As a solo performer, Albert signed up initially with
OctoArts International (now
PolyEast Records) in 1984. Her first single, Gerry Paraiso's "Over and Over" (recorded January 1984), enjoyed tremendous airplay in local and national radio stations. OctoArts International released
Louie Ocampo and Allan Ayque's "Tell Me", for which she received a Gold Record Award from the
Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI). "Tell Me" established Albert as a major
Filipino musical artist. Apart from "Over and Over" and "Tell Me", Albert's first album (
Joey Albert) produced another hit, Robbie Moore's "A Million Miles Away". Cris Kuizon's "Say You're Mine", on the other hand, foreshadowed a resurgence of the acoustic in Philippine popular music. Albert completed five more albums for OctoArts International:
Touch of Love (1984),
Expressions (1985),
Joey (1986),
Maligayang Pasko (1987) and
Mixed Emotions (1989). These albums produced many hits, including
Louie Ocampo–
Freddie Santos collaborations like "Memories" (recorded January 1984), "Points of View" (duet with
Pops Fernandez, recorded January 1984) and "Yakapin Mo Ako" (recorded November 1985). Other hits included
Jose Mari Chan's "I Remember the Boy" (recorded November 1985), Louie Ocampo and Jim Millbower's "Without You" (recorded November 1986), Louie Ocampo and Joey Albert's "Ikaw Lang ang Mamahalin" (recorded November 1986), Ray-Ann Fuentes's "Porma ng Porma" (recorded September 1988), Tony Perez and Allan Ayque's "Back in My Arms" (recorded September 1988), Louie Ocampo, Joey Albert and
Janice de Belen's "It's Over Now" (recorded November 1985), Louie Ocampo and Joey Albert's "You Threw It All Away" (recorded November 1986) and Sunny Ilacad and Joey Albert's "Na Sabihin Mo" (recorded November 1985). Albert moved to
Dyna Records in 1990. Her first album for the company, entitled
Joey Albert, included commercial and artistic hits "Only a Mem'ry" and "Roses in the Rain", "How Can I Make You See", "Paano Sasabihin", "Sa Aking Pagbabalik", and "Iisa Pa Lamang". At the 1990
Awit Awards telecast, she received twin nominations as Best Female Vocalist of the Year for "Only a Mem'ry" and "Iisa Pa Lamang". She won for "Only a Mem'ry". From 1991 to 1994, Albert became the host and executive producer of
Bahay Kalinga, an award-winning public service outreach program at
ABS-CBN. After moving to
Canada in 1994, Albert hosted
The Joey Albert Show, a magazine talk show that featured stories and interviews with
Filipinos in Canada, on the
Shaw Multicultural Channel. Aside from singing and hosting, Albert raises funds for
Gawad Kalinga, a Philippine-based group that builds homes for the poor. Albert also owns and operates "The Good Shepherd Daycare", a Catholic daycare and preschool in
Coquitlam. In 2007, Albert recorded a new version of "Tell Me" as theme song of Star Cinema's
A Love Story, a romantic drama film about infidelity starring Filipino actors
Aga Muhlach,
Maricel Soriano and
Angelica Panganiban. Albert's new version re-introduced her body of works to a new generation of Filipinos. In 2009, Albert and
Basil Valdez were headline performers in Incomparable, as part of a series of concerts organized by Viva Concerts & Events featuring iconic Original Pilipino Music (OPM) artists at the Skydome in SM City North EDSA (
Quezon City). Viva scheduled several other shows, including
Regine Velasquez’s "Most Requested", "Ladies of the '90s" (
Rachel Alejandro,
Jessa Zaragoza,
Roselle Nava and
Geneva Cruz), "Men of the ’80s" (
Raymond Lauchengco,
Randy Santiago, Louie Heredia and Gino Padilla) and one topbilling
Rachelle Ann Go and
Jed Madela. In 2010, Albert released
Songs of the Heart, made up of original Filipino compositions carefully chosen by producer Eugene Villaluz for Viva Records. The album contained some of Albert's personal favorites, as well as hits that came out after she left the Philippines. The songs in the album were originally popularized by
Side A ("Forevermore"),
South Border ("Kahit Kailan"),
Christian Bautista ("The Way You Look at Me"), The Company ("Muntik Na Kitang Minahal"),
Anna Fegi ("Saan Ka Na Kaya Ngayon"), and
Bituin Escalante ("Kung Ako Na Lang Sana"), among others. Though she liked all of the songs included in the album, Albert picked "Forevermore" as her personal favorite largely because the material was originally done by Side A, the same band that re-introduced Albert's "Tell Me" to local charts back in 2001. In 2012, Albert has performed in highly successful Philippine reunion concerts featuring all-star members of the defunct groups Circus Band and The New Minstrels. Albert spearheaded fundraising efforts for
Typhoon Haiyan in the
Vancouver metropolitan area. Tickets to her shows were by donation to the
Canadian Red Cross. She also finished another reunion concert with the New Minstrels and the Circus Band at the Music Museum in February 2014. In 2018, critic Ruel Mendoza cited Albert's rendition of "
Kumukutikutitap" (1987) as one of ten most enduring Christmas songs in the Philippines. The song was composed by National Artist for Music
Ryan Cayabyab and written by veteran film director and screenwriter
Jose Javier Reyes. During the 2019
Aliw Awards, Albert was declared Best foreign-based Filipino performer. The 32nd edition of the entertainment awards also saw popular singer-actress
Regine Velasquez winning the Entertainer of the Year Award. Tony and Olivier award-winning musical artist
Lea Salonga was elevated to the Hall of Fame. Albert marked her 40th year as a musical artist with Life Begins @ 40: 40 years of Joey Albert's Music, a solo digital concert on KTX.ph on July 11 and 12, 2021. ==Political views==