HITC MANILA revives pre-pandemic MUSIC festival experience anna barlam
The Head in the Clouds (HITC) Manila by US-based music company 88rising left the crowd on cloud nine with a solid roster of Filipino and foreign acts during its two-day pioneer edition held Dec. 9 to 10 at the SMDC Festival Grounds in Parañaque.
Despite the rainy weather over the weekend, thousands of attendees flocked to the much-awaited music and arts festival to witness a showcase of Asian talents from afternoon until midnight.
With a turnout of thousands of festival-goers, HITC successfully marked its Philippine debut featuring 25 local and international musicians, including Pinoy pop (P-pop) phenom SB19, headliners NIKI of Indonesia and Chinese artist Jackson Wang.
Representing Filipinos’ music prowess, SB19 delivered all-out stages that made the audience go crazy and loud on Day One. The Pinoy boy band kicked off a 30-minute setlist by performing the upbeat track What?, followed by disco-pop WYAT (Where You At) to keep the crowd’s energy alive.
The group also surprised viewers with a live performance of their latest single, Nyebe, released on Dec. 12. Members Pablo, Stell, Ken, Justin, and Josh flaunted their promising vocals as they sang their hit ballad song, Mapa, before closing the set with Mana and Bazinga.
After the show, SB19 took to social media to express gratitude to everyone present at the festival. “What a show! Thanks everyone for coming (t)hrough and we’ll catch you in the next one!” the boys said.
Another Pinoy pride was Zack Tabudlo, the first local artist to grace the HITC stage. He made fans swoon over his popular tracks Nangangamba and Pano.
Meanwhile, rappers JinxZhou and Adawa, who opened Day One with alluring moves and powerful vocals, jump-started the entire fest’s list of foreign performers who showcased various genres such as R&B, J-Pop, EDM, and many more.
Japanese acts Atarahshii Gakko! and YOASOBI also pumped up the HITC grounds with their tracks and dynamic production numbers. Atarashii Gakko! member Suzuka even went down the stage to interact with fans that earned the J-pop artist cheers.
I Love You 3000 singer Stephanie Poetri serenaded the crowd with her angelic voice via the songs Selfish and Bad Haircut. In the middle of her set, the Indonesian singer-songwriter thanked Filipino fans for the warm welcome saying, “Mahal ko kayo!”
Korean-American rapper Jessi, who recently brought her world tour to Manila, also hyped up the audience on Day One by performing her famous hip-hop and trap song ZOOM, Cold Blooded, NUNU NANA, and many more. She interacted with crowd members a few times and even took gifts and granted requests from them.
The music fest’s first day elated attendees further when Japanese-Australian singer Joji and his band stepped on stage and played Sanctuary amid a heavy downpour that matched the song’s sentimental mood.
Joji, who came to the Philippines for the first time, ensured that “the show must go on” as he sang more tracks, such as Gimme Love, SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK, and Glimpse of Us.
On the other hand, international artists with Filipino ancestry like Fil-Canadian duo Manila Grey and Fil-American DJ Manila Killa paid homage to their Pinoy roots during their performances on Day One.
Manila Grey, composed of Ghostride Neeko and Blame Soliven, lit the stage with their track Backhouse Ballin’. They made their homecoming remarkable for fans as they brought out Filipino rapper Al James and jammed to AGAIN AND AGAIN.
HITC Day One would not be complete without Chinese rapper and K-pop GOT7 member Jackson Wang. Showing what a true performer he was, Jackson set the stage on fire with sexy dance moves as he performed tracks like 100 Ways and Cruel with his dancers.
88rising’s sought-after artists Warren Hue, Milli, and Rich Brian set the bar high for the HITC Manila crowd as they closed Day One with high-spirited sets.
Gloomy weather welcomed festival-goers during Day Two of HITC Manila, but the lineup made sure that the weather would not dampen the energy left at the venue from the previous day.
Maintaining the excitement on the second day were featured artists like Every Summertime hitmaker NIKI who mounted dreamy and soulful stages.
With her acoustic guitar, she started her setlist by playing Before and Keeping Tabs. She capped off the night with bop tracks Lowkey and Every Summertime that had the crowd heartily singing along with her.
The party spirit remained high on the second day, thanks to guest artist Zedd. Roaring cheers welcomed the Grammy-winning electro-house DJ. He was amazed upon seeing the crowd singing his classic track Stay the Night and enjoying the rest of his set with unfaltering energy.
US-based DJ E-man immediately also gave the HITC stage a boost with his set, while R&B singer Denise Julia, the only Filipino act to perform on the second day, belted out her singles and some covers.
People sang their hearts out with Denise Julia’s soulful renditions of Kehlani’s Distraction and Pussycat Dolls’ Stickwitu. The 20-year-old Filipino musician rose to fame with her single titled NVMD, which became prominently featured on TikTok.
Meanwhile, other Asian musicians Spence Lee, Guapdad 4000, Akini Jing, and Elephante treated fans to all-out numbers on the last day.
As the night deepened, festival-goers experienced light to moderate rain that pushed organizers to postpone the sets of Filipino-Australian artist Ylona Garcia and R&B act August 08. Ylona apologized to fans, who expected the former Pinoy Big Brother housemate’s homecoming at the festival, in a social media post.
“As you all know, my set for HITC Manila got canceled due to thunderstorms. Though it saddens me that my set didn’t push through, my No. 1 priority will always be everyone’s safety. (J)ust wanted to take the time to apologize and thank everyone who put in the time and effort to see me perform. I promise to perform for you soon. Please stay safe and take care. All love,” she tweeted.
After more than an hour of putting the show on hold, Korean singer-songwriter BIBI reopened the festival with her hit track The Weekend.
Korean-American soloist and former Day6 member eaJ energized the HITC crowd as he kicked off his set with unreleased song Friendly Fire. Before he bid fans goodbye, eaJ gave a shoutout to Ylona Garcia and August 08.
The pioneer two-day international music festival may have ended, but it left the HITC crowd with a sweet treat courtesy of 88rising’s roster of local and international artists, reviving the pre-pandemic festival experience in Manila.
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