Heard It Here First

As both an internet sensation and cultural phenomenon, music and arts collective 88rising have worked fervently to expand their sphere of influence through the shared platforms of their subsidiary artists, including Joji, Rich Brian, and Jackson Wang as the highlights among a handful of other talented collaborators. Thus, it should come as no surprise that their latest release, Head In The Clouds II, sustains the successes of the collective, if not outright catapulting them further into the artistic forefront of popular music. With a fixation upon down-tempo, indie tones lofted by inventive beats evocative of forward-thinking Top 40 ideals, the album is both salivating and satiating, scratching the itch that it induces with sundry sounds anchored by NIKI’s dreamy vocals across a multitude of noteworthy tracks.

Earliest in the tracklist, we encounter NIKI providing this foundational sound complimenting a feature from indie darling Phum Viphurit on the lucid but illusory “Strange Land.” There is diversity to be found beyond this amalgamation of indie sounds, however, such as the track “Just Used Music Again” featuring a head-banging, repetitive baseline beat that is reminiscent of house music. Furthermore, tracks such as “Breathe” and “Tequila Sunrise,” the latter notably featuring hip hop sensation Goldlink, come off the stove ready for radio play with their intoxicating blends of postmodern pop and hip hop vibes. No discussion of this album could be complete without the headlining track “Walking,” an infectious, global hit-in-the-making lofted by the emergence of electronic super-trio Major Lazer and Swae Lee of Rae Sremmurd as new 88rising collaborators.

Enjoy the music video for “Walking” below, and be sure to check out Head In The Clouds II on streaming platforms everywhere now! Let us know which track you like the most!

https://open.spotify.com/album/7bOpX6Ilc9UCFmH9uGyUDy