Yellow is the color of success for OPM singer-songwriter Maki, whose hits Dilaw and Saan? have been making waves in the local music scene. But how did Maki win the hearts of music listeners? Let’s get to know him—from his early days as an aspiring musician to the hitmaker he is becoming today.
Introducing Ralph William, a.k.a. Maki
Maki delivers nostalgic vibes with new single Saan? | Image from ABS-CBN Corporation
Maki, or Ralph William Datoon is an OPM singer known for his work in the R&B and pop genre. He was nicknamed “Maki” by his parents and he later on used this as his official screen name.
The 25-year-old singer discovered his love for music at a young age. Despite receiving harsh criticism and dealing with stage fright, he didn’t let these obstacles stop him from pursuing his passion. As Maki shared in a 2023 interview, he feels most confident when he’s singing. “…when I sing, doon ako pinaka confident.”
Determined to follow his dream of becoming a singer, Maki frequently auditioned for various singing competitions during his teenage years. He even tried out for the first edition of The Voice Teens on ABS-CBN and auditioned for different companies and labels, although he faced many rejections.
It wasn’t until 2021 that his friend, artist Zion Aguirre, helped get one of his songs heard by Tarsier Records. To Maki’s surprise, the label liked the song and signed him — marking the start of his professional music career. However, despite releasing music, his early songs went mostly unnoticed. Maki admitted that he hit a low point and even considered giving up.
In 2022, Maki caught the attention of Star Music and other labels with his R&B cover of Gusto Ko Nang Bumitaw. In the years that followed, his original songs began to gain public attention. He started making waves in 2023 when Saan? and Kailan? went viral. Then in 2024, Maki officially broke through with his mega hit, Dilaw.
Maki’s Rise with Dilaw
Dilaw quickly climbed the charts on Spotify and YouTube, breaking records for single-day streams for an OPM song and becoming a top trending video on YouTube Philippines. It also made the global Spotify chart on June 9, 2024, reaching the #200 position debuting with 1.162 million streams. Billboard Philippines reported that Dilaw was the third Filipino song in history to enter the global Spotify chart. Spotify also recognized it as the Top 2 Song in the Philippines for 2024. As of May 2025, Dilaw has more than 200 million streams on Spotify with Maki having nearly 6 million monthly listeners. Meanwhile, at the inauguration of The Official Philippines Chart on February 19, Maki and Dilaw were recognized as the No. 8 Local Artist of the Year and the No. 2 Local Song of the Year, respectively. The song was also featured in the 2025 Star Cinema romantic comedy My Love Will Make You Disappear.
The song’s core message of self-love, its catchy melody, and its reflection of Maki’s personal story captivated listeners making it a certified hit for critics and the public alike. Dilaw without question catapulted Maki to mainstream success, making him one of the most popular OPM artists of this generation. Since the success of Dilaw, Maki has released songs Kurba, Bughaw, and Namumula, the last of which was featured on the OST of the Viu Original series, How to Spot a Red Flag.
To date, Maki has collaborated with several artists like Gessie, KaixAaron, Moophs, Cesca, Angela Ken, and Nhiko. His most recent collaboration was with fellow ABS-CBN artists for ABS-CBN News Halalan 2025 theme song, Ako Ang Simula.
Maki Concert Poster | Image from Tarsier Records
Maki has also been active on the concert scene, recently appearing as a guest performer at the concert of American pop rock group LANY at the Philippine Arena in October 2024. In November 2024, Maki held his first-ever sold-out solo concert—Maki-Concert—at the New Frontier Theater. Tickets sold out within hours, prompting the addition of a second show, which also sold out.
Maki continues to stay busy in 2025. He joined BINI as a guest performer during their BINIverse World Tour 2025 in February. He is also set to perform on Day 2 of the Aurora Music Festival this May, and has more appearances and music projects lined up for the rest of the year, showing how he is one of the fastest-rising stars in the OPM scene.
He has also received accolades like Breakout Solo Artist of the Year at the 2024 Myx Music Awards, Male Pop Artist of the Year at the 2024 PMPC Star Awards for Music, and Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the 2024 P-pop Music Awards.
Maki has come a long way in the industry in just a few years, and he’s showing absolutely no signs of slowing down.
What’s to come for Maki?
Aside from his successful back-to-back solo concerts last November 2024, Maki’s regional tour started last January in Cebu City and will continue in Baguio on May 10. He will also embark on his first international tour with Silent Sanctuary in the US scheduled for June and July 2025. The act will be performing in six key cities across five different states across the country. Maki is also teaming up with James Reid for a joint Canadian tour also in July 2025.
As for his music, Maki is gearing up to release his first full-length album; Kolor Coaster. During the media conference for the launch of the music video for his song Bughaw last March 12, Maki said that the album will consist of 10 tracks including Dilaw, Namumula, and Bughaw. The singer said that the album was something he never thought he could make, stating that listeners should watch out for all colors he has in store. “It’s going to be a crazy ride, but I hope you can ride with us in this Kolor Coaster.” He also stated that they have a lot of projects lined up with Kolor Coaster coming out very soon.
Maki has proven himself to be one of the brightest OPM stars of today. With his natural charm, sincere songwriting, and excellent vocal ability, there is no doubt that he will continue to excel and reach new heights as his career unfolds. Fans and listeners can look forward to great music, and with artists like Maki joining the ranks of BINI, TJ Monterde, Cup of Joe, and other rising local talents, the future of OPM is not just safe—it’s secure.
You can listen to Maki on Spotify, YouTube Music, and other streaming platforms.