It was a fun and memorable experience for actor and singer James Reid to finally collaborate with singer-songwriter Maki on his latest song, “Luck.”
During an intimate media conference, James shared that he had already been a fan of Maki even before they got the chance to work together.
“Before the Canada tour, I really wanted to work with Maki. I knew this would be kind of the launching part but I told Maki before na it was his song ‘Saan?’ actually that inspire me to make ‘Mirasol.’ I was like, ‘Who is this kid? He is so talented’,” James revealed to PUSH ABS-CBN.
The Someone, Someday star was particularly impressed by the world the singer-songwriter has been building through his “Kolorcoaster” era. “I think working with Maki, what really stood up with me is this world that he is creating. It's so intricate and it's super intentional, from the little icons to meaning behind each color, meaning behind each character, and it's so interactive and fun.”
Working on “Luck” also gave James a chance to see another side of Maki as an artist. He noted how different the song sounded, particularly with Maki singing in English.
“This song sounds so international. This song transcends borders and I felt like refreshing and I was ‘Maki, is this really you?’ It sounds different na sa English,” James said.
Despite the change in sound for Maki’s usual all Filipino songs, James said the recording process felt natural and organic. “The whole process is all organic. When I came in to record the song, it felt good to sing and it rolls right off my tongue.”
The collaboration extended beyond the recording studio. James also enjoyed shooting the music video, where he and Maki portray workmates competing for the “Employee of the Month” award.
“It feels like a game. The theme of the music video (was fun),” James described.
Maki added, “It was so fun to watch and nakita natin ‘yung quirky side of James. I’ve always known James as an actor siya but also, he is a really really funny guy, and his humor really fits the music video. ‘Yung quirky side namin, doon namin pinakita.”
More than the experience of making “Luck,” the collaboration left James with an even greater appreciation for how Maki approaches his artistry.
“It's so impressive for someone to come up with this. Maki does have a great team with him and a lot of these great ideas really come from Maki. It's so cool to see an artist taking it all the way and stuff. There are no half measures,” James stated.
He emphasized that he is genuinely rooting for Maki as he continues to develop his sound and expand the world he has created around his music.
“I’m genuinely rooting for him because I see this unique world building that he is doing and I think it's super rare for artists in the Philippines,” James said. “To see it complete and watch it grow bigger and bigger, I got excited seeing there's a new story, new color, new arc. It is something to follow.”
As Maki continues to reach a wider audience, James admired how the singer-songwriter has held on to his identity and his music. “Also, keeping the Filipino, Tagalog lyrics in it just so he can maintain his identity even if he goes overseas so he could not let go of himself,” James said.
“Keeping that Filipino identity, there is so much respect for Maki. I think because of these things, I think he really had the shot,” he added.