Regine Velasquez-Alcasid On Time, Change, And Learning To Sing Again

There are voices that arrive, dazzle, and disappear, but there are a rare few that find a permanent place in the hearts of millions — that’s Regine Velasquez-Alcasid.

For four decades, her music has soundtracked love and loss, longing and celebration, across generations of Filipinos. It has echoed through concert halls and living rooms alike, heard in quiet moments as much as in grand ones. To speak of Regine Velasquez-Alcasid is to speak of Filipino music itself. 

In 2026, she marks her 40th anniversary in music. At this stage of her career, she has released an expansive body of work, mounted landmark concerts, and lent her voice to songs that have long since cemented their place in the country’s rich musical history. All these are achievements that, for many artists, would signal a kind of completion.

But for Asia’s Songbird, it simply marks the beginning of a new chapter. 

After 40 years, now at 55, Velasquez-Alcasid is still, at her core, exactly who she was when she started: a girl who just wanted to sing. But time, as it does, has brought change. 

Tested by the challenges of aging, she now navigates a different version of the singer that she is — re-learning how to sing as she goes through menopause and accepting an admittedly scary yet exciting phase of her career.

It is, in many ways, unfamiliar territory. And yet, she steps into it the same way she always has: with honesty, with courage, and with a love for music that refuses to die.

In this intimate conversation with Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, she reflects on Filipino music, the changes that come with age, and the meaning of legacy.

Billboard Philippines: This 2026, you’re celebrating 40 years in music. Four decades is an extraordinary milestone; after all these years, what keeps your love for music and performing alive? 

Velasquez-Alcasid: My love and passion for singing will never, ever die. 

Even in my house, I sing; you know how some people will sing in the shower, I still do that. When I cook, I don’t even realize that I sing. As soon as I wake up in the morning, I find myself wanting to hear music. So, my love for music will always be there because I think it’s in my blood. 

I remember, me and my husband, as soon as the sun sets, we would go down and we would listen to OPM songs [and watch the sunset]. We would do that everyday when I was pregnant with Nate. We love it so much.

We also have a collection of vinyls that we love. Sometimes, my husband, when he’s home — because he’s busy right now — I would hear him playing records because we have a whole collection of old songs. 

What’s your favorite record? 

I love OPM. Nonoy Zuñiga, sila Pilita Corrales, sila Kuh Ledesma. Yung mga Metro Pop, Basil Valdes. Filipino music just sticks differently. 

I know what you mean. I recently watched Nonoy Zuñiga perform “Araw Gabi” at a festival. It was my first time seeing him live and hearing the original song like that, it was so moving. 

Oh yes, and it hits you differently, no? The lyrics. And if you noticed, the way they wrote the songs before — [Ryan Cayabyab] was telling me, kung paano mo daw sasabihin ‘yung Tagalog (how you say the Tagalog) words, it’s how you would sing it. 

Parang sa ‘biruin mong nasabi ko,’ that’s how you say it, so that’s how you would sing it.

That’s so interesting, so they were very intentional with the lyrics.

Yes, tama ‘yung syllabication, kumbaga. Hindi siya mali. ‘Yung phrasing tama. So, kung paano mo sinabi, that’s how it’s sung. It’s amazing. 

Kasi ngayon, hindi na gano’n eh. Mali, mali na ‘yung phrasing nila. Kaya pag may naririnig akong Tagalog song na mali ‘yung phrasing, I’m like, “Mali yan.” Kasi before, they’re very conscious of that. The Filipino language kasi, ‘di ba maraming magkaparehong words? It’s the intonation, so pag mali mo siya kinanta or mali mo siya sinabi, iba na ‘yung meaning. 

(Yes, the syllabication and phrasing was right. How you would say it is how you would sing it. It’s amazing. Now, it’s not like that. The phrasing is all wrong. That’s why when I hear a Filipino song where the phrasing is wrong, I’m like, “That’s wrong.” Before, they were very conscious of that. The Filipino language has a lot of the same words, but it’s the intonation that makes it different so if you sing it wrong, the meaning changes.)

