"The Only One" starts off with a simple piano and vocal arrangement—akin to a Ben Folds song. Lee Miller Matsos uses his low tones to keep the melody simple and not too distracting. What starts off as an emotional piano song starts creating a different feel around 20 seconds in. Similar to an anthem, the lyrics begin to take center stage and give more weight to the song.
One catchy set of lyrics that will stay in your head would be the “gotta live, live, live, live, live right now” part. It doesn’t feel as strong when you first hear it, but Matsos’ calming delivery will have you repeating the lines over and over again. It’s quite ironic considering his preference to not belt out the song.
Midway through the track, it becomes a pop-rock affair that gives more weight to life. In fact, the longer you listen to the song, the more it gives out a stronger feel. It’s both an emo song as well as a positive song which is quite the conundrum. Similar to how New Wave music used to hide sad lyrics within an upbeat melody, Matsos’ does it in reverse.
The production doesn’t take much away from the intent as the simple guitar, bass, and drum setup lend to the simple vocals of the track. There are no backing vocals, giving more conviction to the “I’m the only one” lyric. It’s easy to imagine this song playing during an emotional moment in a movie or an episode—especially with how the lyrics end on a low note, yet with a ringing beat.
"The Only One" will play with your emotions. It’s both emotional and uplifting which may sound confusing at first, but it works.
Listen to "The Only One" on Spotify here:
You can check out Lee Miller Matsos’ Instagram here: