Nicole Anjela Makes Room For Serendipity On Her Debut Album
On her debut record, to whoever finds this, the R&B artist welcomes vulnerability with open arms as she navigates her late twenties and figures things out.
NICOLE ANJELA: Courtesy of LIAB Studios
NICOLE ANJELA: Courtesy of LIAB Studios
After almost a decade of making music, Nicole Anjela has unpacked quite a range of emotions while embracing a vulnerability she is no longer afraid to share with everyone.
The R&B artist’s 13-track debut album, to whoever finds this, was released in August 2026, marking a significant chapter in her journey as an artist.
Courtesy of LIAB Studios
Nicole’s origin story dates back to her days of posting covers online, which quickly caught the attention of producers who began reaching out to her. Looking back on this pivotal moment in her early career, she tells Billboard Philippines how the experience taught her to embrace the opportunity to create music with anyone she connects with creatively.
“Eventually, that’s how I found my sound, [by] collaborating with a lot of other producers. Kasi hindi naman talaga ako lumaki na (I didn’t really grow up) knowing about music production and all that,” she says, reflecting on how these collaborations helped with the direction her sound would take.
“Collaboration is really a big thing to me because madami pa akong kailangan matutunan (I still have so much to learn),” she adds. “From the start, I already knew na R&B talaga ‘yung pinaka-base (that R&B was really my foundation). Kasi that’s what I grew up listening [to].”
Under the tutelage of her producers, who guided the evolution of her sound, their knowledge and industry experience were integral to her journey. “I have my own taste, but again, learning from them, natuto ako na (I learned) how to flow more naturally with the beat, or saan ba mas pasok tong melody na to sa (where this melody would fit better in the) beat.”
Truly, having the skills to write and sing is one thing, but understanding the technical aspects of producing a song is another.
Beyond the R&B scene, Nicole isn’t limiting herself to this specific genre. She shares how much of a part R&B plays in her life and how she sees herself continuing to evolve within this space. However, she also wants to experiment with different sounds, including garage and more dance-laden music mixed with an R&B flavor.
Working hand in hand with fellow creatives and artists, collaboration is yet another key part of her artistry. From being a fan of their music to eventually working with them, she has collaborated with Because and Kris Delano on their songs “Puyat” and “Dial,” respectively.
Courtesy of LIAB Studios
Over the years, collaborations have grown beyond simply bringing different sounds and artistry together, as she now values building genuine relationships beyond their work. Just like in any workplace, it truly is difficult to work in an environment when you’re just forcing things for the sake of getting things done.
“The more comfortable I feel in the studio, the more natural ‘yung mga nabibigay kong work, ganun (naturally I can create and deliver my work). It doesn’t have to be like super close kami, ganun. Pero kumbaga, ‘Dapat vibe ko ‘tong taong ‘to (We don’t necessarily have to be super close. But like, “I have to vibe with this person),” she says.
It was through her vulnerability and openness about her experiences in her songwriting that she found this flow state of sharing her piece of the pie in the OPMOPMShort for Original Pilipino Music, the body of songs created by Filipino artists, spanning genres from ballads and rock to hip-hop and pop. OPM expresses Filipino identity and heritage, andGo to OPM Glossary scene. “Siguro, naturally, mas soft-spoken din akong person (I’m also a more soft-spoken person), so the way I word things is not too heavy,” she explains.
“But with the vulnerability part, parang na-realize ko, actually sa album na ‘to, tsaka lang ako mas naging vulnerable. Kasi it took me a while to become 100% honest with what I write, kasi feeling ko dati, kailangan ma-gets ng tao, ganyan,” she says. “But now, I learned na the more personal yung pinanggagalingan, the more parang mas na-gets pala nila.”
(But when it comes to vulnerability, I realized that it was only with this album that I truly allowed myself to become more vulnerable. It took me a while to become 100% honest with what I write because I used to feel that people needed to understand it. But now, I’ve learned that the more personal the source of my writing is, the more people seem to connect with it.)
Courtesy of LIAB Studios
She further adds that everyone has their fair share of struggles in life and that, in one way or another, we remain in touch with our vulnerable side as people, especially when we’re alone, as that’s when we’re most vulnerable. “Kaya mas pinush ko sa album na to na mas maging vulnerable kasi yun yung na-realize ko with other artists that I listen to. Hindi ko naman 100% gets yung sinasabi nila pero gets ko ‘yung emotion,” she shares.
(That’s why I pushed myself to be more vulnerable in this album, because that’s what I realized from listening to other artists. I may not fully understand what they’re saying, but I understand the emotion behind it.)
Taking inspiration from an artist she looks up to, American R&B singer Jhené Aiko, she says, “When I listen to her music, parang I feel like I’m more connected to her because I’m getting a glimpse of her own world kasi sobrang vulnerable niya sa lyrics niya (through how vulnerable she is in her lyrics). So yun din yung tina-try kong i-channel here na (That’s also what I tried to channel here that) I want people to know more about me kasi that’s how I connect with the artists I listen to.”
With her first full-length project, Nicole has become someone who has shed the cloud of overthinking that once loomed over her songwriting.
The old Nicole would’ve thought too much about writing songs with a message that was deemed “good” or all about empowerment that may resonate with listeners. “Which isn’t a bad thing,” she says. “But sometimes if that’s what’s at the back of my mind kasi, masyado ko siyang pinipilit (I was forcing it too much).”
With this, she has learned to prioritize her own feelings above anything else, recognizing that if she doesn’t feel empowered while writing a song, it could ultimately lead to something inauthentic.
Through songs off the album like “OUTSIDE,” which she wrote a day after a Halloween party with friends and captures the feeling of having fun and staying out until sunrise, and “delikado, Pt. 1,” she explores different sides of her artistry. The latter explores the honesty of her emotions when she’s on the dance floor, allowing her to tap into her vulnerable side, something she previously cited as not one of her strengths as an artist.
“Pero pag may narinig kang kanta na ine-express kung anong nafe-feel mo, parang feeling mo meron kang kasangga palagi (But when you hear a song that expresses exactly how you feel, it makes you feel like you always have someone by your side),” she explains.
Courtesy of LIAB Studios
What seemed like the perfect time to release her debut record came naturally. Without worrying too much about meeting a deadline, everything fell into place as she found herself with enough songs to bring the album together, without having to wait for the “right time.”
“Parang this is more for me. I wanna release it kasi it’s been overdue na. I wanna share more music with other people […] Parang everything just felt right, I guess,” she shares.
Ultimately, the album’s title serves as a mantra that reflects her feelings about vulnerability and finding companionship through music. “Ikaw na bahala (It’s up to you). I hope it finds you where you are as you are — in your vulnerable side, in your confident side, whatever,” she adds.
Listen to Nicole Anjela’s to whoever finds this below:
Frequently Asked Questions
Nicole Anjela released her 13-track debut album, to whoever finds this, in August 2026. The R&B artist’s first full-length project arrives after almost a decade of making music.
Nicole began by posting covers online, which caught producers’ attention and led to collaborations. She says working with producers taught her to flow more naturally with the beat.
She has worked with Because on “Puyat” and Kris Delano on “Dial.” Nicole values genuine relationships with collaborators, saying she works more naturally when comfortable in the studio.
Nicole Anjela says the album is where she became more vulnerable, after once believing listeners needed to understand her lyrics. She found the more personal the source, the more people connect.
“OUTSIDE,” written a day after a Halloween party, captures staying out until sunrise, while “delikado, Pt. 1” explores honest emotions on the dance floor. She also wants to experiment with garage.