I heard you’re working on a new album. What is it like working and releasing new music as you hit this milestone?

It’s the same. 

The same? In what way?

It’s the same. I love the whole process of producing an album, it’s just that I get lazy. I don’t know why; I love the whole process of producing, I love creating. It’s just that as I get older, alam mo ‘yung parang wala lang, ‘yung tamad ka lang [I just get lazy].

This new album kasi is going to be all originals. 

I love doing mga revivals. The reason for that is I love old songs and I love introducing them to the new generations. I grew up listening to these beautiful songs and I wanted to introduce them. 

Pero ngayon parang (But now), I think people also want to hear me sing original songs naman, so now I’m recording original songs.

That’s exciting. What is the album sounding like right now?

I’m experimenting right now. I love experimenting, pero parang medyo nandun ako sa mga old sounds. I’m doing an homage to the sound of the ’80s and the ’90s kind of, kasi parang nandun din naman ‘yung sound na uso ngayon. 

(I’m experimenting right now. I love experimenting, but I really like old sounds right now. I’m kind of doing an homage to the sound of the ’80s and the ’90s, because that’s also what’s trending right now.)

Are you producing this album as well? 

Yes, I am.

How did you approach the production process compared to your previous albums? 

Since it’s all originals, I have more freedom to experiment, I suppose. And what’s cool about it is that ‘yung mga songwriters, ang gara ng mga songs na binigay nila sa akin. And ‘yung range, ang lawak.

I’m very, very happy and very, very proud of it. I’m so excited, I’ve been working on it, actually. Ang bilis kong natapos ‘yung lineup.

(Since it’s all originals, I have more freedom to experiment, I suppose. And what’s cool about it is that the songwriters gave me songs that are really nice, and the range is so wide. I’m very, very happy and very, very proud of it. I’m so excited, I’ve been working on it, actually. I finished the lineup quickly.)

So, you’re recording now? 

I think I’m gonna start recording in April. Right now, I’m just farming out who’s going to do the arrangement and all that. And just calling them and telling them what I want to do with this particular song and all that.

That’s the exciting part: explaining to them that this is what I want to do with this. Because I also love to do backups, so I’m trying to arrange what I’m going to do with the backups and all that. 

As you mentioned, you’ve never been adverse to experimenting. You did ‘Regine Rocks.’ I remember you did a disco-funk concert before, ‘Solo.’ What is the most exciting part of working on a new genre, working on a new sound? 

The most exciting thing is doing things that I’ve never done before. Like doing a whole concert, like a rock concert, which I’ve never done before. I thrive on that. I get bored, eh.

I also wanted to offer something new to my audience, they always see me do my usual birit stuff. Normally, in a concert, I always give them something new anyway, it’s always something that they’ve never seen before. It’s just what I do.

Even with my album, I always experiment with different genres kasi nainip din ako (because I get bored as well). I also like to see what else I can do with my voice. I also want to know what my limitations are, what else I can do, or what else I can do, what else I can’t do. Or even if I can’t do it, I’ll try it anyway. 

After all these years, do you still feel nervous doing something new, like when releasing new music or doing a new show?

I think it’s normal; it’s normal to be nervous. A couple of years ago, I didn’t get nervous anymore like I’ve gotten used to it. It was concerning.

But I feel that as I get older, the manifestation is different now. Lately, it’s different. I’m a little scared now, but you still do your best because that’s what you do. No matter what happens, you still try to do your best. 

How do you feel growing up in this industry?

Now that you’ve mentioned it, I just realized I did grow up in this industry. I started when I was very, very young, [at] 16. 

Growing up in this industry, I just realized I didn’t sign up for the scrutiny and all that. I didn’t sign up for any of that. Because I came in, you know… 

Just wanting to sing? 

