Cover Story

From her early days as a wide-eyed aspirant to her whirlwind romance with national fame, and now in her continuing reign as entertainment and pop culture royalty, there remains to be an incontestable fact that Nadine Lustre is an indomitable force and she is showing no signs of slowing down. An award-winning actress, a musician, a sold-out concert performer, creative visionary and entrepreneur, fashion icon, and even a fan-anointed figure head, while cognizant to the attendant boon, curse, and responsibility of her ascent to the pantheon of entertainment greats, editor Leo Balante writes, heavy is the head that wears the crown, but Nadine Lustre has declared herself completely free from edicts on her person other than hers, and has mastered—no, lived and breathed—the art of being Nadine Lustre.

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In a world of uniformity and predictability, being unconventional often leads to rejection and alienation. But O/C Records has taken the strangeness that the world does not want and developed it, creating a space where incredible skills are valued and odd creatures are born and nurtured.

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With the unprecedented halt brought by the pandemic, now more than ever, streaming, led by kumu brought not only a new avenue for entertainment and livelihood to creators, but more importantly, a sense of respite and reprieve from the uncertainty of an otherwise bleak “new normal”. Led by hotelier turned BPO professional and now streamer Lloyd Garcia , for The Breakthrough Issue, we worked with the leading social media platform to celebrate young, emerging streamers who rose through the ranks, and have found a new, nurturing stage to showcase their charm, candor, and talent, and help foster a strong community of, for, and by Filipinos.

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Long before “drag” as an artform and a source of entertainment emerged from the underground scene to global mainstream consciousness, an unassuming but already groundbreaking resto-bar in Malate, O BAR, has long opened its doors to serve as a safe space for the queer community. Sixteen long years later—a few changes in its zip codes, and even with a few other establishments tailing its success, O Bar continues to break through the mold and redefine what a gay bar is and should be, holding itself proud not just as a mecca of talent to some of the most celebrated drag talents in the Philippines, but a heart that continues to pulsate equality, respect, and love for all.

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Barely a year since its entry in the PPop scene, dominated by predecessors who have laid the foundation for the genre’s mold-breaking meteoric rise, the young five-member “Monster Rookies”, VXON, with C13, Sam, Patrick, Vince, and Franz, have already pocketed one solid hit after another. For the New Agenda issue, editor Leo Balante zooms in on the emerging homegrown musical talent, to make a declaration on the young group’s inevitable ascent atop the pantheon of PPop greats—and of original Filipino music as a whole.

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For American duo, joan, the hunt and discovery for the pair’s defining sound is not a new thing. As the indie-pop band puts it, theirs is a sonic exploration that has long evolved from their creative partnership that dates all the way back in college leading to now, two years in the midst of a pandemic—having recently released a two new EPs “hi” and “bye” by the tail-end of 2021. Hopeful to own an art that, on a deeper level, is true to themselves, the duo is raring to share their new ventures with their growing audience as the world slowly opens up and their artistry continues to break new ground and evolve.

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Legendary alternative rock band Simple Plan makes a resounding comeback this year with the recent release of their sixth studio album “Harder Than It Looks”—more than half a decade since their last. For The New Agenda Issue, we sit down with lead vocalist and bassist Pierre Bouvier to talk newfound online fame brought about by their early aughts classics, the band’s sonic evolution, and the “prophetic” anthems now housed by the ten-track record that sing tunes to our collective pandemic emotions.

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For Indonesian songwriter, rapper, and music producer, Warren Hue , pure passion and talent define his fast-rising trajectory as a recognized international artist. Now, more than ever, the young multi-hyphenate, freshly signed with global music label, 88Rising, sees to it, that there’s no stones left unturned on his road to staking his claim as the Boy of the Year.

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In a wide and ever-changing sea of beautiful faces in entertainment, Iza Calzado stands out and makes an unrelenting stand. As the critically-acclaimed multi-hyphenate continues to take on a diverse slate of marked roles with close to two decades in the business under her belt, not only does she continue to be an acting marvel, she serves up her platform for good, to bring about culture-shaping discussions on empowerment, body positivity, mental health, and self love. Editor Leo Balante looks closer as Calzado shows us what it means to not just be a once-in-a-lifetime showbiz tour-de-force but, more importantly, a complex, uncompromising, but remarkable human being.

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Introduced to the mainstream scene with a widely-recognizable surname hailing from a rich lineage of dramatic actors and action stars, Kylie Padilla has since staked her claim in the entertainment industry, making her 15-year-stay in the business as fruitful as it is storied, with a growing body of work and unrelenting conviction as an artist and a human being with an ever-evolving sense of self. For The Vision Issue, Rank Magazine works with HUAWEI, through the new MatePad 11, to translate her concept of empowerment, from a physical medium of acrylic on canvas to a sleek but powerful digital companion.

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