Ben&Ben gives ‘Leaves’ mature meaning with ‘reimagined’ version

MANILA, Philippines — Ben&Ben is breathing new life into its beloved ballad “Leaves” with a reimagined version that reflects the band’s growth over the past nine years.

Titled “Leaves (Reimagined),” the new rendition presents the familiar song from a more mature perspective, exploring themes of forgiveness, second chances, and the challenges of growing alongside the people who matter most.

Instead of attempting to replicate the original arrangement, Ben&Ben gives the song a fresh sonic identity through the addition of orchestral elements.

“We wanted to highlight how much more dynamic life is emotionally when you grow up and grow older, and for this project, we wanted to explore the use of orchestral sounds playing alongside the band,” Ben&Ben said.

“This is because we wanted to make the quiet parts more nuanced and the grand parts more emotional, but in a ‘lived-in’ way,” the band added.

For Ben&Ben, the new version also reflects how much both the group and its supporters, collectively known as Liwanag, have changed since “Leaves” was first released.

“Since we have grown up — and so have our Liwanag — in the past nine years, we wanted to encapsulate what that experience is like through the lyrics of this song,” the band said.

The group believes that forgiveness and giving someone another chance are inevitable parts of relationships that endure through different seasons of life.

“We think that if we are to live a life with someone constant with us, whether it be family, a best friend, or a romantic partner, the concept of giving someone another chance will always be a given,” Ben&Ben said.

The band also noted that reimagining “Leaves” required a different creative approach from “Lifetime (Reimagined),” which was released previously.

“Leaves definitely demanded a different creative process,” they said.

According to the group, revisiting their older songs has allowed them to discover how each track can evolve into its own story.

“One cool discovery we had was that even in the process of breathing new air into each song, continuing their respective stories leads into very different trajectories in many layers: melodically, lyrically, and musically. Each song really has a life of its own,” Ben&Ben said.

The release comes amid another milestone-filled year for the band.

In June, Ben&Ben was named Duo/Group Artist of the Year at the 17th PMPC Star Awards for Music for its work on the album “The Traveler Across Dimensions.”

The group is also among the nominees at the 39th Awit Awards, receiving nods for Record of the Year, Best Performance by a Group, and Best Pop Recording for “Saranggola.”

Ben&Ben is set to bring its music to a bigger stage with “Saranggola: The Concert,” scheduled for October 2 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

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