Maki | |
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![]() Maki in 2024 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Ralph William Datoon |
Born | November 27, 1999 |
Origin | Quezon City, Philippines |
Genres | |
Occupations |
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Years active | 2021–present |
Labels | Tarsier |
Ralph William Datoon (born November 27, 1999), professionally known as Maki, is a Filipino singer and songwriter from Quezon City. [1] He first gained attention with his viral songs "Saan?" and "Bakit?" from his debut EP, Tanong, released on September 22, 2023, both of which saw significant success on Spotify. [2]
In 2024, Maki reached mainstream popularity with his single "Dilaw", which charted on the global Spotify chart, making it the third Filipino song to do so. [3] [4] The song also became the first number-one track on Billboard Philippines ' relaunched Philippines Hot 100 chart. [5] Maki is currently signed to Tarsier Records. [6]
Ralph William Datoon was born on November 27, 1999. He began writing R&B songs during his high school years and independently auditioned at various recording companies. He completed a bachelor's degree in communications at New Era University. [7]
Datoon initially posted videos of himself singing on social media, [7] and in 2017, he auditioned for the first season of the reality TV singing competition The Voice Teens but was rejected. [8] As he was about to graduate from college, he planned to step back from his musical career. [9] However, a friend discovered a demo tape he had recorded, which ended up with an A&R representative at Tarsier Records and caught the label's attention. [8]
In 2021, the label signed him, and he adopted the stage name Maki, without providing a reason for this choice. "Maki" is relatively common in Japan as both a unisex first name and surname, and in the context of food, it means "roll", as in California maki. [7] He then began appearing on TV shows such as It's Showtime . [10] He also performed at gigs and busking events to promote his music. His debut single, "Halaga", was released on December 17, 2021. In 2023, he issued "Saan?", a song dedicated to people struggling to express feelings of separation anxiety. He initially teased the song on TikTok by posting a series of snippets, which went viral and garnered over 500,000 views. [11]
Maki released his debut EP, Tanong, on September 22, 2023, which featured the tracks "Saan?" and "Bakit?" He described the songs as questions directed at people who were no longer in his life, missed opportunities, and reflections on himself. [12] He gained widespread recognition in 2024 with the song "Dilaw", which topped local Spotify and Billboard charts and eventually made its way onto the global Spotify chart. It became the third Filipino song in history to achieve this, following Juan Karlos' "Ere" and gins&melodies' "Babaero", featuring Hev Abi.[ citation needed ] The school-themed music video for "Dilaw" included Bini member Maloi Ricalde. Maki shared that the song had been in his vault since August 2023, waiting for the right moment to be released. [8] On August 30, he issued the single "Namumula". [13] On October 12, he appeared as a guest performer at a concert by the American pop rock group LANY at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan. [14]
On August 2, 2024, Tarsier Records announced that Maki would be holding his first solo concert, at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City, in November. [15] Titled Maki-Concert, [a] the performance was extended to two days, after tickets for the first day sold out within four hours of release. The tickets for the second day also sold out. [16] On November 25, Tarsier Records announced the inclusion of Johnoy Danao, Ebe Dancel, Angela Ken, Cesca, Sitti, and Nameless Kids as guest performers at the concert. [17] [18] A new song, "Bughaw", was released on December 1. [19] A regional tour was also scheduled in Cebu City, Baguio, and Cagayan de Oro in February and May 2025. [20] [21]
