Maharani (song)

Following nine months of training, the boy band Alamat officially debuted on February 14, 2021, with the single "Kbye". Released by Viva Records, "Kbye" was notable for using seven Philippine languages: Tagalog, Ilocano, Kapampangan, Bicolano, Waray, Hiligaynon, and Cebuano (Bisaya), which the members spoke natively.^[1] The group released more singles throughout 2021 and early 2022, such as, "Kasmala", "Porque" (transl. Why),^[2] and "ABKD".^[a][3] Throughout this period, members Kin (Tagalog), Valfer (Hiligaynon), and Gami (Bisaya) left Alamat,^[4] who then continued as a six-member group.^[5]

In July 2022, Alamat released the first pre-release single for their debut extended play (EP), Pasulong (transl. Forward), "Say U Love Me", an R&B track.^[5] On August 23, they released another pre-release single titled "ILY ILY",^[b] a multilingual track exploring the sadness of Overseas Filipino Workers' children. Apart from the group's usual languages, the track included a verse from the Hiligaynon lullaby "Ili-ili" (transl. lull to sleep) and featured vocals from Lyca Gairanod.^[6] Viva Records released Pasulong on all digital streaming platforms on October 28, alongside its lead single, "Aswang".^[c][7] On January 24, 2023, they released "Maharani" as the next single from the EP.^[8]

"Maharani"

An 18-second sample of "Maharani", where the chorus can be heard.

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"Maharani" is an R&B, trap, and neo-soul song that incorporates indigenous Southeast Asian instruments such as the kanun, gamelan, and gangsa.^[9] The song is about unrequited love, according to Alamat member Taneo Sebastian.^[10] Specifically, the lyrics are from the perspective of an admirer who hopes to save a girl from her loveless relationship with somebody else.^[9][11] According to its songwriter, producer, and composer Thyro Alfaro, the song's wooden sounds and beats were inspired by the singkil, which is a traditional Maranao dance that utilizes bamboo.^[9]

Alfaro built the song lyrically and musically around the "melodious" and "pleasant" title, which is a Sanskrit word that simply translates to "great queen" and refers to the wife of a maharaja (the Hindu equivalent of a prince or king). Alfaro further explained that in the lyrics, he sought to reverse the roles in the singkil, a dance often performed by women. Instead of women dancing for the approval of a king, the men dance and seek the attention of a queen.^[9]

In a track-by-track review of Pasulong published on November 10, 2022, Renzneil Robles of Village Pipol named "Maharani" as a standout love song.^[12] Acer Batislaong of Nylon Manila wrote that the track had irresistible beats, concluding that it was a "gem" and a welcome addition to Alamat's "already impressive and rich" oeuvre.^[13] In May 2024, Nica Glorioso of Nylon Manila declared "Maharani" to be the benchmark for the group's sound and concept, describing it as "deliciously modern" and "distinctly Filipino."^[14] On August 2, Tatler Asia included Alamat in their list of 26 music acts who were "among the best and brightest in the [Philippines]". According to Tatler writers Jessica Zapata and Angela Nicole Guiral, the group's "unique" musical style was most apparent in "Maharani".^[15]

On November 9, 2023, Alamat earned their first-ever Awit Award when "Maharani" won Best R&B Recording at the 36th Awit Awards ceremony.^[16][17] In the following year, Glorioso described "Maharani" as "a career-defining drop", noting that it was Alamat's most widely streamed song and "arguably the most successful".^[14] "Maharani" debuted on Billboard Philippines' inaugural Hot 100 chart in the week of July 6, 2024, at number 80, making Alamat the first Pinoy pop boy band to enter that chart.^[18]

Lead cast

Jhoanna

Taneo

Filipino filmmaker Jason Paul Laxamana directed the music video for "Maharani".^[9][18] It stars the members of Alamat, as well as actress and Bini member Jhoanna Robles, as classmates rehearsing for a singkil performance in school. In the performance, Robles plays Princess Gandingan and Alamat member Taneo Sebastian plays Prince Bantugan, the main characters of the Maranao epic poem portrayed in singkil performances, Darangen (transl. that which is narrated by song or chant).^[9] As they continue to practice the dance, a spark grows between the two. Nylon Manila's Rafael Bautista remarked that "it felt correct seeing them as the lead couple of the video", pointing out that Robles and Sebastian are both the official leaders of their respective pop groups.^[19]

Robles and Sebastian learned how to perform singkil for the music video.^[20] Alamat's choreographer Jim Amen and his team decided to incorporate three additional Philippine courtship dances in the song's choreography: takik (a love, flirting, and wedding dance of the Western Mountain Province tribes); pangalay (a ceremonial dance of the Tausūg people); and beneracion (a romantic folk dance from Capiz).^[13] The video also shows the members of Alamat dancing the tinikling with Robles^[8] and features the Viva talent Migo Valid as her "bad boyfriend."^[21][22] The clothing items worn by the Alamat members in various scenes include neckties with embroidered designs from Marawi^[8] and golden outfits.^[9]

On August 25, 2023, Alamat performed "Maharani" at the FIBA Basketball World Cup.^[23] At Billboard Philippines' first anniversary celebration on October 15, 2024, Alamat performed a medley of their songs "Maharani" and "Day and Night". Mayks Go reported that the tracks "effortlessly got those in attendance to cheer, move, and sing along from start to finish", in a feature for the magazine.^[24]

In 2023, the choreography of "Maharani" became a dance trend on TikTok.^[13] In 2024, "Maharani" became a trend on the app again; numerous viral "transition" videos such as makeup transformations used a snippet of the song. Kelsey Telo of Interaksyon noted that the "smooth but climactic" rhythm of its chorus gave TikTok content creators a "perfect" transition sound.^[25] The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos, a 2024 romance novel by the Filipino-American author Melissa de la Cruz, also mentions the song.^[26]

Credits are adapted from official listings on YouTube.^[22]

• Alamat – vocals
• Thyro Alfaro – composing, producing, arranging, mixing, mastering
• Zebedee Zuñiga – vocal arrangement
• Ponz Martinez – recording