Just wanting to sing. That was my dream. My dream was to become a singer, to become a recording artist. I wanted to help my family because my family was very poor. 

I didn’t sign up for the other stuff. That I will be ridiculed. You know, that people are going to say bad things about me. I didn’t realize that it was all part of it.

Had I known… Right? No one said anything. No one said anything to me that if you gained a little weight, show just a tiny change, everyone talks about it. That if you make a mistake, it will be all over social media. That if your voice changes, it’s like a mortal sin that you’re not supposed to do. 

No one said anything about it to me, and it’s sad. I didn’t sign up for that. No one said anything to me about that. 

As you grew up, as you obviously went through a couple changes every now and then, were there some things that you had to learn again or unlearn even, especially to the parts of your career that were outside of singing? 

Those things, you just learn them as you grow up. You adjust. You mean you try to adjust, right? 

But, come to think of it now though, I’m thinking, ‘But why?’ Why was there a need to do that?

Like I remember when I was in my 20s and I was becoming curvy. People are like, “Oh, why?” Why not? I’m a woman. There’s nothing wrong with being curvy. And people are looking at you as if you did something wrong just because I was becoming a woman. What’s wrong with that? I couldn’t understand it. 

It’s like you’re doing something wrong, but you were just becoming a woman. You were just growing up. 

I was just growing up.

Or, for example, I was in my 30s and still didn’t have a relationship. And they were forcing me to have a relationship. Yeah, but I’m okay. It’s my choice to not have a relationship because I haven’t seen anyone that I liked. What? I’m going to force myself? 

That’s true. 

Don’t you see? I’m busy. I choose to have this kind of life because I don’t like anyone. Wala ako mahanap na gusto ko (I wasn’t attracted to anyone). Pina-pair nila ako with… kasi akala nila, pag nag movie ako, “Bagay ka kay ganto,” pero ayoko eh (I would get paired with whoever I starred with in a movie, but I wouldn’t want to).

I was also taking care of myself. I wanted to be sure. Alangan namang na after the movie, wala na kami. Ano ‘yun? (What if we broke up after the movie?) I was taking care of myself. I want to be sure that I’m gonna be in, that’s gonna be it. 

Ayokong pumasok sa relationship na ganon tapos broken-hearted na naman ako. Ayoko kasi nang ganoon, ayoko na madami. Gusto ko na isa lang pero ‘yun na ‘yun.

(I don’t want to get into relationships for the sake of being in one and get my heart broken every time. I just want to be in one that lasts.)

Pero pinipilit nila ako dati (But people would be persistent). I don’t understand it. I don’t get it. You get what I mean? When you do get a relationship, they will scrutinize you. When you don’t, they still scrutinize you. 

You do or you don’t, they still have something to say. 

But you get what I mean? Pag babae (With women), there’s so much judgement. When you’re single, when you’re in a relationship, so much judgment. Parang ang dami masyado ano pag babae ka, ‘yun lang (Women have so much to deal with).

I want to ask about your voice, because your voice has been a benchmark in Filipino music. How has your relationship with your voice changed over the years? 

It’s hard having a voice like mine. I’m 55, but I think people think I’m still in my 30s and they think my voice is still in my 20s. They think that I can still sing [like I did] in my early 20s, and they still expect me to sing that way. It’s hard.

They have compared me to so many singers in their 20s. It’s not fair. When you get older, your voice will change. And when you go through menopause, which I am experiencing, it will change.

My voice has gone through changes and this is the worst it has been. There is such a thing as a menopause voice, kasi parang kung wala ka nang estrogen, kumakapal yung vocal cords mo (because when your estrogen runs out, your vocal cords get more tender).

My vocal cords got paralyzed for a while, so during the rock concert, it wouldn’t follow my instructions. I had such a hard time in that concert kaya parang gumagaralgal (my voice was hoarse). I had such a hard time, I was on steroids the whole time I was doing the concert. 

