Nadine Lustre Comes Home to Music with "Donuts"

Music was Nadine’s entry point into the industry: At around nine years old, she was already hosting and performing on a kids’ variety show. Now 32, she still soaks in the rush and glory of being onstage. “Growing up, singing and dancing were always things I wanted to do,” she says, recalling watching channels like MTV and MYX and being exposed to various genres through her parents. “Seeing artists perform gave me this certain rush, and I remember always wanting to know what it felt like to be on that stage. Making music again now feels a lot like going back home.”

Nadine recognizes her break from music as part of the process—one that was necessary for her “to experience life, grow, and figure out what I really wanted to say and what kind of artist I wanted to be.” On July 31, she ended the hiatus and reintroduced herself through “Personal.” “It came from a place of resilience and learning not to let everything get to me.” A month later, she revealed another side of herself with “Donuts,” which she describes as “more playful, confident, and unapologetic.”

A sense of self-assurance runs throughout the song, and the same can be said for how naturally it came together in the first place. “We were honestly just playing around in the studio that day. I asked the guys if they wanted donuts. They said yes, and somehow, ‘Donuts’ became the working title.” Nadine continues, “We ended up liking the title so much that instead of changing it, we just wrote around it.”

The track refuses to settle into a single genre, drawing from pop, hip-hop, and R&B. Together with Ivo Impreso, one of the song’s lyricists, Nadine leaned into the energy of its sound, resulting in something bold and uncompromising, with just the right amount of cockiness.

“We weren’t overthinking anything,” says Nadine, who sees that spontaneity as one reason the song feels fun despite carrying a strong message. “I love the attitude of the whole song. It’s that feeling of knowing exactly who you are, and not needing anyone’s permission to own it.”

Apl.de.ap brings his unmistakable voice and flavor to the track. Ever consistent in honoring his roots, his verse pays tribute to his hometown of Sapangbato, where he learned to dream big and work hard to turn those dreams into reality. His words slip seamlessly into the song, mirroring how organically the collaboration itself came about.

The track had room for another voice and energy, and for Nadine, having Apl hop on the beat “just made so much sense.” “I’ve always had a lot of respect for Apl, not only for what he’s accomplished globally but also for how proudly Filipino he is,” Nadine tells Preview. “He has such a distinct energy and presence, so hearing him on the song for the first time was pretty surreal.”

The song is bookended by impactful monologues from OPM legend Francis Reyes. He sets the tone and frames its message with empowering lines like “Bakit ka makikinig sa mga taong wala namang alam sa mga pinagdaanan mo?” and “Pakita mo ‘yang tapang mo,” which also seem to echo Nadine’s own philosophy. She reveals that it was producer Isagani Palabyab who suggested bringing The Dawn guitarist onto the track. “His voice and delivery gave the song so much character, and I love how the monologues tie together the context of my verses and Apl’s. He honestly made the track feel extra legendary.”

Now that Nadine is back in the music scene with a stronger sense of who she is and what she wants to say, there is plenty to look forward to. “I feel like this is the time when I can really explore my creativity and show people more of what’s in my head.” She is leaving herself room to experiment—with her sound, visuals, performances, and everything in between. For Nadine, few limits exist for where that might take her.

“I think there are still a lot of sides of me that people haven’t seen yet, and I’m excited to slowly reveal those,” she says with certainty. “We’ll just have to wait and see what happens next.”

Beyond music, fashion also serves as an outlet for Nadine’s self-expression. “The visuals and creative direction are just as important to me as the music itself,” she tells Preview. “I don’t really see them as separate things. They all help build the same world and tell the same story.” The fashion in the music video had to carry the same confidence as the song to create a cohesive narrative. “Clothes can completely change the way you move and carry yourself, so for me, styling becomes another layer of the performance. It helps me communicate something even before I say or sing anything.”

For the “Donuts” music video, Nadine entrusted stylist Lyn Alumno with translating that vision through fashion. The starting point was the concept of himagsikan, or revolution, with the excerpt below serving as their north star throughout the production.

“Sa gitna ng talahib, may panalanging hindi na marunong lumuhod. May mga aninong balot sa belo, alikabok, at gunita—tila mga santong naligaw sa digmaan, o mga mandirigmang isinilang mula sa dasal. Sa pagitan ng altar at larangan, may isang babaeng naghihintay. Hindi siya santa. Hindi rin siya martir. Isa siyang gunita na nagkaroon ng katawan. Sa kanyang pagdaan, nagiging watawat ang mga tela, nagiging sandata ang pananampalataya, at nagiging sigaw ang katahimikan. Sa mundong ito, ang himagsikan ay hindi nagsisimula sa putok. Nagsisimula ito sa sandaling tumigil ang isang bayan sa pagyuko.”

