KiiiKiii Keeping Their ‘Head In The Clouds’ After Festival Debut

KiiiKiii (Courtesy of Starship Entertainment)

88rising/@SIMPLYYVAN

K-pop girl group KiiiKiii just made their ‘Head In The Clouds’ festival debut in the U.S. In fact, this is their very first U.S. performance – ever.

While this may have been KiiiKiii’s first time in North America, their music has left a lasting impression on listeners. Several of the group’s songs and albums appeared on Billboard’s lists – including their hit single, “404 (New Era),” ranking No. 1 on Billboard’s 25 Best K-Pop Songs of 2026 (So Far) and their album “Delulu Pack” earning the No. 12 spot on their Best K-Pop Albums List. Domestically, the group dominated the awards circuit during their rookie year – earning the Next Generation Award at the 2026 Golden Disc Awards.

The Starship Entertainment girl group, who debuted in March 2025, were the first act to perform on the main stage at the festival last weekend, produced by 88rising and Goldenvoice. As the five members – Jiyu, Leesol, Sui, Haum, and Kya – entered the stage, the crowd went wild. The girls performed their popular 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 on August 10. Fans braved the heat to catch the quintet’s 3 pm performance.

The girls have heard of Head In The Clouds and felt honored to be asked to participate, as artists like KATSEYE, XG, GDRAGON, 2NE1, Zedd, Joji, and more have headlined the festival. Jiyu says that after their HITC debut, it’s a “big festival” to them.

The girls admitted they were very nervous before their show, only having performed in Korea and Japan. Leesol reveals, “We’ve never had experience performing overseas except for Japan, so we were very nervous. But we looked forward to performing on stage.”

Sui adds, “I looked forward to meeting our US fans!”

Throughout their set, fans began cheering and barking towards the young group – as barking was an American gesture of support, “woo!” The group loved hearing it and appreciated the crowd’s support. Kya says it gave her energy to hear the loud crowd cheering for them, and she felt so excited to perform despite the girls braving the long flight from Seoul just a few days before.

“We are so thankful for that,” says Jiyu. The girls all nodded their heads, as if they wanted to say more about their fandom, TiiiKiii. “We were so nervous, but the audience shouting, barking, and dancing with us just gave us good energy from there. We were so touched.”

Kya adds, “It was so nice.”

Sui laughs, recalling screams from both fangirls and fanboys, ”The energy here is incredible.”

The fans sang along with the group as they sang “404 (New Era),” “DANCING ALONE,” and more. The girls surprised fans most with their track, “Delulu.” Jiyu says, “We have had a lot of energetic dancing moments and expressive lyrics in cute and unique ways. We hope that audiences keep watching us.”

The girls really wanted to promote their new EP, [WhyKiiiKiii] – a play on the Hawaiian city, Waikiki, during the festival. Their concepts are travel-based, with their album like a travel brochure that takes fans and listeners on a trip.

“We want to show the audience our new EP – especially our single, “Candy Pink Magical Flip Phone,’ Leesol says cheerfully. “Since it’s the first time on the stage in the U.S., we were looking forward to showing them our [sound and style].”

The girls weren’t only excited to perform; they also wanted to meet the other artists performing that day. Jiyu says there are too many awesome groups. Leesol says she would love to meet KATSEYE and XG. Haum says without hesitation, “I LOVE KATSEYE.”

The girls eventually met XG in the press room. The interactions between the two groups were lovely, as KiiiKiii bowed to their seniors and expressed their admiration to the XG members. In no time, KiiiKiii, who celebrated their first anniversary back in March, will be greeted in the same manner by future rookie groups as they continue to grow as artists.

They shared that they would love to collaborate with more Western artists in the future. Kya reveals her love for Charlie Puth’s music. The 16-year-old youngest member (maknae) reveals, “I’ve loved him since I was young, so I’d love to work with him.”

The American singer gave KiiiKiii a shoutout during an interview with The Korea Times, calling them a strong fifth-generation group that stands out. Leesol smiles widely when she recalls Puth naming them as ones to watch.

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

The girls also expressed their interest in other music festivals. Of course, they mention the iconic Lollapalooza and Coachella. Jiyu says, “We want to be in big festivals. We are thankful for every chance [we are given]. We will do our best every single day.”

KiiiKiii says they want to be seen as more than just a cute, Y2K concept, but as one that can do it all – and any genre. Leesol says, “We want to show our raw, unfiltered KiiiKiii energy, so I hope that all the audience who watch us will feel that KiiiKiii energy.” They plan to try more in the future. Kya says she wants to do a powerful concept. Leesol wants to do more hyperpop. Haum would love to do more real hip hop. Since they created a summer album this time, Jiyu wouldn’t mind doing a winter album.

With [WhyKiiiKiii], the girls hope fans will enjoy the music and use it as an escape to a “super fun summer vacation” and “what it means to enjoy the season in a KiiiKiii way.” Jiyu explains, “It’s [letting go] of expectations. We want to go our own way and have our own summer vacation.”

KiiiKiii’s [WhyKiiiKiii] is available now on all streaming platforms. Physical copies are available at select retailers.