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 with Tarsier Records.[6]
Early life and education
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. In a media interview, he recalled being traumatized during an audition at the age of 15 during which he was treated poorly and may have faced inappropriate behavior.[7]
Maki auditioned for the first season of the reality TV singing competition The Voice Teens.[8] Early in his career, he left the music scene as he was about to graduate from college, planning to step back from his career as a musician.[9] However, a friend discovered his demo tape, which ended up with an A&R representative at Tarsier Records, catching the label's attention.[8]
During his career, he adopted the name "Maki". He mentioned in an interview that he personally chose "Maki" as his stage name, though neither he nor Tarsier Records executives, including Jonathan Manalo and Rox Liquigan, have provided a detailed explanation for the choice. The name "Maki", which has androgynous connotations, is relatively common in Japan as both a first name and a surname, and is also widely recognized in Japanese cuisine, particularly with the dish California maki.[7] Initially, the plan was to give him some exposure as an indie artist, but he eventually signed with the label.[8] He began appearing on TV shows such as It's Showtime.[10]
Maki also performed at gigs and busking events to promote his music. His debut single, "Halaga" (Worth), was released on December 17, 2021, under Tarsier Records. In 2023, he released "Saan?" (Where?), a song for 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]
He released his debut EP, Tanong (Question), on September 22, 2023, featuring the tracks "Saan?", and "Bakit?" (Why?). Maki described the songs on the album as questions directed at people who are no longer in his life, missed opportunities, and reflections on himself. The tracks originated as journal entries that eventually became a collection of songs reflecting his personal journey.[12]
Maki gained widespread recognition in 2024 with the release of his song "Dilaw" (Yellow). The song topped local Spotify and Billboard charts and even made its way onto the global Spotify chart. It became the third OPM song in history to achieve this, following Juan Karlos' "Ere" and gins&melodies' "Babaero" featuring Hev Abi. The school-themed music video for "Dilaw" featured Maloi Ricalde, the main vocalist of the P-Pop girl group Bini. 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, Maki released a single titled "Namumula" (Blush).[13]
On October 12, 2024, Maki 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 concert was originally scheduled on November 29, but was extended to November 30 after tickets for the first day sold out within four hours of their release. The tickets for the second day were 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] A regional tour is also scheduled in Cebu City, Baguio and Cagayan de Oro in January and February 2025.[18] The concert proceeded with renditions of Maki's original songs and collaborations as well as covers of Kitchie Nadal, Taylor Swift, LANY, and Rey Valera. He also performed his upcoming song "Bughaw" (Blue), and performed parts of another upcoming single, "Itim Na Ulap" (Black Cloud).[19]
In December, "Dilaw" was recognized as the Top 4 music video of 2024 on YouTube in the Philippines.[20] It was also recognized by Spotify as its Top 2 Song in the Philippines for 2024,[21] and by Google as its tenth most searched song in the Philippines for the year.[22]
^Bonoan, Christian (September 21, 2023). "Maki Releases 'Tanong' EP". Myx Global. Archived from the original on August 22, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
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