Because is 19-year-old rap artist BJ Castillano who’s responsible for the hits “Marlboro Black,” “Sandali,” “OTW” and a handful of other songs that’s already catapulted him beyond 100 million streams. All this he did when he was just seventeen. The same age, he released his first full length album, the critically and peer-approved set “Heartbreak SZN” in 2018. He followed this up with another full album called “Rowena,” which included fan-fave tracks “Esmi,” “Direk,” and “Flightmode,” in 2019. And just to prove that he’s the most proficient rap artist of his age, he’s just released a new album entitled “Heartbreak SZN 2.”

Because kicks off his brand spankin’ new set with dramatic flair on opening track “Di Na” and lays the following premise: ‘No hearts safe.’ This as he sings the following couplet, “akala ika’y para sa ‘kin/ sinabing di wawasakin / ngunit ako’y sinungaling.” And over the course of 13 new tracks, over low key sounding chill Hiphop and alternately grooving numbers, Because presents his treatise on heartbreak and regret.

“It’s a whole album intended to make you cry inside the club,” stated the rapper. Sure enough he takes his listeners for an emotional ride, from the beginnings of (his) screw up (“Di Na”), to trying to fix the problem in the slow jam “Pwedeng Ayusin Natin ’to” featuring the popular Skusta Clee, to almost obsessing about it in the R&B inflected “No Signal” featuring his contemporary John Roa, harmonizing rap and melody as they warble “would you pick up the phone baby / meron lang mga tanong / tell me when it’s late at night / tell me do I cross your mind.”

It comes to a boil in “December” as he opens with “ayoko munang umuwi pakisabi sa’min / I just wanna get away from my f***ing problems.” This as a driving trap beat powers a moody piano riff across. “In the club now I’m wasted, eyes rollin’ alcohol in my system overflowin’ / I don’t even wanna know how I’m going home here / callin’ my mama on my phone sayin’ that I’m sorry.” Say he’s a jerk if you want and deserves for being so, but he sure does sound cool while he’s at it.

Besides being a lyrical wordsmith, Because put his other skills on display as he plays the piano motifs that open and carry the soft ballad-like quality of “Marlboro Black 2.” And that dissonant guitar solo at the outro of “December”? BJ Castillano, folks.

Because brings in some quality collabs in here. R&B and Hiphop singer Leslie supplies the sexy vibe on “BMW” as she sings “kahit anong pwesto, kung saan ka kuntento / yung titig ko deretso lang sa’yo habang binabayo.” Rappers Yuri Dope and M$TRYO join Because for a 3-way lyrical jam on “Sawi.” John Roa appears again on the excellent “Di Na Sana,” supplying the track’s main melodic hook as Because gives him the suitable harmonic contrast.

Accompanying Because throughout the album is his usual collaborator and producer Emmanuel Salen a.k.a. NexxFriday, whose musical tag “ooh, I got NexxFriday in this beat” open a handful of tracks on this album. A modern day Hiphop production whiz who, by this time is fully in sync with Because, that he could probably produce the latter snoring and still make a tune out of it.

Hot tracks in the album include the rumbling beats and sexy synth riff of “Zoom,” the relaxed and vibe-y “Shortcut,” guitar-textured and catchy “Lagi (All The Time)” and practically every other track in here.

And Because knows it too. Asked what song listeners should focus on, he points out, “to be honest I can’t decide. On past albums there are tracks that clearly stand out from each other but this album I feel is so cohesive.”

“It’s like a whole movie. I don’t really recommend skipping.”