2006-2008: 20th Anniversary and Independent Record Label Launch

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2006 marked Velásquez 20th Anniversary in showbiz. She released the album Covers Volume 2, featuring covers of international hit songs including Elvis Presley's "Blue Suede Shoes" and The Beatles' "Come Together". All of the songs were presented with new arrangements in various musical genres. The first single was "Hold Me In Your Arms," covering the Southern Sons song.

Her Valentine concert at the Araneta Coliseum, Forever After, co-starred Ogie Alcasid, Rico Puno, and Ai Ai de las Alas. She and Pops Fernández staged the North American leg of the Queens on Fire concert tour in the spring of 2006. The Forever After tour was staged in key US cities and at the Wembley Arena in London.

On August 13, 2006, the Sharon Cuneta Show devoted an to Velásquez. In the middle of 2006, together with manager Cácai Velasquez, boyfriend Ogie Alcasid, and brother-in-law Raul Mitra, Velasquez launched the IndiMusic record label. As part of her 20th anniversary celebration, she staged Twenty concert, at the Araneta Coliseum in mid-October 2006. Velasquez also recorded "Maghihintay Ako," the theme song for the sci-fi telenovela Atlantika.

In 2007, People Asia magazine's "People of the Year" honored her with the Exemplary Achievement Award, shared with three others. On March 14, Velásquez together with Kuh Ledesma represented the Philippines in the Mosaic International Music Festival in Singapore held at the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay.

Her movie, Paano Kita Iibigin, opened on May 30, 2007. The movie was the first co-production between Viva Films and Star Cinema which is owned by media conglomerate ABS-CBN. A soundtrack, featuring solos and duets by the co-stars, was released by Star Records, the first time Velasquez produced an album outside Viva Entertainment. The theme song was penned by Ogie Alcasid.

In August 2007, Velásquez and Alcasid started hosting Celebrity Duets (Philippines) on GMA 7. The show pairs up local personalities with local professional singers. Velásquez also endorsed Vicki Belo's "Belo Essentials," which includes singer Zsa Zsa Padilla and model/TV personality Lucy Torres. This year she recorded the theme song of GMA's remake of MariMar. In October 2007, she appeared on the cover of the fashion magazine "Preview".

Velásquez attended the 2007 Aliw Awards held at Palacio de Maynila and won "Best Major Concert Act (Female)" for her 20th year anniversary concert at the Araneta Coliseum. Velásquez was also awarded "The Most Successful Artist of the Year" award by Walk Of Fame Philippines on December 4, 2007 in Eastwood, Quezon City.

Velásquez had a featured performance on Korean television KBS1 entitled Window of Asia showcasing her life.

She also starred a weekly musical variety show on GMA7 titled Songbird which premiered May 15, 2008.

The "Up Close and Personal" solo U.S concert tour started in May 2008.

A series of concerts with Lani Misalucha started with a tour of the US and Canada in September 2008 before moving to Manila in 2009. Also in 2008, Velásquez released her 15th studio album, Low Key, which earned a certified gold status three days after its release. In December 2008, she performed with Pops Fernández, Kuh Ledesma, and Zsa Zsa Padilla in the biggest concert of the year at the Araneta Coliseum dubbed as Divas 4 Divas.