In December, "Dilaw" was recognized as the No. 4 music video of 2024 on YouTube in the Philippines. [22] It was also named Spotify's No. 2 song in the Philippines for 2024 [23] and Google's tenth most-searched song in the country that year. [24]
In January 2025, Maki was announced as a guest performer in the Biniverse World Tour 2025 concert by Bini at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan on February 15. [25] [26] On February 17, Aurora Music Festival announced that Maki would perform on the second day of the event's 2025 iteration, which was held on May 3 and 4 in Clark Global City, Pampanga. [27] [28] [29] He also joined Silent Sanctuary in a joint tour of the United States on June and July 2025, organized by US-based promotions and production company Toggleswitch, with stops in Seattle, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York City, and Fairfax, Virginia. [30] Another joint tour, this time with James Reid, was held in Canada in July 2025, with stops in Winnipeg, Toronto, Calgary, and Edmonton. [31]
At the inauguration of the Official Philippines Chart on February 19, Maki was recognized as its Top 8 Local Artist of the Year, while "Dilaw" was named the Top 2 Local Song of the Year. [32]
In March 2025, Maki announced that "Dilaw", "Namumula", and "Bughaw" were part of his upcoming debut full-length album, titled Kolorcoaster . [33] [34] A new single, "Kahel na Langit", was released in June. [35]
For the 2025 Philippine general election in May, Maki was cast with other musicians in a rendition of "Ako Ang Simula", ABS-CBN's election theme song. [36]
While performing at the Alagang Suki Fest 2025 concert at the Araneta Coliseum on July 31, Maki announced that Kolorcoaster would come out on September 19, 2025. [37] [38] In August, he stated that he would hold another concert, also titled Kolorcoaster, at the Araneta Coliseum, on November 7, 2025, [39] in which he would also serve as a musical director. [40]
Maki has cited musical influences such as Mariah Carey, the 1975, Michael Buble, Beabadoobee, Harry Styles, Ariana Grande, and Taylor Swift. [11] [41]
Title | Album details | Certifications | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Kolorcoaster |
| [42] |
Title | Album details | Ref. |
---|---|---|
Tanong |
| [43] |
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHL [44] | Top PHL Songs [45] | ||||
"Halaga" | 2021 | — | — | Non-album singles | |
"Para Sa Buwan" | 2022 | — | — | ||
"Thinkin' Bout Your Smile" (with Gessie) | — | — | |||
"Better" (with KaixAaron) | — | — | |||
"Gusto Ko Nang Bumitaw (R&B Version)" (with Moophs) | — | — | [46] | ||
"Saan?" | 2023 | 16 | 11 | Tanong | [47] |
"Bakit?" | — | — | [48] | ||
"Kailan?" | — | — | [49] | ||
"Siguro?" | — | — | |||
"Sigurado?" | — | — | |||
"Saan? (Live at the Cozy Cove)" | — | — | Non-album singles | [50] | |
"HBD" | 2024 | — | — | [51] | |
"Balse Ng Gabi (Remix)" (with Cesca) | — | — | StarPop: The Remixes Volume 2 | [52] | |
"Sikulo" (with Angela Ken and Nhiko) | — | — | Non-album singles | [53] | |
"Dilaw" | 1 | 1 | [54] | ||
"Kurba" | — | — | [55] | ||
"Namumula" | 15 | 6 | [13] | ||
"Bughaw" | — | — | [56] | ||
"Kahel na Langit" | 2025 | 12 | 4 | [57] | |
"Ako Ang Simula" (with various artists) | – | – | [36] | ||
"Seasons" (with JVKE) | – | – | The Asia Tour: Blooming Season EP | [58] |
Year | Film/series/program | Song(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
2025 | My Love Will Make You Disappear | "Dilaw" | [59] |
It's Okay to Not Be Okay | "Sa Aking Tabi" | [60] |
Title | Year | Director(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Tanong | 2023 | Kashka Gaddi | [61] |
Title | Year | Ref. |
---|---|---|
Tao Po! | 2024 | [62] |
ASAP | [63] | |
It's Showtime | 2025 | [64] [65] |
ASAP | [66] | |
Fast Talk with Boy Abunda | [67] |
Title | Year | Director(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
"Saan?" (with Karina Bautista) | 2023 | Kashka Gaddi | [68] |
"Bakit?" (with Karina Bautista) | [69] | ||
"Kailan?" (with Karina Bautista) | [70] | ||