A year before the project, Lyn had immersed herself in museums that presented the visual history of the pre-colonial Philippines, along with the different cultures and regions that shaped it. “I had no idea that this would eventually become such a central theme in Nadine’s new music, so that research came in handy.” Drawing from these references, they built a visual universe defined by bold colors and rich jewel tones.

Lyn often incorporates tension and contrast into her work as a stylist, making her approach a natural fit for “Donuts” and its exploration of self-reflection from different perspectives, as embodied by Nadine and Apl. She captures this duality by presenting each character as strong yet equally vulnerable—otherworldly, but still human at the end of the day. “I live for those juxtapositions and little ironies. To me, they reflect the idea that two seemingly opposing things can exist at once, and that’s a principle I try to live by too.”

The music video opens with a tight shot of Nadine’s fierce eyes. As the frame widens, she is revealed in a Filipiniana by Hannah Adrias, paired with shorts by Kislap Studios and brass earrings by Nuno Sa Tanso. “The Filipiniana gives her strong, structured shoulders, contrasted by an unexpected sliver of skin at the center,” Lyn explains. “It creates a tension between strength and sensuality, especially as she rides a motorcycle.”

She is then seen sitting in a dark room illuminated by an abundance of candles. Lyn calls this “the prayer scene,” where the devil is in the details—especially the central crucifix on a white corset by Rick Obnamia, paired with a dangerously short miniskirt by Martin Bautista.

By the time the chorus hits, Nadine moves to a modern sound through steps that feel almost ancient, bringing the present into conversation with the past. Lyn approaches this interplay with her signature sartorial sensibility, grounded in attentiveness and understanding. “I took cues from traditional costumes and adornments from different parts of the Philippines, but I wanted to translate them rather than simply recreate them.”

Nadine dances in a silver headpiece by Studio225, which draws thoughtfully from the head adornments of Manobo women in Cotabato. A blue hand-dyed top, sustainably made by Mariton Villanueva of Himaya, is paired with metallic pants by Filipino label Yatu Ku. Wooden belt chains fashioned from pieces by Kaia The Label and Studio225 complete the look.

Beside her are dancers from Filipino crew The A-Team, styled by Lyn alongside Lynus. “We kept the silhouettes geometric and structured on top with the salakot, then draped skirts that flow with their every movement as the ‘shadows’ of the realm that guide you.”

Illustrations from the Boxer Codex, a Spanish manuscript produced in the Philippines in the 16th century, also informed Lyn’s approach to layering. This influence is especially evident in one look comprising a Megan Lev bralette, a Damaged Guds faux-fur vest, and Athena Yo-Eco pants. The pièce de résistance is a beaded body chain by Mikael Edwardo, which takes its cues from the adornments worn by women from Lake Sebu in Mindanao.

When Apl first appears, he wears a Rafikimono silk kimono with indigenous patterns, paired with an embroidered denim set by Dos Mil and antique gold jewelry. The look is Lyn’s modern interpretation of the character Nadine assigned to Apl: Apolaki, the god of the sun and war in Filipino mythology. Lyn explains, “The name is translated as ‘giant lord’ or ‘giant leader.’ We played with old-school hip-hop and deity-like elements, giving him a sense of both groundedness and power.” A bucket hat by Studio225 serves as his crown, embellished with gold-leaf beads and carabao horns.

The sun motif carries into his accessories, most notably through a gold chain necklace from Le Charme. For his second look, the imagery becomes even more pronounced: Apl is enveloped in a gold cape by Jaycee Ramirez, radiating outward like rays of sunlight.

Lyn also turned to Filipino cinema for references, particularly for the concluding scene. “When Nadine and I were brainstorming the concept for the music video, we knew it would eventually culminate in a scene where she stands on top of a mountain, seeking guidance from above.” She continues, “My mind immediately went to Nora Aunor’s Elsa in Himala—one of the most enduring images in Philippine cinema.”

Lyn saw a parallel between Elsa’s journey and Nadine’s character in the video. “Both are searching for some form of peace and meaning, while grappling with faith, belief, and the world around them.” Dressed in an all-white ensemble featuring a deconstructed terno by Explore East of Eden and linen pants by Idyllic Summers, Nadine stands against the open sky. “The butterfly sleeves, the movement of the fringe catching the wind, and the way the entire silhouette responds to the landscape around her—it felt almost like a vision, but one grounded in something very Filipino.”

Fashion rooted in rich cultural references became a narrative device in itself, as Nadine, Lyn, and the rest of the team captured their essence without interpreting them too literally. “For me, that’s where the interesting part happens: When something deeply rooted in our history can still feel unexpected, modern, and completely alive.”