A few days before he headlines the Smart Araneta Coliseum again, Maki is clear about one thing: KOLORCOASTER: One More Ride is not a repeat show.

In an exclusive conversation with ZEEN, the singer-songwriter opens up about the pressure of returning to the Big Dome, the chaos behind his creative process, and the bigger narrative he insists fans have not fully uncovered yet.

Following a sold out debut in November 2025, the February 21 concert marks the second run of his first major solo production. For many artists, that could mean replicating a winning formula. For Maki, it means reassessing it.

“When we do something again, hindi dapat siya super the same,” he says. “But better.”

That mindset begins with how he creates.

Maki describes his process as “magulo” at first. Ideas come in fragments, often without structure. 

“Creative people have complicated minds. We don’t really go by the rules,” he explains. 

He starts by throwing out concepts, visuals, transitions, and emotional beats in brainstorming sessions. His production team then helps shape and organize them into something workable.

Although he carries the director role for the concert, he is quick to share the credit. “Hindi lang sa akin mapupunta yung credit since lahat ng team, lahat ng prod, we did our job.”

Still, he is deeply involved in every stage of production. “Lahat ng aspect may approval ko,” he says. From staging to thematic flow, nothing moves forward without his input.

He admits the responsibility can feel overwhelming, but in a way that affirms his growth. He recalls being a different kid in high school, unsure whether people would ever trust his ideas. Now, with a full scale arena production behind him, he feels both proud and challenged.

“I’m trying to prove to myself that I can do it,” he shares. “Even though sometimes I know I have imperfections and I have a lot of things to learn pa.”

That growth is at the center of One More Ride.

The original KOLORCOASTER concert introduced audiences to the live interpretation of his debut album, a conceptual body of work structured around colors and emotional states. Songs like “Dilaw,” “Namumula,” and “Kahel na Langit” were not just performed, but woven into a cohesive narrative.

“It was a concept na hindi madaling i-create,” he says. “Nahirapan ako how people will see it, how people will see my vision and how I can make it into a reality.”

He notes that a few years ago, mounting something that tightly conceptual was not common. 

“Three years ago [or] two years ago, hindi siya posible. Hindi siya ginagawa ng artist.” Now, he acknowledges the trust extended to him by his team and by ABS-CBN in bringing it to life.

For the second run, he promises a more elevated and magical experience, but also hints at deeper narrative clarity. “Mas merong answers dun,” he says when asked what fans can expect this time.

According to Maki, KOLORCOASTER was never random. 

“It’s not just an album made out of spontaneity. It’s an album with a lot of thought,” he says. From “Dilaw” alone, he already had the ending mapped out. He compares its long term structure to Attack on Titan, where details planted early only make full sense much later. 

Then he drops a subtle but loaded hint: there is a color that has been there from the very beginning, one that fans may have overlooked. 

“Well, it’s already there. Hindi niyo napapansin. Pero sa una pa lang, “Dilaw” pa lang, makikita niyo na yung color na ’yun,” he says, adding that they have a surprise lined up within the year. For fans who have been decoding the KOLORCOASTER palette since day one, One More Ride might not just revisit the story. It might unlock the next chapter.

Returning to Araneta also shifts the emotional stakes.

“Every stage feels like home,” he says. “But nothing is more comfy than being in a place where every people na nandoon are rooting for you.”

He still gets nervous before every show. He insists that never changes. But the nerves transform once he sees the audience’s reactions. When fans appreciate the details the team worked on from start to finish, he says it validates the months of preparation.

“It was all worthwhile,” he says of the first run’s reception. Seeing people respond with, “That’s very Maki,” is something he carries with him into this second performance.

Beyond Araneta, Maki confirms that a KOLORCOASTER tour is being planned. After performing in Dubai and Qatar, he hopes to bring the show to parts of Asia, Australia, and even Europe. 

“Why not ipakita pa natin sa buong mundo,” he says, adding that he wants to help represent OPM at a time when it continues to thrive globally.

For now, though, the focus is clear. One more night at the Big Dome. One more iteration of a concept he has been building for years. Not the same show, but a sharper one. 

And for Maki, that difference matters.