For singer-songwriter Maki, working with James Reid on his new single “Luck” felt like a full circle moment as he once reached out to Careless, James' record label.
During an intimate press conference for their song “Luck,” Maki revealed that he once hoped to become part of the label’s roster before he officially made his way into the local music scene.
“Fun fact, nagchat ako dati sa Careless dati, like way before. I was trying to sell myself. I was like ‘Hello. I'm Ralph (my real name). I'm an artist. I am trying to write my song. I want to be an artist under Careless‘ mga ganyan. Kaso, hindi nila ako nireplyan,” Maki recalled with a laugh.
Although he was not able to become part of James’ label, he still had the chance to work with him years later.
Maki and James first had the chance to work together during their Canada tour in 2025. It was there that Maki told James about his old attempt to reach out to Careless.
“Sinabi ko yun kay James noong tour sa Canada and sabi niya, ‘What? Sayang! Sayang!’,” Maki said.
Maki believed that the experience became a way for him to learn more about himself and appreciate everything he went through before becoming one of the popular singer-songwriters of today’s generation.
“It was a fun moment for us pero sabi ko I had to go through a lot of, like, different circumstances in my life for me to discover who I am today, not only as an artist but also as a person,” he continued.
Meanwhile, Maki expressed his appreciation for James as they worked on “Luck,” saying that the actor-singer never made him feel intimidated despite their different stages in their careers.
“Si James, he never made me feel that ever since na nagcollab kami and nagsama kami sa Canada (for the tour) kasi ako minsan kabado ako and I get intimidated a lot sometimes, but James is really a humble king talaga and I really appreciate it kasi he is already ‘James Reid’ na and ako bago lang ako sa industry and just making my name ngayon pa lang,” Maki said.
“I really really appreciate everyone — every artist who is an actor and a singer, a songwriter and a boss. He is really one of my inspirations talaga,” he added.
James first praised Maki's creativity, particularly the thought and detail he puts into building the world of Kolorcoaster, from the songs themselves to the colors and meanings connected to each track.
“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.”
READ: James Reid on being a fan of Maki: 'It's so cool to see an artist taking it all the way'
For Maki, hearing that from James meant a lot, especially because he has also admired James’ own attention to detail and musical taste.
“I've known James as someone who is very, very, also intricate. He also has good taste in music and good taste in writing songs,” Maki said.
“He really is kind in person but he really does not tell me na na-appreciate niya pala yung worldbuilding ko. Alam niya kung ano yung nangyayari sa Kolorcoaster and yung song that inspires him to write ‘Mirasol’ is from one of my songs,” he continued.
“It really says a lot about him being the head of Careless and having that firm decision to lead a label. Para sa akin, James is really a person na magthrive pa rin because he has that kind of heart na he also loves to collaborate and help people,” said Maki.