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Draft:Maki (singer)

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Maki
Birth nameRalph William Datoon Galang
Born (1999-11-27) November 27, 1999 (age 24)
OriginQuezon City, Philippines
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active2021–present
LabelsTarsier Records

Ralph William Datoon Galang (born November 27, 1999)[1], known professionally as Maki, is a Filipino singer-songwriter from Quezon City.[2] He is currently under Tarsier Records, a Filipino record label and subsidiary of Star Music. He garnered recognition from his viral songs "Saan?" and "Bakit?" in 2023, where both songs received major traction on Spotify.[3]

His debut EP, Tanong, was released on September 22, 2023, featuring three new songs including "Saan?" and "Bakit?".

In 2024, Maki achieved new career heights with the release of his single "Dilaw". The song charted on the global Spotify chart, becoming the third Filipino song to achieve that milestone.[4][5] It also became the first-ever number-one song on the relaunched Billboard Philippines Hot 100.[6]

Personal life

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Maki's favorite food is california maki, a popular sushi roll made with crab, avocado, and cucumber. This inspired his social media username, "clfrnia_maki." He also affectionately refers to his fans as "zushis."[7]

Maki has six siblings. Among them are Clare Galang, a former member of the P-pop girl group Ppop Generation, and Haro Galang, who is part of the P-pop boy group PLUUS. He enjoys playing video games and loves spending his alone time sketching and reading books.[8]

Musicality

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Some of his musical influences are Mariah Carey, The 1975, Michael Buble, Beabadoobee, Harry Styles, Ariana Grande, and Taylor Swift. He often writes songs from a child-like perspective, aiming to create music that makes people feel understood, with melodies that evoke good memories, peace, and calmness.[9][10]

His songs are often featured in TikTok K-pop AUs, which center around alternate universes starring K-pop idols, typically members of Seventeen, Enhypen, or NCT, who fall in love with an original character. As readers swipe through these stories, background music that relates to the storyline can be heard.[11]

Career

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Maki auditioned for the first season of the reality TV singing competition The Voice Teens. Throughout high school, he struggled to find his path as a singer and eventually decided that maybe singing wasn't for him, so he chose to focus on college instead.

Maki nearly left the music scene as he was about to graduate from college and planned to step back from his career as a musician. A friend came across his demo tape, which ended up with the A&R representative of Tarsier Records. This caught Tarsier's attention. Initially, the plan was to help Maki and his music gain exposure as an indie artist, but he eventually signed with the label.[12] He started appearing on TV shows like It's Showtime.[13]

He also did some gigs and busking events to promote his songs. His debut single "Halaga" was released on December 17, 2021 under Tarsier Records. In 2023, he released "Saan?", a song for people who struggle trying to explain the feeling of sepanx. Maki initially teased the song on TikTok by posting a series of snippets which went viral and reached over 500,000 views.[14]

He released his debut EP, Tanong, on September 22, 2023, featuring the tracks "Saan?", "Bakit?", and three new songs. Maki wrote the songs in the album as questions directed at people who are no longer in his life, missed opportunities, and questions for himself. The tracks began as journal entries, eventually becoming a collection of songs that reflect his personal journey.[15]

He gained worldwide recognition in 2024 with the release of his song "Dilaw." The track topped local Spotify and Billboard charts and also charted on 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 of the song featured Maloi Ricalde, the main vocalist of the P-Pop girl group, Bini. Maki said that song has been on his vault since August 2023 and waited for the right time to release it to the world.[16]

Discography

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Extended play

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List of extended plays with selected details
Title Album Details
Tanong
  • Released: September 22, 2023 (PH)
  • Label: Tarsier Records
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Track listing
  • 1. "Sigurado?"
  • 2. "Saan?"
  • 3. "Bakit?"
  • 4. "Kailan?"
  • 5. "Siguro...?"

Singles

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List of singles, showing year released, selected chart positions, and associated albums
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
PHL
"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)
"Halaga (Unplugged)"
"Gusto Ko Nang Bumitaw (R&B Version) [Radio edit]"
(with Moophs)
"Saan?" 2023 26 Tanong
"Bakit?"
"Saan? (Live at the Cozy Cove)" Non-album singles
"HBD" 2024
"Balse Ng Gabi (Remix)"
(with Cesca)
"Sikulo"
(with Angela Ken and Nhiko)
"Dilaw" 1

References

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  1. ^ @ProjectGoPlus (November 26, 2023). "It's Maki's birthday and we can make it special. Send him your birthday greetings by using the tags below. Shower him with your love, Zushis! ✨🧸 BUWANTE KWATRO SI MAKI #MAKIngMemories #MakiHehehe #Maki @clfrnia_maki" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. ^ Mitchell, Courtney (February 21, 2024). "5 Artists You Should Know: Philippines". Daily Rind. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  3. ^ Bonoan, Christian (July 31, 2023). "Maki Goes Viral With Songs "Saan?" and "Bakit?"". MYX Global. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  4. ^ Saulog, Gabriel (June 11, 2024). "Maki Makes His Global Spotify Chart Debut With "Dilaw"". Billboard Philippines. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  5. ^ "MAKI'S NEW SINGLE "DILAW" DEBUTS AT #200 ON GLOBAL SPOTIFY CHART". Zeen Magazine. June 11, 2024. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  6. ^ Basbas, Francheska Judine (July 3, 2024). "Maki Becomes First Artist To Hit No. 1 On Billboard Philippines Hot 100". Billboard Philippines. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  7. ^ Stan Sy (May 1, 2024). "Backstage with Maki". Billboard Philippines (Podcast). Event occurs at 1:17. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  8. ^ Stan Sy (May 1, 2024). "Backstage with Maki". Billboard Philippines (Podcast). Event occurs at 11:34. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  9. ^ Lion's Den (April 1, 2023). "Maki Delivers Nostalgic Vibes With New Single 'Saan?'". LionhearTV. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  10. ^ Domingo, Danielle (July 5, 2023). "Listen to the Follow Up Single, "Bakit" by Maki". MYX Global. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  11. ^ Mallorca, Hannah (June 26, 2024). "Maki gets real on 'Dilaw,' BINI Maloi, K-pop 'alternate universe' fanfics". Inquirer.net. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  12. ^ Felipe, MJ (June 5, 2024). "Past rejections inspired 'Dilaw' hitmaker Maki to fulfill dream". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  13. ^ Choa, Kane Errol (September 28, 2023). "Star Music artist Maki's Saan spawns countless TikTok videos". Philippine Star. July 4, 2024.
  14. ^ Lion's Den (April 1, 2023). "Maki Delivers Nostalgic Vibes With New Single 'Saan?'". LionhearTV. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  15. ^ One Music PH Team (October 12, 2023). "MAKI Chronicles Heartbreaking Journey in Debut EP 'Tanong'". ABS-CBN Entertainment. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  16. ^ Mallorca, Hannah (June 26, 2024). "Maki gets real on 'Dilaw,' BINI Maloi, K-pop 'alternate universe' fanfics". Inquirer.net. Retrieved July 4, 2024.