She may be considered as one of the prettiest girls of her generation but Andrea Brillantes used to hate her own reflection in the mirror. In a TWBA interview aired in March 2020, the Gold Squad member looked back at one season of her life, the year 2016, when she was full of insecurities and self-doubt. “Everyday gigising ako na ayaw ko na agad. Pinakamahirap na battle is ‘yung kalaban mo ‘yung sarili mo. Ayaw ko ‘yung physical na mayroon ako. Ayaw ko ‘yung ugali ko, lahat ng bagay.”

In those times, Andrea would often resort to crying. Her family acted cool about it at first, thinking that she was just going through some teenage issues. But they later on realized that Andrea lacked self-love and they started to soothe her insecurities with encouraging words. Still, Andrea couldn’t see her own beauty. “Sobrang hirap kasi araw-araw naririnig ko ‘yung mismong boses ko na, ‘Ang pangit mo!’ ‘Bakit ka pa buhay?’ Ang daming mali talaga.” The Kadenang Ginto star resorted to crash dieting which made her suffer even more.

Until one day, Andrea finally got over from her insecurities, albeit the healing process took three years. She realized the value of self-love. “I faked it till I make it. Everyday sinasabi ko, ‘Ang ganda mo’. Kailangan mong purihin ‘yung sarili mo, eh. Kasi ayaw kong mabuhay nang malungkot.” The support from her family, friends, and fans was a big help in her journey.

Andrea also battled with her emotions. She was scared to feel happy, thinking that sadness would always be at its tail. But now, at seventeen, Andrea believes that she has gained a better understanding of life. “There’s no rainbow without rain. You won’t know happiness kung hindi mo alam ang sadness. Ngayon, hinahayaan ko na lang. Iiyak ako pero alam ko magkakaroon din ng blessing.”

Her inspiring story gave birth to her single titled “Bituin”, a song that encourages other girls to embrace confidence and shine like a star.