Nadine Lustre recalls ‘surreal’ experience working with Apl.de.Ap
MANILA, Philippines — Nadine Lustre admitted that she has been a fan of the Grammy-winning hip-hop/pop group Black Eyed Peas since she was a teenager, and working with one of its founding members, Apl.de.Ap, was a dream come true.
Nadine's teenage playlist included the Peas hit songs, and it her latest single, "Donuts," recorded with the Filipino-American member of the group, it was a collaboration for the books.
“Surreal. The Black Eyed Peas were such a huge part of my teenage years. I listened to their songs every day, so getting to work with Apl was a dream,” Nadine said.
She recalled being thrilled when Apl.de.Ap recorded his vocals for the track.
“When he was recording ‘Donuts,’ Ivo and I were smiling the whole time. We couldn’t contain our kilig. Beyond having him on our track, hearing him sing lyrics that we wrote was such an amazing feeling. It was one of those moments where you think, ‘Is this actually happening?’” she added.
According to Nadine, “Donuts” was initially intended to be a solo song.
However, she eventually felt that another voice could give the track a different energy and flavor.
“‘Donuts’ was originally supposed to be a solo track, but we felt that another voice could bring a different energy and flavor to it,” she said.
Nadine already had a clear vision for the song but wanted to explore how much further it could go with another artist.
“I already loved the song, but knowing me, I always want to see how much further we can take something. Apl has such a distinct voice and presence, and I felt that would work really well with the track,” she said.
Exploring genres
Nadine said she had the opportunity to meet Apl.de.Ap earlier this year and initially felt shy about asking him to collaborate.
“I was shy about asking him to collaborate at first, but I knew I would regret not even trying. So I went for it, and I’m really glad I did,” she said.
The collaboration also reflects Nadine’s growing willingness to experiment with her music.
She said her musical influences are diverse, which naturally shapes the kind of music she creates.
“My music taste is pretty broad, and I think that naturally comes through in what I make. I’ve always been drawn to artists who experiment and have their own identity,” she said.
“I like hearing something unexpected in a song, whether it’s a sound, a switch in energy, or how a vocal is delivered,” she added.
Nadine also credited the producers she has worked with for helping her develop her musical instincts and encouraging her to explore different ideas.
“I’m also really grateful to the producers I’ve worked with, who have been amazing guides throughout the process. They’ve helped me understand my instincts better while encouraging me to explore and trust my ideas,” she said.
Nadine said she wanted to experiment in her latest single while still creating a song that listeners could move to.
“With ‘Donuts,’ I wanted to explore that while still making something you can move to. At this stage, I’m more comfortable trusting my taste and being adventurous,” she said.
“I want to give myself room to explore different sides of my sound without feeling like everything has to fit into one genre,” she added.
Nadine's “Donuts” is now available on all digital music platforms worldwide via Cool Girl Records. — Video from Nadine Lustre YouTube channel
RELATED: Nadine Lustre mixes rap in latest single collab with Apl.de.Ap
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