I remember, I had a concert in February and I was fine. It was in the same year, ‘Regine Rocks’ was November, it just suddenly changed. Just like that, it suddenly changed — just because I was in menopause. 

Do you feel like that’s why you’re scared now whenever you go on stage? 

Yes, because it’s so unreliable. Nowadays, it’s a little bit okay because I’m on HRT — Hormone Replacement Therapy — but it’s still unreliable. 

That’s why sometimes people will say, “Ay, nasira na boses niya,” because meron akong vocal fry, parang ‘yung gumagaralgal (people will say that my voice is ruined because I have vocal fry). That’s the number one [sign] of menopause voice. You can’t do anything about it. Nag voice lessons na ko (I’ve had voice lessons), I had my vocal cords checked. Nothing.

That’s just really how it goes? 

That’s just how it goes. I mean, maybe vocally, I can train. I’ve been training every day. I’m warming up every day. I’m trying to sing at least three times a week, but sometimes it just doesn’t want to work. That’s how it is. It’s nature. 

So, there were a lot of things that you had to relearn about singing at this stage of your career.

Yes. The word “relearn” is actually very accurate. I’m at the point of just accepting where I am and where my voice is right now. Ganun talaga (It is what it is); you cannot change it. 

Sabi nga ng asawa ko (My husband said), “You’re still Regine. You still can sing. It’s just different, it’s just another version of you. You just need to accept these changes that you’re having now, you just have to work with what you have.” ‘Yun lang ‘yun (That’s all there is to it).

And change is good. It’s inevitable. Ako, lagi ko na lang naiisip (I always think) that the 40 years that I’ve experienced having that big voice is wonderful. It’s more than enough. 

I still have my voice; it’s just different and I’m okay with that. It’s still exciting, it’s still an exciting chapter.

Speaking of, let’s look back on those incredible 40 years. Do you remember the first time you were called Asia’s Songbird? 

Gosh, I don’t even remember, but I know who gave me that title. It’s Ronnie Henares. It was in the ’90s. In the ’90s, nauso ‘yung mga titles (nicknames and titles were all the rage). I was starting to do concerts. and Ronnie was like, “You need to have a title.”

He thought I should be something, but he didn’t want me to be a star of something, he just wanted a simple, not so mayabang na (not so arrogant) title. So, he thought, “Maybe you should be called ‘Songbird.’” Humble title lang — just a songbird because anyone can be a songbird. 

With that title, was there any pressure that you felt to live up to? 

No, actually. Hindi kasi siya (It’s not) ‘star.’ And habang tumagal (as time went by), it became like a term of endearment, parang naging “Ate” (like “older sister”) ‘Yung mga bakla kong friends (My gay friends) call me Songbird, parang, “Songbird, kain tayo sa labas” (“Songbird, let’s eat out”). Naging ganon (Its use evolved), so I love the title — it became like a nickname. 

Has your definition of success kind of changed throughout the years? 

For me, being able to help my family, that’s my success. You know, all my siblings graduated from college, that’s my success. The other things are just the bonus. 

One of the words that describe you has always been ‘timeless.’ So, in an era of virality and streaming, what do you think still makes a song timeless? 

Something that stays with you. Kasi ‘yung virality, feeling ko madali mag viral eh, tapos madali ka lang din mapalitan (Virality is easy to achieve, and a viral song can easily be replaced). But something like “Kailangan Kita” — it’s a song that my husband wrote — it stays with you forever. It didn’t go viral, but it stays with you. It touches you.

When I hear that song, it makes me cry. And it stays with you when you hear it. What is with this song? Why does it make me feel this way? That’s timeless for me.

Or something like, “Sana Maulit Muli,” what is in this song? It just always moves you again and again. It moves you and it stays with you forever. That is, for me, a timeless song.

For my next question, I want to go back to Women In Music 2024. In your speech, you talked about your legacy and how you felt like you wouldn’t leave anything behind except for Nate. Is that something that you still feel? 

