1986–1989: Career beginnings and Regine In 1986, Velasquez initially used the stage name Chona and released the single "Love Me Again", Velasquez adopted the stage name Regine at the suggestion of , Fernandez's husband and
The Penthouse Live! co-host. Henares served as an executive producer and worked with songwriters
Joaquin Francisco Sanchez and
Vehnee Saturno. Three singles were released in 1987: "Kung Maibabalik Ko Lang", " Urong Sulong", and "Isang Lahi". Two years after
Regine release, Velasquez represented the Philippines in the 1989 Asia Pacific Singing Contest in Hong Kong and won, performing the songs "
You'll Never Walk Alone" from the musical
Carousel and "
And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from the musical
Dreamgirls. which was originally recorded and performed by Maricris Bermont and written by Nonong Pedero for the 1978
Metro Manila Popular Music Festival. Later that year, she headlined her first major concert at the
Folk Arts Theater. She recorded "Please Be Careful with My Heart" with
Jose Mari Chan, who released the track on his album
Constant Change; she also sang backing vocals on
Gary Valenciano's "Each Passing Night", which appears on his album
Faces of Love. In 1991, Velasquez made her North American concert debut at
Carnegie Hall in
New York City, a first for an Asian solo artist. British theatrical producer
Cameron Mackintosh later invited Velasquez to audition for the
West End production of the musical
Miss Saigon. She received a letter from the production offering to train her in
London, which she declined: partly due to her lack of experience in musical theater, and also because she wished to remain with her family. It includes
cover versions of recordings by
National Artist for Music recipients
Ryan Cayabyab,
Lucio San Pedro, and
Levi Celerio. The album's lead single, titled "Buhay ng Buhay Ko", was originally recorded by
Leah Navarro and was written by Pedero, One of its singles, "
Sana Maulit Muli", won the Awit Award for Best Performance by a Female Recording Artist in 1994.
1994–1998: Listen Without Prejudice and My Love Emotion Velasquez released her fifth studio album
Listen Without Prejudice in 1994. The album was released in several countries in Southeast and East Asia, including China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. Gonzales commended the record's themes and said, "Cheung's presence on the duet had much to do with the overseas success". was described by Gonzales as a "triumph [and] an outstanding vehicle, containing a strong melody and
hook in the chorus". The album made a combined regional and domestic sales of 250,000 copies. Velasquez left PolyCosmic in 1998, and signed a six-album contract with the MJF Company. That year, her ninth studio album
Drawn was released.
Drawn sold more than 40,000 copies and was awarded a platinum certification within two weeks of its release.
1999–2003: R2K and Reigne " during her
R2K Concert in April 2000 Velasquez produced most of her next album
R2K, which was released on November 27, 1999. She recorded remakes of
Jeffrey Osborne's "
On the Wings of Love",
Dionne Warwick's "
I'll Never Love This Way Again",
Aerosmith's "
I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing", and
ABBA's "
Dancing Queen", among others. Commercially,
R2K sold more than 40,000 copies in its second week of release, earning a platinum certification,
R2K has since been certified twelve times platinum, becoming the highest-selling album by a female artist in the Philippines. which began with
Kiribati Line Islands and ended in
American Samoa. Velasquez headlined and directed the
R2K Concert at the
Araneta Coliseum in April 2000,
Ricky Lo from
The Philippine Star was generally impressed with the production and complimented Velasquez's "boundless energy and creativity". She also performed a concert at the Westin Philippine Plaza that year, which spawned the release of her first live album
Regine Live: Songbird Sings the Classics in December 2000. the album was certified six times platinum. Other singles were
Tats Faustino's "Dadalhin" and
Janno Gibbs' "Sa Aking Pag-iisa". Gonzales called the album "an adventurous set" and praised the quality of the songwriting. Velasquez won the inaugural
2002 MTV Asia Award for
Favorite Artist Philippines in February 2002. She performed "
Cry" with
Mandy Moore to promote the theatrical release of Moore's film
A Walk to Remember. In March, Velasquez hosted the first season of
Star for a Night, which is based on the
British talent show of the same name. In April, she headlined a benefit concert called
One Night with Regine at the
National Museum of the Philippines, which was a collaboration with
ABS-CBN Foundation to benefit
Bantay Bata Foundation's child abuse response fund. The show won Best Musical Program at the
7th Asian Television Awards. At the
2003 MTV Asia Awards, Velasquez won her second consecutive award for Favorite Artist Philippines. In May 2003, she embarked on
Martin & Regine: The World Concert Tour with Nievera. The following month, Velasquez returned to host the second season of
Search for a Star. That November, she had a concert residency named
Songbird Sings Streisand, a tribute to American singer and actress
Barbra Streisand, at
Makati's Onstage Theatre.
