Ben&Ben’s Nine-Year Journey Takes the Spotlight in Spotify’s the Come Up

Ben&Ben’s songs have accompanied listeners through changing relationships, milestones and everyday moments. As the band celebrates nine years of music with the release of Nine, Spotify’s The Come Up revisits the milestones that helped build that connection with fans.

The feature follows Ben&Ben from early discovery to becoming one of the Philippines’ most widely streamed acts, while exploring why familiar songs continue to take on fresh meaning for the Liwanag community.

From Early Noise to a growing OPM audience

In 2017, while Ben&Ben was still a duo, the act became one of six Philippine artists featured in Spotify’s Early Noise program. The initiative introduced their music to listeners discovering emerging local talent.

A year later, “Kathang Isip” reached 10 million streams. Ben&Ben also appeared on the cover of Spotify’s Pinoy Chart-Toppers playlist, marking another step toward a broader OPM audience.

By 2020, the band had become Spotify Philippines’ Most Streamed Artist, according to the platform.

Those milestones form part of a longer relationship with listeners—one that has also included opportunities to explore the people and places behind the music.

For Pebble House, Vol. 1: Kuwaderno, Spotify launched Pebble House Corners, a virtual tour of the band house where the album was made. The experience gave fans a closer look at the setting behind the record.

In 2024, Spotify recognized Ben&Ben as a decade definer during its Philippine 10th anniversary celebration.

Familiar songs enter another chapter

That continuing relationship carries into Nine. The release includes “Lifetime (Reimagined),” bringing an earlier song into the band’s latest chapter. Ben&Ben also featured on the cover of Hot Hits Philippines alongside the track.

For the band, revisiting its music means recognizing how listeners have changed alongside it.

“Nine years of making music has also meant nine years of growing alongside our listeners, especially the Liwanag community,” Ben&Ben shared.

“We’ve seen songs we wrote years ago become part of very different moments in our listeners’ lives, sometimes in ways we never could have imagined when we first made them.”

The band describes Nine as both a message to its audience and a reflection of the relationships within the group.

“NINE is both a love letter to our listeners and a celebration of our friendship,” the band said.

Music that stays with listeners

Chesca Tan, Lead Editor for Spotify Philippines, said the band’s story illustrates how music can remain meaningful beyond its initial release.

“For Filipino listeners, music often becomes a way to remember a person, mark a milestone, or express something they can’t quite say themselves,” Tan said.

The Come Up places those personal connections alongside Ben&Ben’s streaming milestones. Together, they trace how early discoveries can become lasting favorites—and how a song can return to a listener’s life carrying a different meaning.

With Nine, Ben&Ben adds another chapter to that shared history with Liwanag.