Though I would have loved to see a full group comeback from them after January’s Skinz, OnlyOneOf’s Underground Idol project has been remarkably solid. Bar Junji’s middling Be Mine, both Yoojung’s Begin and KB’s Be Free have served as 2022 standouts, targeting my musical sweet spots whilst also working as great expansions of the groups growing BL story line. Now, with the soft rock tinged Because, Rie continues the trend set by the projects first two singles to deliver another excellent single.
Taking a lighter, more melodic approach, Because sonically acts as a great companion to Rie’s softer vocals. The filtered guitar and soft percussion come together to form a formidable blend, one that feels incredibly nostalgic whilst still retaining a nuanced, modern touch. In many ways, it sounds akin to the kind of track you would expect to find as a deep cut from from a late 2000’s Bigbang record or even one of those more emotive Brave Brothers tracks from the same era. Some pretty great comparisons if I do say so myself. Ones that easily earn Because bonus points in my book. Rie navigates through this slightly dreamlike soundscape incrediblely well, imbuing the strong, if slightly undercooked melody with the necessary personality to really elevate it into something quite great.
As with any great song, Because truly comes to life during its chorus. It’s evocative in the best way, letting Rie stretch his, up until this point, reserved performance to deliver a real knockout hook. This moment not only hits all of my musical sweet spots, but also references one of my all time favourite films in the form of Luca Guardanino’s seminal 2017 masterpiece, Call Me By Your Name. Now that, as biased as it may be, is one way to sell a song. And though the production could have gone even bigger during these more melodramatic moments and the verses could have been tighter, Because remains another fantastic entry into this surprisingly great project. One that continues to raise anticipation for the groups upcoming comeback whilst also standing as yet another strong song on its own.
Verses: 8
Chorus: 9
Production: 9
Performance: 9
Final Rating: 8.75 / 10
KBopped 
I dunno, I loved KB’s Be Free, and Begin was solid too, but I think I have been losing the Underground Idol scene since then. This is pretty decent, but I doubt it will last more than a few weeks. Then again, I said that for Be Free, and it still is stuck in my playlist.
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