For Maki, Love Is Like A Bright Summer Day

The second I hear the sunny first notes of Dilaw by singer-songwriter Maki, I instantly feel my blood pressure diminish.

- ANDREA PANALIGAN

The second I hear the sunny first notes of Dilaw by singer-songwriter Maki, I instantly feel my blood pressure diminish. It seems the rest of the country feels the same: It's the second-most streamed local song in the Philippines according to Spotify Wrapped, garnering over 187 million plays since it was released in May.

Maki skyrocketed to the charts with last year's Saan? in which he wishes to see an elusive ex-lover on the streets of Quezon City and Bonifacio Global City. In Dilaw, he is on the cusp of a great new love, one that feels light and warm.

While the music video—a cinematic masterpiece, by the way—sees Maki paired up with BINI's Maloi, the singer admits the song is actually about himself and feeling at peace with the kind of person he has grown into. Young STAR caught up with the chart-topper to look back on the sunny success of Dilaw.

YOUNG STAR: What did Dilaw look like in its early stages? Can you tell us about the process of writing it?