2004–2007: Covers Volume 1 and Volume 2 In February 2004, Velasquez and
Ogie Alcasid co-headlined a concert, The Songbird & The Songwriter, at the Araneta Coliseum, and they embarked on a North American tour that April. At the 17th Aliw Awards, she won Best Female Performance in a Concert and was nominated for Entertainer of the Year for the collaboration. Velasquez hosted the reality talent show
Pinoy Pop Superstar, which began airing on
GMA Network that July. In October 2004, she released "Forevermore", the lead single from her twelfth studio album
Covers Volume 1. Its songs were originally recorded by Filipino male artists, and it was her most expensive cover album to produce due in part to the cost of securing
licensing rights for songs by local songwriters, The album has since been certified six times Platinum. Later in November and December 2005, Velasquez had an eight-day concert residency named
Reflections at the
Aliw Theater. The sequel album
Covers Volume 2 was released in February 2006. Unlike its predecessor, it contains songs by foreign artists, including
Alanis Morissette's "
Head Over Feet",
Blondie's "
Call Me", and
Elvis Presley's "
Blue Suede Shoes".
Manila Bulletins Jojo Panaligan was generally impressed with Velasquez's "versatility" and the album tracks' "jazzy and blues-y interpretation". In 2007, she became co-host of the reality television show
Celebrity Duets, an interactive music competition based on the
eponymous original US show.
2008–2012: Low Key and professional hiatus concert at the
Mall of Asia Arena in 2013|alt=A woman in a sequined strapless gown holding a hand-held microphone Velasquez developed other television projects in 2008. She appeared in
Songbird, a weekly late-night musical television show that featured performances by musical guests. She also featured in the musical television special
The Best of Me, which was filmed at her residence in
Quezon City. Velasquez signed a deal with
Universal Records and released an album titled
Low Key in December 2008. The album consists of cover versions of international songs that she described as "more relaxed, laid-back and restrained". It includes tracks such as
Billy Joel's "
She's Always a Woman",
Dan Fogelberg's "
Leader of the Band", and
Janis Ian's "
At Seventeen". The
Philippine Daily Inquirer praised the album's maturity and wrote, "[Velasquez] no longer shrieks and shouts as much as she used to". The album sold more than 25,000 copies within two months of its release and was certified platinum. In May 2009, she appeared on the television documentary
Roots to Riches, which chronicles her personal and professional struggles, and includes musical performances filmed in her hometown of
Malolos, Bulacan. Later that month, she hosted the television talent show
Are You the Next Big Star?. Velasquez's next album, a
double CD set called
Fantasy, was released in December 2010. The
Philippine Daily Inquirer called the album "vocally sumptuous" and was generally impressed with Velasquez's vocals and range.
Fantasy received a platinum certification and earned three nominations at the 3rd Star Awards for Music. After receiving the
Magna Award at the
Myx Music Awards 2011, and the confirmation of her pregnancy, Velasquez took a hiatus from public engagements. She returned to television on October 6, 2012, with
Sarap Diva, a weekly lifestyle talk show. On November 16, Velasquez performed a concert titled
Silver at the
Mall of Asia Arena, which was cut short after she lost her voice due to a viral infection.
2013–2016: Silver Rewind and Hulog Ka ng Langit After Silver's cancellation, Velasquez restaged the concert on January 5, 2013. The concert received generally favorable reviews;
Manila Bulletins Jojo Panaligan called it a "redemption of reputation", while Dolly Anne Carvajal of the
Philippine Daily Inquirer said Velasquez did not fail to make up for the initial cancellation of the show. The following month, she co-headlined in Foursome alongside Alcasid, Fernandez, and Nievera. For both shows, Velasquez received four nominations at the 5th Star Awards for Music, winning Best Female Major Concert Act for Silver and Concert of the Year for Foursome. in 2015 In November 2013, Velasquez's album
Hulog Ka ng Langit was released; it received a platinum certification for two-week sales of 15,000 copies. She won Best Inspirational Record for "Nathaniel (Gift of God)" and Best Christmas Recording for "Hele ni Inay" at the 27th Awit Awards, while
Hulog Ka Ng Langit won Album Cover of the Year at the 6th Star Awards for Music. In 2014, she worked with Nievera in a one-night show titled Voices of Love, with
Gloc-9 on "Takipsilim", and with
Vice Ganda on "Push Mo Yan Teh!". In February 2015, Velasquez appeared alongside Nievera, Valenciano, and
Lani Misalucha in a concert titled Ultimate at the Mall of Asia Arena. She received accolades at the 47th Box Office Entertainment Awards, 7th Star Awards for Music, and 5th Edukcircle Awards for the production. In the same year, Velasquez served as a judge on the
sixth season of the reality talent television show
StarStruck. In November 2015, Velasquez headlined a four-date concert residency called
Regine at the Theater, which featured songs from musicals. For the third consecutive year, Velasquez appeared in a co-headlining concert at the Mall of Asia Arena in February 2016. The two-night show, Royals, reunited her with Nievera and also features
Angeline Quinto and
Erik Santos. Due to the concert's positive critical reception, Velasquez won Best Female Concert Performer at the 48th Box Office Entertainment Awards and Most Influential Concert Performer of the Year at the 6th Edukcircle Awards. In December 2016,
People Asia magazine included Velasquez on its annual People of the Year list.