"HBD" | 2024 | Ingrid Ignacio | [71] |
"Sikulo" (with Angela Ken and Nhiko) | [72] | ||
"Dilaw" (with Maloi of Bini) | Jaydee Alberto Maki | [73] | |
"Namumula" (with Jannah Chua) | Kerbs Balagtas | [74] | |
"Kurba" (with Kei Kurosawa) | Raf Evangelista | [75] | |
"Bughaw" (with Kyler Chua, Alexei Abella and Zeke Abella) | 2025 | Raliug and Maki | [76] |
"Ako Ang Simula" (with various artists) | Richmond Cadsawan | [77] | |
"Kahel na Langit" (with Zushibois) | Ingrid Ignacio and Maki | [78] | |
Award | Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Awit Awards | 2024 | Song of the Year | "Saan?" | Nominated | [79] [80] |
Best Pop Recording | Nominated | ||||
Music Awards Japan | 2025 | Best of Listeners' Choice: International Song | "Dilaw" | Nominated | [81] |
Music Rank Asian Choice Awards | 2025 | Asian Artist of the Year | Maki | Won | [82] |
Myx Music Awards | 2024 | Breakout Solo Artist of the Year | Maki | Won | [83] [84] |
Song of the Year | "Dilaw" | Nominated | |||
Artist of the Year | Maki | Nominated | |||
Music Video of the Year | "Dilaw" | Nominated | |||
New Hue Video Music Awards | 2025 | Male Artist of the Year | Maki | Won | [85] |
PhilPop Himig Handog Songwriting Festival | MYX Choice Award for Best Music Video | "Kurba" | [86] | ||
Smart People's Choice Award | |||||
PMPC Star Awards for Music | 2024 | Song of the Year | "Saan" | Nominated | [87] [88] |
Male Pop Artist of the Year | Won | ||||
P-pop Music Awards | 2024 | Artist of the Year | Maki | Nominated | [89] [90] |
Song of the Year | "Dilaw" | Nominated | |||
Music Video of the Year | Nominated | ||||
Production Design in a Music Video | "Namumula" | Nominated | |||
Breakthrough Artist of the Year | Maki | Won | |||
Solo Artist of the Year | Nominated | ||||
Favorite Streamed Artist | Awardee | ||||
VP Choice Awards | 2025 | Headliner of the Year for Music | Maki | Won | [91] |
Wish Music Awards | 2025 | Wishclusive Pop Performance of the Year | "Dilaw" | Nominated | [92] |
Wishclusive Collaboration of the Year | "Sikulo" (with Angela Ken and Nhiko) | Nominated | |||
Wish Breakthrough Artist of the Year | Maki | Nominated | |||
Publisher | Year | Listicle | Placement | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Billboard Philippines | 2024 | The 50 Best Songs of 2024 | Placed ("Dilaw") | [93] |
The 50 Best Music Videos of 2024 | Placed ("Dilaw") | [94] |
Title | Date | Countries | Shows | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Maki-Concert | November 29, 2024 – May 31, 2025 | Philippines | 5 | [95] [96] |
Title | Date(s) | City | Country | Venue | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maki & Silent Sanctuary US Tour with Silent Sanctuary | June 20, 2025 – July 5, 2025 | Seattle San Francisco Las Vegas Los Angeles New York City Fairfax [b] | United States | Substation Seattle Bal Theater The Usual Place The Vermont Hollywood Sounds of Brazil Crescendo Studios | [97] |
James Reid & Maki Canada Tour with James Reid | July 11, 2025 – July 19, 2025 | Winnipeg Edmonton Toronto Calgary | Canada | Petrus Hall National Event Venue Space Southview Alliance Church Union Hall | [98] |
Title | Date(s) | City | Country | Venue | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
A Beautiful Blur World Tour (with LANY) | October 12, 2024 | Bocaue/Santa Maria | Philippines | Philippine Arena | [14] |
Bambanti Festival | January 25, 2025 | Ilagan | Queen Isabela Park | [99] | |
Biniverse World Tour 2025 (with Bini) | February 15, 2025 | Bocaue/Santa Maria | Philippine Arena | [26] | |
Alagang Suki Fest 2025 | July 31, 2025 | Quezon City | Araneta Coliseum | [38] | |
ASAP England | August 30, 2025 | Solihull [c] | United Kingdom | bp pulse LIVE | [100] |
Title | Date(s) | City | Country | Venue | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aurora Music Festival | May 4, 2025 | Angeles City/Mabalacat | Philippines | Clark Global City | [101] |
He was born and raised in Quezon City and completed a bachelor's in Communications at the New Era University.