Yes, because your legacy really is your children. When you leave earth, people will forget. And that’s how it should be. In a couple of years, people will forget.

But your children will never forget you. Nate will never forget me, only because I am his mother. I realized that it’s really like that. That’s why your children are a blessing and they are going to be your legacy. 

It’s not the work that you do. It’s not the building that you put up. It’s your children. Because the building, it’ll fall, no one cares. It’s your children. That’s why, tama pala si God (God is right), you have to have children because it’s your last name that they carry. It’s your DNA that they carry. It’s not the stuff, it’s not your bag that they inherit. No. It’s your DNA that they carry.

A lot of people in the crowd, when you said that, disagreed. 

You have to remember, I do not write songs so I cannot leave anything. 

I only have my voice, I do not write songs. I only have my voice so wala akong iiwanan (I won’t leave anything); it’s really just my voice. It’s just my son who carries my DNA, so he really is my legacy.

If you could choose, is anything specific you want people, fellow artists to remember about you, or to remember about your career? 

That I was nice. 

Even when I was younger, they would ask me, “How do you want to be remembered?” That I was nice. I was nice to work with. I was easy to work with. The other things, I don’t care. I’m okay with that. I want to be remembered as that. Okay na ‘yun kasi ayoko ‘yung sasabihin ng tao na “Yeah, ang galing niya pero ang sama ng ugali niya” (I don’t want people to say that I was good but had a bad attitude).

When looking back on your 40 years, is there anything that you wish you could’ve done more of, differently? 

I wish I was a bomba star, I could’ve done that. (laughs) 

You know what? Nothing. 

I got married when I was old. Maybe I wish I could’ve done that when I was young. I wish I could’ve settled down much younger… but then again, maybe not. 

Because I really did everything for my career. I concentrated on my career. I did everything. I sang. I acted. I directed. I produced. So, I cannot really think of anything that I didn’t do for my career, and I’m glad I did. I have no regrets whatsoever as far as my career is concerned. 

Is there a moment that you’re particularly proud of? 

I’m proud of everything that I did because it was my decision. I decided that I wanted to act. No one forced me to do that. I decided to be a record producer. I decided to try and be a director for my concert. I directed my music video. So, I was actually very proud of myself for trying to do all those things. I don’t want to brag but I really did everything. I really did.

But I’m also happy that I was given the opportunity to do all those things. 

I’m very thankful to Boss Vic [Del Rosario] who gave me the chance to do all that, to be an actor, to be a director. Ronnie Henares, who was my former manager. I had so many dreams and he made it come true for me. My father, who supported me. Si Patty, who used to work for me. If I have a dream, she would look for someone to make it happen for me. GMA, whatever I think about, they were like, “Okay, go, go.” I’d have a concept and they would say, ‘Sige, gawin natin yan.’ 

Even [ABS-CBN]. I had this crazy idea that I wanted to do a concert in the National Museum and they made it happen for me. 

You know, I would always have this crazy idea and people would just make it happen for me. Isn’t that crazy? I would always have this concept in my head and people would just make it happen for me. I was so young and people would listen to my crazy ideas. It’s so weird. 

It’s because you’re nice. 

It’s because I was nice. I like that.

This interview was edited for brevity and clarity.

_{Photographed by Shaira Luna. Creative & Art Direction Gelo Quijencio. Styling by TeamRainXEm Rain Dagala & Em Millan assisted by Rio Camantigue, Elaine Villapando, James De Vera, & Hanns Enerlan. Makeup by RVA. Hair by Jonathan Velasco. Production Design by Chila Zialcita assisted by Jun Mojica, Anthony Vasquez, Allan Breis, & Anne Quiogue. Photography assisted by Emelito Lansangan & Karlo Baylon. Videographer Easel Manes. Production by Mika Cruz.} 

_{Written by Franchesca Basbas. Billboard Philippines, March 2026.}