2017–2020: R3.0 and television projects Velasquez hosted
Full House Tonight, which ran from February to May 2017. The following month, she announced that she had returned to Viva Records and that she had begun production of a new studio album called
R3.0. In August 2017, a cover of
Up Dharma Down's 2010 song "Tadhana" was released as a
promotional single. An original track called "Hugot" was released as the album's lead single the following month. In November she headlined the
R3.0 Concert at the Mall of Asia Arena, and two months later, with Alcasid, she played a four-date U.S. concert tour titled Mr. and Mrs. A. Velasquez hosted the
first season of the television talent show
The Clash, which premiered on July 7, 2018. In October, she signed a network deal with ABS-CBN; her subsequent projects included serving as a judge on the
Idol franchise series
Idol Philippines, and hosting the musical variety show ''
ASAP Natin 'To''. to critical appraisal centering on Velasquez's vocals. Sharon Cuneta and Velasquez co-headlined a concert,
Iconic, at the Araneta Coliseum in October 2019. For the show, she received the awards for Best Collaboration in a Concert and Entertainer of the Year at the 32nd Aliw Awards, becoming one of the few performers to win the latter honor thrice. Velasquez and
Moira Dela Torre released a single together, "Unbreakable", for the soundtrack of the
film of the same name. She also contributed to the soundtracks of the thriller series ''
The General's Daughter (2019) and the drama series Love Thy Woman'' (2020). Having signed with BYS Cosmetics, Velasquez became the Australian beauty brand's ambassador. She released the promotional single, "I Am Beautiful", for their print media advertising campaign. In February 2020, Velasquez worked with
Sarah Geronimo on a joint concert titled
Unified. Amidst the
COVID-19 pandemic, Velasquez organized
virtual benefit concerts in support of relief efforts. She curated One Night with Regine on April 25, 2020, to benefit the Bantay Bata Foundation's COVID-19 response fund; the special raised million (US$77,000). That June, she worked with
Jollibee Foods Corporation and appeared in Joy From Home, which raised money in support of the brand's food aid program. In collaboration with Alcasid, Velasquez joined forces with
PLDT, Inc. for its No Learner Left Behind fundraiser. The initiative raised more than million (US$20,000) to help provide reliable internet access and
distance learning tools to students in rural areas and from disadvantaged families.
2021–present: Freedom, Solo, and Reginified concert residency in 2023
Freedom was Velasquez's first
livestream concert outside her benefit show ventures. Performed on February 28, 2021, at the
ABS-CBN Studios, it was broadcast via four live streaming platforms. Velasquez said she crafted the virtual show because of her desire to perform material from a variety of
music genres and step out of her comfort zone. Ticket sales grossed more than million (US$20,000) within twelve hours after they were made available for purchase. Additional VIP tickets were sold because of high demand. Critics commended Freedom's intimate production and Velasquez's vocal performances. She featured on
Davey Langit's single "Ipinagpanata Kita", released in August 2021. That year, she recorded the soundtrack themes for the drama series
La Vida Lena and the action series
Ang Probinsyano. At the 35th Awit Awards, Velasquez won Best Song Written for Movie/TV/Stage Play for her work on the latter. Velasquez spent much of 2022 working on television projects. She returned as a judge for the
second season of
Idol Philippines, which premiered on June 25, 2022. In August, she joined the
morning talk show Magandang Buhay as its host, replacing
Karla Estrada. She then appeared as a guest judge on the
first season of
Drag Race Philippines, a spin-off of ''
RuPaul's Drag Race''. At the 13th Star Awards for Music, Velasquez won Concert of the Year and was named Female Concert Performer of the Year for her work on Unified. Following its initial cancellation, Velasquez and Cuneta embarked on a U.S. concert series for Iconic, which commenced on July 9, 2022. After a two-year hiatus from headlining a live event, Velasquez staged a four-date concert residency, entitled
Solo, at the
Samsung Performing Arts Theater from February 1725, 2023. Featuring songs she has never performed before, Velasquez experimented with
disco,
funk, and
chill-out music styles on it. Reviewers praised Velasquez's mature artistry and vocals. Two extra dates in April were added to the itinerary after the show concluded its initial run. She then reunited with Cuneta on a second U.S. leg of the Iconic tour in March. On October 13, 2023, Velasquez released a cover of
Roxette's "
It Must Have Been Love", the lead single from her upcoming studio album,
Reginified, which would feature remakes of songs she performed in previous concerts and televised appearances. At the Mall of Asia Arena in November 2023, she headlined
Regine Rocks, a themed concert exploring
rock music and its
subgenres. It was followed by a three-date U.S. leg in February, and a re-staging in April. ==Acting career==