With Apl.de.Ap adding his worldwide star power, Lustre brings audiences to an elaborately-conceived universe of Filipino folklore imagery and modern visual edge.
Nadine Lustre opens a new chapter of bold assertiveness with the release of the official music video for “DONUTS,” featuring global pop-hip-hop icon Apl.de.Ap of the Black Eyed Peas.
Getting inspiration from Filipino tradition and mythology, mysticism, and fashion, the music video presents the multi-hyphenate star as a warrior princess who takes control of her power and freedom in a chaotic, despotic world.
“The video connects to a bigger body of work, which explores transformation, stepping into your power, and becoming more comfortable with who you are,” Nadine elaborates. “I wanted that world to feel rooted in being Filipino, with influences subtly woven in setting, style, and imagery.”
With Nadine Lustre at the wheel of creative direction, the visuals echo her newfound gratification in embracing one’s identity and origins. Set against open fields and grasslands in a fictional landscape, the “DONUTS” MV repurposes pre-colonial designs with a contemporary, dystopian edge.
For the beloved award-winning singer-actress, however, creative possession doesn’t automatically mean working alone. She opened up about building a production team that helped decipher and flesh out her concepts into a fully-realized visual spectacle.
“Everyone brought their own perspective, from the styling and production design to the movement and how everything would look on camera,” Lustre reveals. “I enjoy being hands on, but I also love seeing people take an idea and add something I wouldn’t have thought of. So much of what makes the video special came from that exchange. It really was a collective effort.”
In spite of their diverse backgrounds, Apl.de.Ap admires Lustre and her team’s commitment to trying out different things and collaboration. He especially complimented the cinematic universe of “DONUTS,” noticing how its visual language supplements the track’s larger-than-life aura.
“I love the video,” Apl.de.Ap says. “It’s so mythical. Nadine and the team have such a unique lens.”
The “DONUTS” MV functions as an extension of Lustre’s continued artistic evolution, putting self-expression, identity, and creative freedom at front and center of her work. Building on Filipino-inspired imagery and a cboundaries-pushing visual aesthetic, the music video sets up a braver, more adventuresome, thrill-seeking direction for what comes next.