Ben&Ben distills nine years into anthology album Nine with reimagined favorites and new track “Harinawa”

# What Nine is and why it matters

Ben&Ben released Nine, a nine-track anthology that looks back on the band's first nine years by reimagining select songs and adding a new composition titled "Harinawa." The project is presented as more than a greatest-hits collection: the band returned to earlier recordings and updated arrangements to show how the songs and the musicians have changed together.

# How the band approached reimagining

Lead vocalist Paolo Benjamin described the approach in emotional terms, saying the band was shaped by many life experiences over the past nine years and felt a desire to update the songs "with our deeper, more nuanced perspective in the present." Violinist Keifer Cabugao framed the album as a celebration of the band's friendship and the creative partnership they continue to build.

# Production and collaborators

Guitarist and backing vocalist Poch Barretto led the album's production, balancing different creative directions and translating live chemistry into studio recordings. longtime collaborator JP Verona, who has worked across the band's recorded catalog, contributed institutional knowledge of Ben&Ben's identity. Producer Ziv brought a newer viewpoint that nudged the band into fresh sonic territory.

# Musical and sonic goals

The production intent was explicit: capture the immediacy and chemistry of Ben&Ben's live performances while retaining studio detail. The arrangements are designed to feel lived-in and renewed—recognizably Ben&Ben but shaped by nearly a decade of performing and recording together.

Poch said the influences behind Nine were the band's nine years of experience, including live show moments and close relationships within the group. That experience guided decisions on instrumentation, dynamics, and how much of the stage energy to translate into recorded form.

# Highlight track: Maybe the Night (Reimagined)

# What the anthology signals about the band's trajectory

Nine functions as a musical time capsule. It documents where the band has been, who they have become, and what they continue to become. The collection connects longtime fans—Liwanag—to updated performances while offering an accessible entry point for new listeners into Ben&Ben's catalog.

The project also reiterates a practical creative choice: revisiting past work when the band feels it can add perspective and technical growth, rather than replacing or ignoring earlier versions. The result aims to be both comforting to fans familiar with the originals and revealing to those hearing the songs for the first time.

# Practical details

The anthology includes nine tracks and features one new song, "Harinawa." Production credits include Poch Barretto, JP Verona, and producer Ziv, with Luke and Eo contributing drums on some recordings during Jam Villanueva's recovery. Artwork and imagery were created by Sara Erasmo.