Barack and Malia Obama
U.S. President Barack Obama congratulates his daughter Malia on her birthday during the Independence Day celebration at the White House in Washington U.S., July 4, 2016. Reuters/Yuri Gripas

Malia Obama may be the US president’s daughter, but she is also just an 18-year-old. And when a music festival like Lollapalooza came to her hometown in Chicago, Barack Obama’s older daughter evidently had her fun as she twerked and danced amidst a crowd of thousands.

According to PJ Media, the first daughter opted out of the Democratic National Convention last week in order to attend the annual music festival, which was held from July 28 to 30. Fortunately, Malia seemed to have had a great time during the event.

She was seen twerking and dancing with her friends. She got caught up in the music that she even flipped her skirt up during one music number. She kept modest by wearing a pair of boy shorts underneath her skirt.

However, while she stuck to her friends the entire time, she also had a few Secret Service Agents with her. They stuck out of a sea of teenagers, with a priority to keep Malia safe. After all, 34 arrests were made and 238 individuals were sent to hospitals in last year’s Lollapalooza. These arrests and hospital stints were mostly for drug use and alcohol consumption. Some cases reported findings of alcohol, marijuana, ecstasy and cocaine.

It seemed that Malia was only there to enjoy the music and take the time to relax and responsibly let loose. At this point, she is still in the middle of her gap year. It was announced that she decided earlier this year to take some time off before she heads to Harvard University.

According to the New York Times, the gap or bridge year is not the most popular choice among parents but has become a growing trend for university-bound teenagers. Research has proven that gap-year students have afterwards done better in school as compared to non-gap-year students. Furthermore, they tend to have more satisfying careers after graduation.

As much as Malia is enjoying her time away from school work, her family have a lot on their plate. After all, they will need to make the tough transition from public to private life when President Obama's term ends in January next year.