Music lovers got their head in the clouds for five hours at Mediacorp’s CLOUD 9 music festival at the Arena @ Expo on 9 May 2026 (Saturday).
Fans were treated to both regional and international acts. In between sets, they were entertained by DJ Kiara with her infectious English and K-pop mashups, opportunities for free merchandise to drop, and IG-worthy interactive installations.
The line-up included Japanese indie-pop trailblazer Rol3ert with WHYLUCAS, Taiwanese rapper ØZI, Malaysian hip-hop group K-Clique, and global pop hitmaker MAX. The crowd also sang along to two Singapore debut performances from viral hit artist Em Beihold and K-pop girl group FIFTY FIFTY.
It was a night of energy and music across various music genres. Each act lasted for about 30 minutes.
ØZI
Taiwanese American singer-songwriter ØZI took the crowd with ease as he performed a chill pop track ‘EEEASY (feat. Asen)’.
He then pulled out a jazz number with ‘SEX TAPE’, which included the solo melody by Sunset Rollercoaster, a jazz-influenced synth-pop band.
ØZI shared that the last time he was in Singapore was about five to six years ago, so he refreshed his tracklist with his latest song, ‘favorite’. One of his favourite things to do on stage was fan service – he responded to fan boards, fans, and even their request for a selfie on stage. ØZI took the fan’s phone and filmed himself on stage with the crowd.
He is no stranger to music festivals, having made history as the first Taiwanese solo artist at Coachella 2026 and got the crowd bopping and singing along to his hits including ‘LAVA!’ and ‘B.O.’. His closing song was a song that accelerated his career – he received a shoutout from Nicki Minaj online and won the Best New Artist at the Golden Melody awards.
K-Clique
Malaysian hip-hop group K-Clique was full of aura and swag as they roamed the stage and interacted with their superfans in the standing pen. They started strongly with ‘OR7’, a drill-type track with clever wordplay that we have come to expect from K-Clique.
The Sabah-based group got each other’s back as they showed off their camaraderie, and both their singing and rap skills with ‘BEG 2 BACK’ and ‘Pulang’. The meaningful verses just hit you right in the heart.
It was a dream come true to watch the seven rappers perform to their hit song, ‘Mimpi’. They also gave a shoutout to Alyph, a Singaporean artiste that featured on the song.
K-Clique went harder with ‘Sah Tu Satu’ next. Each of them clearly has their own performance styles, from dancing, grooving, to hitting the beat and lyrics.
K-Clique looked all calm and comfortable on stage even while the DJ had a little music mix-up. They kept the line for the fans until the final track, ‘Lane Lain Line’.
Em Beihold
Em Beihold brought a fresh take to her performance with a violin and drum ensemble. Right after a violin intro, she strutted onto the stage and played the keys to ‘Scared of the Dark’.
The crowd was not scared of agreeing to her request to shout as loud as they can before moving on to ‘Brutus’.
She shared her newfound love for Singapore fans who were genuine with her with ‘Shiny New Things’.
Smoothly transitioning to the next song, Em Beihold sang ‘Van Gogh’ and high energy track, ‘Unicorn’.
The crowd lighted up and sang along the moment she started performing her viral TikTok song, ‘Until I Found You‘, that featured Stephen Sanchez.
Em Beihold gave the crowd a dose of cheeky theatrics to ‘Strong Medicine’, as she took out a Styrofoam box containing a pill bottle, and also took off her heels and pranced around the stage barefooted.
She then gave a shoutout to all the ‘Hot Goblin’ out there, before closing with her classic hit song ‘Numb Little Bug‘.
By the time she was done, she had already captivated the crowd with her enchanting set.
MAX
MAX was such a bundle of joy and energy on stage – and it was as infectious as his songs.
MAX, whose full name is Max Schneider, known for his rise to fame on YouTube and amazing song collaborations, opened passionately with a classic, ‘Love Me Less’ (ft Kim Petras).
He then got the party going on with a groovy tune and dance moves to ‘Acid Dreams’. Supported by a lively band, the keyboardist also joined the party with his dance and saxophone solo!
The atmosphere heated up as he took off his jacket and had the crowd fall in love with another viral hit song, ‘Stupid In Love’ (ft Huh Yunjin of Le Sserafim). He sang Huh Yunjin’s verse which was as catchy as the original, as he got closer to his fans.
He also did justice to the Korean rap verse of ‘Blueberry Eyes’ (ft Suga of BTS) and got the audience clapping along to upbeat track.
MAX also showed off his falsettos through his energetic serenades including his latest single, ‘The Thing I Love’, and ‘It’s You’ (ft Keshi).
He closed his second show in Singapore and turned the crowd into a choir with ‘Lights Down Low’.
FIFTY FIFTY
The audience was at 100 percent – all in to catch FIFTY FIFTY up close as soon as the emcees announced everyone seated could also join the standing pen for the headliner.
The five-member group cheerily appeared on stage and immediately opened with ‘Pookie’ and ‘Midnight Special‘ from their third EP, Day & Night.
They then took the time to share the good experience they had in Singapore – from loving the vibe and energy of the fans, to delicious chili crab, and the beautiful night view of Marina Bay.
Fans’ hearts were soothed with FIFTY FIFTY’s strong vocal serenade during ‘Heartbreak’, as the members roamed around the stage and interacted with fans, and responding in their signature Gen Z manner. They also asked fans to turn on and wave their flashlight. Their colourful and upbeat set continued with ‘Skittlez’.
Dressed in suede, high boots, and country-inspired looks, their sharp and coordinated dance moves stood out, especially when they gave an exclusive global preview of their new electropop track, ‘STARSTRUCK’.
The members had bright smiles as they thanked the fans for their endless support and for cheering for them with high energy. They hoped that the fans will also love and support their comeback. FIFTY FIFTY ended their set with strong high notes to ‘Gravity’.
10 out of 10 for Cloud 9?
Cloud 9 lived up to its name – five hours of non-stop music that kept the crowd riding high from the first beat to the last. Would have been great to see longer sets, but for its price point, it was definitely worth going, especially with the meet and greet opportunities hosted by Mediacorp!
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