The new anthology brings together a collection of reimagined favorites and new song “Harinawa,” offering a reflective look at the band’s evolution and the road ahead
Manila,
Philippines – For nine years, Ben&Ben has grown
from a promising Filipino folk-pop collective into one of the Philippines’ most
accomplished OPM acts. With billions of streams, major awards, sold-out
concerts, and acclaimed performances on international stages, the nine-piece
band has built a catalog of heartfelt anthems that resonate deeply with
audiences at home and abroad. This year, the band adds another feather to their
cap with the release of Nine, an anthology album that looks back
on the music, memories, and experiences that defined Ben&Ben and
shaped them into what they are today while opening doors to what comes next.
Rather than a straight retrospective, Nine
serves as a musical time capsule of Ben&Ben’s first nine years: a
collection that captures where the band has been, who they have become, and
what they are still becoming. Gathering nine tracks that convey key moments in
their story, the 9-track record lives at the intersection of nostalgia and
discovery, comforting enough for longtime Liwanag (the
group’s fanbase) to recognize the impact of every reworked note, yet fresh
enough to offer new listeners an entry point into the band’s expansive sonic
world. Apart from simply looking back, Nine honors the longevity
of a friendship and creative partnership, reflecting a shared musical life that
continues to unfold with brighter results ahead.
“We celebrate the love we have for one another
and the bond we have built through the years,” says violinist Keifer Cabugao.
“We’re just deeply grateful, not only for everything the past has taught us,
but also for the gift of being present with one another today.”
Also worth mentioning is how Nine doubles
as an act of revisiting—or, for simpler context, reimagining. The anthology
features some of Ben&Ben’s most important songs through the perspective of
musicians who have lived with them for years. The band returned to the original
recordings, revisiting the instruments, arrangements, performances, and even
the people they were when the songs first came to life. In doing so, the
members discovered not only how much their music had changed but also how much
they themselves had changed alongside it. The resulting songs retain the
emotional DNA that first connected them with listeners while reflecting the
experience and maturity of a band that has now spent nine years creating
together.
“Reimagined, for us, is letting the songs grow
up with us,” explains lead vocalist and acoustic guitar player Paolo
Benjamin. “Our Liwanag, and we the band too, were molded by life a
lot in the past nine years. Hindi biro ang mga karanasang humubog sa aming
pagkatao nitong halos isang dekada na ang lumipas, parehong yung mga
maaliwalas at yung mga madilim na yugto. And from all these combined, there
was a burning desire to update the songs with our deeper, more nuanced
perspective in the present.”
The evolution is evident in the album’s
production and musical direction. Instead of radically reinventing the songs
for reinvention’s sake, Ben&Ben reimagined each track from the vantage
point of who they are as musicians in 2026. The arrangements reflect a band
that has spent years performing together, while the instrumentation and
production let familiar melodies move in new ways. Integral to the process was
the intention to bring the chemistry and immediacy of their live performances
into the studio, balancing stage energy with the precision and detail of a
recorded work. The result is an album that feels both lived-in and renewed:
recognizably Ben&Ben, but shaped by nearly a decade together.
“The influences and inspiration we truly
channeled in producing ‘Nine’ were literally our nine years of experience in
doing what we do—from our live show moments on stage and with Liwanag, to the
close relationships we’ve built with each other in the band,” shares lead
guitarist and backing vocalist Poch Barretto. “We really wanted to bring
our live music experience and musical chemistry into the studio. It was a fun
challenge for us to balance the energy of what we play live with the
refinements of a studio recording.”
The album also highlights the collaborative
relationships that have shaped Ben&Ben’s music over the years. JP Verona,
who has worked with the band since its first album and across much of its
recorded catalog, brought an understanding of the group’s core musical
identity. At the same time, producer Ziv contributed a newer perspective
that pushed the band toward fresher sonic possibilities. Poch led the
album’s full production, balancing the different creative directions and
ensuring that the recordings captured the band as it exists today. The project
also features the contributions of Luke and Eo on drums for songs
recorded during Jam Villanueva’s recovery from injury. Photographer and visual
artist Sara Erasmo translated the album’s themes of memory and journey
into its artwork and accompanying imagery.
Among the collection’s pivotal moments is its
focus track, “Maybe the Night (Reimagined).” The song played an
important role in the band’s history, as it was the first song the members
worked on from beginning to end as a nine-piece, arranged collectively in Jam’s
attic in 2017. Reimagined nearly a decade later, “Maybe the Night” becomes both
a return to the beginning and a reflection of how far the nine musicians have
traveled since then.
“Maybe the Night was the first song we
collaborated on from start to finish as nine,” shares bassist Agnes Reoma.
“Binigay namin lahat ng puso namin sa kanta na ‘to and it opened a lot
of opportunities for us, from our first ever Paskuhan, first official
movie soundtrack, to our first band trip abroad. This new album is a testament
to our journey, and ‘Maybe The Night (Reimagined)’ reflects how we have grown
as individual musicians and as a collective since that attic session.”
Alongside the reimagined songs, “Nine”
introduces a brand-new track, “Harinawa,” giving the anthology a
forward-looking conclusion. Written and completed in 2026, the band's ninth
year, it holds a specific place in the album’s chronological sequence. If the
reworked songs serve as vignettes of Ben&Ben’s past nine years, “Harinawa”
serves as the link to whatever lies beyond them. Carrying a spirit of
positivity and good energy, the song closes the anthology not with finality,
but with anticipation for the band’s next chapter.
“We hope for these nine songs to accompany
[Liwanag and our listeners] wherever they’re at in their lives right now,” says
percussionist and backing vocalist Toni Muñoz. “Hope comes in many
forms, and we wish for our music to be even just a glimpse of one of them.”
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Ben&Ben’s
new anthology album, Nine is out now on all digital platforms worldwide via
Sony Music Entertainment.
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