Maki. Image: X/@clfrnia_maki
Rising OPM singer-songwriter Maki is making a name for himself in the OPM scene with his back-to-back hits such as “Saan,” “Kailan,” and most recently, “Dilaw.” But for him, capturing the “youthful” side of love is one of the factors he considers to be charming about his music.
Many would recognize Maki as the singer behind “Saan,” which contains the catchy lyrics, “Hinahanap ko ang ‘yong mukha / At baka biglang magkita pa tayo / Sa QC, sa UP, sa kalsada ng BGC.” He’s also a familiar name to many readers of TikTok “alternate universe” or AU K-pop fan fiction, as his songs are commonly used as the background music.
Recently, Maki made his Global Spotify Chart Debut with “Dilaw,” which entered the 200th rank. It is also included in the music platform’s Top 50 songs in the Philippines.
But in a chat with INQUIRER.net, the singer-songwriter was cool as a cucumber, saying the pressure to create music will always be “inevitable.” For him, it’s about knowing how to channel the pressure, which includes seeing the “fun” in it.
“It’s about handling and trying to relocate your perspective when it comes to pressure, for example, like releasing another song which is different from ‘Saan.’ But the way I handle it, I’m trying to divert my perspectives — in the good side or fun side of what I’m doing,” he said.
Despite his draining schedule, Maki makes it a point to “maintain work and life balance,” and to not stop from “doing the things [he] loves” like gaming. This allows him to savor the moment, instead of giving in to the pressure.
“Ever since, I’m a fun person. I like to do things on my own or with my friends. I don’t want to lose that side of me because it will also affect the magic of my songwriting,” he said.
“I always maintain work and life balance even though I’m so busy… I’m trying to be in the present all the time. You have to savor the moment. That’s my style of handling pressure even if there [are so many] eyes around me,” he further explained.
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On ‘Dilaw,’ partnership with BINI Maloi
Even though “Dilaw” was released in May 2024, it has been in Maki’s vault since August 2023. But he waited for the right time to release it to the world.
Like his previous tracks, the song contains another earworm in the first verse, “Mukhang delikado na naman ako / O bakit ba kinikilig na naman ako? / Pero ngayon ay parang kakaiba / Pag nakatingin sa’yong mata ang mundo ay kalma.”
“The song process didn’t take a long time, nor was it challenging. I didn’t have a rough patch creating the song. It was very free-flowing,” Maki said of the song. “Coming from a heartbroken EP, I want this to be very bright and happy. It’s really different but I’m glad that [listeners] are taking it in, that I’m not broken anymore. I’m on my healing era now.”
One of the highlights of “Dilaw” was its school-themed music video with bursts of yellow, and the sunny personality of BINI’s main vocalist Maloi, who starred as the female lead. For Maki, bringing the accompanying video was a “wholesome” experience because of how “wholesome” the song is.
Touching on his friendship with Maloi, Maki said he enjoys working with people who share the “same ideas and energy” as he does. This makes the work easier which can easily translate into the results.
“We’re not trying to be someone else. We’re just us. It was a really fun experience with Maloi. Maloi is really a fun person. She’s really bright. She’s the definition of ‘Dilaw.’ She has so much energy. There was a time when I already felt sleepy, but her energy remained high,” he said.
The singer-songwriter said Maloi’s appearance in “Dilaw’s” music video was a way to show her “other side” to the public.
“I’m thrilled and honored to be able to give a platform to Maloi to showcase her other side and what can she offer to the industry. Maloi is really talented. I know that she will show a lot more to people,” he said.
Love for TikTok AUs
When asked about his songs being included in TikTok K-pop AUs, Maki said it’s an “honor” that many K-pop fans enjoy listening to his music as well.
For starters, a typical K-pop AU on TikTok revolves around an alternate universe starring a K-pop idol, commonly involving the members of Seventeen, Enhypen, or NCT, falling in love with an original character. As readers swipe through the story, music relating to its storyline can be heard in the background.
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“I’m super happy during the release of ‘Saan,’ and there was one AU at that time where the song was there. I read it. Since then, there was a domino effect from that video, and my other songs followed… it’s really surreal,” he said.
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Maki shared that until now, he finds joy in reading K-pop AUs, citing angst as his favorite genre. Even though some outsiders consider reading these fanfiction stories to be childish, he said these writers are “creative” as they can touch hearts.
“I really love creative people, like for me, I see the other story in my songs that I never even thought of because of these AUs,” he said. “I really admire the writers in the Philippines. We might see these AUs as a joke, but it’s really a skill to write stories that touch you and you can relate to.”
This 2024 is a busy year for Maki. Aside from “Dilaw,” he also released the tracks “HBD” and “Sikulo” with Nhiko of Nameless Kids and Angela Ken. He recently met his fans at the “Dilaw” festival last May and has been performing in various events.
