Nadine Lustre collaborates with Apl.de.ap on ‘Donuts’

Nadine Lustre has teamed up with Filipino-American artist and Black Eyed Peas member Apl.de.ap for “Donuts,” a new Tagalog-English or "Taglish" single that brings their distinct musical styles together.

Released on Saturday, September 5, the song blends Nadine’s pop and R&B influences with Apl.de.ap’s hip-hop sound. Nadine handles both the singing and rap, with her and apl.de.ap sharing Taglish lines throughout the song. 

The 32-year-old singer and actress shared her excitement about the collab on social media. “A little surreal making music with a legend,” she wrote on Instagram, tagging apl.de.ap and announcing, “DONUTS out on all platforms.”

She also thanked another artist involved in the track, adding, “Another legend in the mix. @francisbrew, thank you for lending us your voice.” Nadine also credited members of the team behind the track, including Isagani Palabyab and Jan Roberts.

Before the song was released, Nadine had already teased the collaboration with a photo of a box of donuts bearing the handwritten message, “this sh** way too good,” along with apl.de.ap’s signature. The rapper and singer later replied in the comments, “Let’s have them turn this up sis!”

The collaboration quickly caught the attention of fans and fellow celebrities. Anne Curtis commented, “Soooo goood,” while Coleen Garcia-Crawford wrote, “Here for thisssss.” One follower called it “the collab we didn’t know we needed,” while another was already looking forward to the music video, writing, “Waiting for the MV [music video].”

The official lyric video for “Donuts” is now available on YouTube.

“Donuts” follows Nadine’s recent single, “Personal,” which marked her return to music after a three-year break. The back-to-back releases come as Nadine continues to work in both music and acting.

Apl.de.ap, whose real name is Allan Pineda Lindo, was born and raised in Angeles City, near Clark Air Base.  His father was African American G.I. and his mother is Filipino. He has continued to bring his Filipino roots into his music. The 51-year-old previously collaborated with “Kings of P-pop” SB19 on the song “Ready.” 

Among his best-known tracks that reflect his Filipino heritage are “Bebot,” “We Can Be Anything,” and “The APL Song.” Apl.de.ap is also scheduled to headline the “9RACE” music festival in Manila this October.