KiiiKiii Keeping Their 'Head In The Clouds' After Festival Debut

KiiiKiii (Courtesy of Starship Entertainment)

88rising/@SIMPLYYVAN

K-pop woman group KiiiKiii conscionable made their ‘Head In The Clouds’ festival debut successful the U.S. In fact, this is their very first U.S. capacity – ever.

While this whitethorn person been KiiiKiii’s first clip successful North America, their euphony has near a lasting belief connected listeners. Several of the group’s songs and albums appeared connected Billboard’s lists – including their deed single, “404 (New Era),” ranking No. 1 on Billboard’s 25 Best K-Pop Songs of 2026 (So Far) and their medium “Delulu Pack” earning the No. 12 spot connected their Best K-Pop Albums List. Domestically, the group dominated the awards circuit during their rookie twelvemonth – earning the Next Generation Award astatine the 2026 Golden Disc Awards.

The Starship Entertainment woman group, who debuted successful March 2025, were the first enactment to execute connected the main shape astatine the show past weekend, produced by 88rising and Goldenvoice. As the 5 members – Jiyu, Leesol, Sui, Haum, and Kya – entered the stage, the crowd went wild. The girls performed their celebrated hits, “DANCING ALONE,” “Delulu,” “BTG,” UNDERDOGS,” “Dizzy,” “GROUNDWORK,” “Strawberry Cheesegame,” “I DO ME,” “404 (New Era),” and their unreleased lead track, “Candy Pink Magical Flip Phone,” which has since been released connected August 10. Fans braved the power to drawback the quintet’s 3 p.m. performance.

The girls person heard of Head In The Clouds and felt honored to beryllium asked to participate, arsenic artists for illustration KATSEYE, XG, GDRAGON, 2NE1, Zedd, Joji, and much person headlined the festival. Jiyu says that aft their HITC debut, it’s a “big festival” to them.

The girls admitted they were very tense earlier their show, only having performed successful Korea and Japan. Leesol reveals, “We’ve ne'er had acquisition performing overseas isolated from for Japan, truthful we were very nervous. But we looked guardant to performing connected stage.”

Sui adds, “I looked guardant to gathering our US fans!”

Throughout their set, fans began cheering and barking towards the young group – arsenic barking was an American motion of support, “woo!” The group loved proceeding it and appreciated the crowd's support. Kya says it gave her power to perceive the large crowd cheering for them, and she felt truthful excited to execute contempt the girls braving the agelong formation from Seoul conscionable a fewer days before.

“We are truthful thankful for that,” says Jiyu. The girls each nodded their heads, arsenic if they wanted to opportunity much astir their fandom, TiiiKiii. “We were truthful nervous, but the assemblage shouting, barking, and dancing pinch america conscionable gave america bully power from there. We were truthful touched.”

Kya adds, “It was truthful nice.”

Sui laughs, recalling screams from some fangirls and fanboys, ”The power present is incredible.”

The fans sang on pinch the group arsenic they sang “404 (New Era),” “DANCING ALONE,” and more. The girls amazed fans astir pinch their track, “Delulu.” Jiyu says, “We person had a batch of energetic dancing moments and expressive lyrics successful tiny and unsocial ways. We dream that audiences support watching us.”

The girls really wanted to beforehand their caller EP, [WhyKiiiKiii] – a play connected the Hawaiian city, Waikiki, during the festival. Their concepts are travel-based, pinch their medium for illustration a recreation flyer that takes fans and listeners connected a trip.

“We want to show the assemblage our caller EP – particularly our single, “Candy Pink Magical Flip Phone,’ Leesol says cheerfully. “Since it’s the first clip connected the shape successful the U.S., we were looking guardant to showing them our [sound and style].”

The girls weren’t only excited to perform; they besides wanted to meet the different artists performing that day. Jiyu says location are excessively galore awesome groups. Leesol says she would emotion to meet KATSEYE and XG. Haum says without hesitation, “I LOVE KATSEYE.”

The girls yet met XG successful the property room. The interactions betwixt the 2 groups were lovely, arsenic KiiiKiii bowed to their seniors and expressed their admiration to the XG members. In nary time, KiiiKiii, who celebrated their first day backmost successful March, will beryllium greeted successful the aforesaid mode by early rookie groups arsenic they proceed to turn arsenic artists.

They shared that they would emotion to collaborate pinch much Western artists successful the future. Kya reveals her emotion for Charlie Puth’s music. The 16-year-old youngest personnel (maknae) reveals, “I’ve loved him since I was young, truthful I’d emotion to activity pinch him.”

The American vocalist gave KiiiKiii a shoutout during an question and reply pinch The Korea Times, calling them a beardown fifth-generation group that stands out. Leesol smiles wide erstwhile she recalls Puth naming them arsenic ones to watch.

Leesol agrees, “I emotion Charlie Puth too. He’s really sweet. We were really proud and happy astir this.”

The girls besides expressed their liking successful different euphony festivals. Of course, they mention the iconic Lollapalooza and Coachella. Jiyu says, “We want to beryllium successful large festivals. We are thankful for each chance [we are given]. We will do our champion each azygous day.”

KiiiKiii says they want to beryllium seen arsenic much than conscionable a cute, Y2K concept, but arsenic 1 that tin do it each – and immoderate genre. Leesol says, “We want to show our raw, unfiltered KiiiKiii energy, truthful I dream that each the assemblage who watch america will consciousness that KiiiKiii energy.” They scheme to effort much successful the future. Kya says she wants to do a powerful concept. Leesol wants to do much hyperpop. Haum would emotion to do much existent hep hop. Since they created a summertime medium this time, Jiyu wouldn’t mind doing a wintertime album.

With [WhyKiiiKiii], the girls dream fans will bask the euphony and usage it arsenic an flight to a “super nosy summertime vacation” and “what it intends to bask the play successful a KiiiKiii way.” Jiyu explains, “It’s [letting go] of expectations. We want to spell our ain measurement and person our ain summertime vacation.”

KiiiKiii’s [WhyKiiiKiii] is disposable now on each streaming platforms. Physical copies are disposable astatine prime retailers.