Ten years ago in 2016 (yes, 2016 was a decade ago), Nadine Lustre was firmly seen as one of the generation’s breakout actresses. She was, and still is, a star in every sense of the word. But while it seemed like she was on a rocket ship to superstardom, there was much more to come for the then 23-year-old in the ensuing decade.
It’s these years that serve as the basis for Lustre’s new single 10YRS, which explores her twenties and what has transpired since. For many, looking back on your youth might be a cringe-inducing experience, or at least come with a boatload of regrets they’d rather forget. But for the internet’s president, her new single was an opportunity to embrace every experience, both difficult and beautiful, as essential to becoming the person she is today. Rather than being embarrassed by what she’s done and been through, Lustre turned the track into an exercise in gratitude, growth, and self-love.
RELATED: Are You Ready for Nadine Lustre’s New Music Era?
Nadine Lustre Looks Back on a Ten-Year Journey
Written by Nadine Lustre and Rose Caroline Mamonong, with beats and instrumentation by Isagani Palabyab and violin work by GD Onallices, 10YRS is vulnerable yet empowering, as Lustre reflects on her life’s highs, lows, mistakes, and heartbreaks in the introspective ballad. “Working on 10YRS was really about acceptance for me,” Lustre tells MEGA. “Looking back at my 20s, there were so many different experiences and emotions—some beautiful, some difficult—but I’ve come to understand that I had to go through all of them to become who I am today.”
In that same vein, the song doesn’t dwell on the past, but instead traces her journey toward letting go of what no longer serves her, reclaiming her identity, and looking ahead to what’s next. “I’m grateful for all of it, even the parts that hurt. The song became an homage to my 20-something self who had to navigate all of that without really knowing where it would lead. She went through a lot, made mistakes, learned, loved, lost, and kept going. I came out of that decade a little scratched up, but alive, and with a much better understanding of myself.”
Reflecting on your youth doesn’t always come easy for many, and Lustre has the unique distinction that nearly every part of her twenties was broadcast for the world to see, part of it voluntarily by her, most of it not. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but it’s this younger Nadine that today’s Nadine is grateful for going through all that. “10YRS is really me looking back at her with a lot of love and saying, we made it.”
If Lustre used 10YRS as a reflection of the ups and downs of her life, that would have been more than acceptable. She has, after all, lived a life many could only imagine. But what stands out with the song is how she takes the good, the bad, and everything that happened in between as building blocks that made who she is now. It’s a notable showcase of character, which is somewhat ironic, as Lustre is the first to admit that she doesn’t always openly embrace change.
“It hasn’t always been easy for me to accept changes, especially the ones we have no control over. I honestly don’t adapt easily to major changes, but I think I’m getting better at it.” For Lustre, turning change into an opportunity rather than something to fear comes less from being certain where everything leads and more from following where the wind takes her and trusting herself to leap.
“A lot of it is really just having blind trust and learning to go with the flow. Not everything is going to make sense while you’re going through it, and you won’t always know where something is taking you.” She adds, “Looking back, so far, the changes I was most afraid of or had the hardest time accepting have all led to something good for me in the end. I think that’s taught me to trust the process a little more and believe that the universe will always have my back. Sometimes you just have to let things unfold and trust that you’ll end up where you need to be.”
Reflecting on a Journey of Hope and Growth
In every chapter she has lived and every era she has been through, from starting her own businesses, moving to Siargao, dipping her toes into the horror genre, finding new love, and more, Lustre has learned that healing and growth don’t need perfection. Unpredictability isn’t always a warning sign. Like many young people, twenties Nadine dealt with her fair share of self-doubt and was unsure if what she was doing was correct.
But as the Lustre of today proves, those worries, while natural as part of growing up, were unfounded. It’s this maturity that she wishes her younger self knew, advice that could easily apply to anyone navigating their youth and learning to be their own person. “I’d tell her to trust herself more,” is what Lustre would say to her 2016 self. “There’s so much doubt in you right now, but you know yourself better than you think you do. You don’t need to have everything figured out either. You’ll be in your 30s and still not have it all figured out, and that’s completely okay.”
During an age when young people feel like they are being pulled in all directions to be all kinds of things they’re not, Lustre hopes her twenties self would have understood that genuine growth will always start from within. “Get to know yourself. Learn to listen to your instincts and own the things that make you you. You have yourself as your best friend, so take care of that relationship. The more you trust yourself, the less afraid you’ll be to make your own choices. Paint more. Create more. Do the weird creative projects. Don’t be afraid to make music or explore whatever you’re drawn to. Give yourself permission to change, to try things, to fail, and to start again.”
Hindsight is 20/20, but whatever trepidation her 2016 self was and will be going through, Lustre ultimately sees those experiences as part of her character growth. “You’re going to lose some people along the way, and that’s okay. Just don’t lose yourself trying to hold on to anything. Own yourself. Own your choices. Own the person you’re becoming. And fuck what everyone else thinks.”
The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Featured Image and Photos: Courtesy of Nadine Lustre
