for “Scaredy Cat,” he wove across the stage in his own skin, connecting with as many as he could. Finishing off the night with two faves “Nerves” “Ballroom Extravaganza” for all the DREAMers in the venue.

But this is not the first foray into HITC for DPR Live and DPR Ian. Though DPR Live was already a veteran, in 2021 DPR Live and DPR Ian both took the stage together. The duo opened with “Diamond + And Pearls” off of the Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings OST and “Boom” from DPR Live’s EP IITE COOL.  DPR Ian took the stage with “So Beautiful,” “Dope Lovers,” “Scaredy Cat” and “Nerves." Joining CL’s set to perform “No Blueberries,” became an unexpected surprise for everyone there. You never know what will happen at HITC.

JACKSON WANG

Jackson Wang headlined in 2022 and he returns after his world tour again headline HITC. Even if you’ve caught a stop on his tour, which was amazing, I can attest that there is something about being outside at a festival that makes everything fresher. Opening with “100 Ways” on the main stage, from the start to finish, he gave a performance to remember. With smoke and his dance crew to support him, the stage was definitely magical for the “Magic Man” himself as he elevated himself high above the sea of people at one point. With an extended stage he brought his energy front and center to as many of the fans in the pit as he could. Many who had waited since the wee hours of the morning to be close to him. One can only imagine what he might have in store this time around.

NIKI

NIKI has been a HITC headliner staple since inception. Though having to pull out in 2022 Los Angeles due to COVID-19, she was back in full force in New York. With a live band, including a violinist, and strumming her guitar a floor up from the stage, NIKI started the night with “Before.” Dialing up with “Keeping Tabs,” NIKI put aside the guitar to walk down to the floor while lights and smoke blasted behind her. With “Vintage,” arms were waving in uniform across the sea of people. Follow up songs included “urs” and “Backburner.” The energy went up a notch with the New York references in “La La Lost You.” New York might have been sweet, but as an Angelino veteran, things are bound to be even sweeter. Her melodic voice is going to light up that Pasadena sky and I wouldn’t want to be one to miss it.

RICH BRIAN

Rich Brian is another name almost synonymous with 88rising and HITC. A HITC performance wouldn’t be the same without him. In New York his set opened with musicians on pedestals to the side of the main stage. Most memorable are the video images of him flying through the air as he sings, which was also present in the 2022 Los Angeles show. Belting out songs such as “VIVID” and “100 Degrees,” he had all his die hard fans cheering for him. With “History,” he was on the ground singing along with the crowd getting as close as he could to make eye contact. In every show, Rich Brian’s words flow into the hearts and pumping arms of those attending. As in past venues and years, we know that Los Angeles will carry on that tradition leaving emotions running higher than ever.

XG

XG, also known as Xtraordinary Girls, made their performance debut at the HITC NY show. The two letters seemed to be on everyone’s breath that Sunday. The global girl group formed from the X-GALAXY project with seven members: Jurin, Chisa, Cocona, Hinata, Maya, Juria and Harvey. With costume changes and sub-units, the ladies made the most of their set to the delight of everyone there.

In sharp black suits and ties, with bedazzled lapels, the girls gave off a chic yet powerful vibe which provided a sharp contrast to the later relaxed streetwear and overalls. With “MASCARA” then waves to the audience who were screaming and barking cheers, they were so excited to introduce themselves. Harvey and Maya popped back out to cover their version of “Two Tens” by Cordae. Demonstrating their flow and charisma, they rapped their amended lyrics “We got what it takes to rock the mic,” which nobody could disagree with. Quickly following, not to be outdone, Jurin and Cocona popped out for their version of “Nothin’” by N.O.R.E. The remaining members were the next subset to demonstrate their vocal chops with a cover of Justin Bieber’s “Peaches.”

For the last wardrobe change for the set, the ladies were in adorable denim sets in time to sing “LEFT RIGHT” and their popular track “SHOOTING STAR.” It’s clear from this performance that this is just the start of XG’s journey stateside. We’ll be excited to see what changes and what is set to be in store for L.A. as well.

The Los Angeles lineup is hot and if you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, why not? With its five year anniversary, HITC is set to explode on the west coast with many favorites and certainly more surprises in stock, it’s time to party on the west coast. Hope to see everyone there!

For Head in the Clouds Los Angeles Tickets, you can buy them here now!