Most people know Joe Keery for his acting career, more specifically for his role as Steve Harrington in the hit Netflix show “Stranger Things”. But what some don’t know is that Keery is also a musician and has been releasing music under the name Djo (pronounced Joe) since 2019.
Many came to this realization after his 2022 song “End of Beginning” went viral early last year, after nearly two years of its initial release on his sophomore album, DECIDE. The track now has over one billion streams and is the biggest single of his career so far.
Djo has released three albums. His debut album, titled Twenty Twenty, came out in 2019, and his second album, titled DECIDE, was released three years later, in 2022. The three-year gap continued with the release of his third album, The Crux, in 2025. Released on April 4th, this album was highly anticipated by Djo fans around the globe. His sophomore album was a fan favorite, and many were curious to see if The Crux could live up to its predecessors.
As a Djo fan myself, I wondered the same. DECIDE is one of my favorite albums of all time, so I was heavily looking forward to this project for months. I think it’s safe to say that it’s a close competition.
Keery really digs into his soul with this album, it being his first release as himself and not the persona he built around the Djo character. In past years, he wore blonde wigs and white jumpsuits at concerts to disguise his recognizable “Steve-the-hair-Harrington” haircut. He didn’t want his fame from acting to be the cause of his fame as a musician.
The project starts strong, with three upbeat indie rock songs back-to-back: Lonesome Is A State Of Mind, Basic Being Basic, and Link.
The individualistic perspective of track 1 shares a personable message that loneliness truly is a state of mind. You make things how you perceive them, and being alone is only being lonely if that’s how you see it. It’s a great opening song to introduce the album and its upcoming tracks.
Keery has included background sound effects in all of his past projects, and he ties back to that in this song. Throughout the song, you can hear the sound of a nearby train, camera shutters, and a passing car. Each effect correlates with the lyrics being sung at the same time.
Leading single Basic Being Basic’s sarcastic tone sets the scene of Djo’s past relationship. From being a “cheugy-phobe” to having a “Tarantino movie taste,” Keery criticizes his ex’s basic personality throughout the tune. The song also features vocals from two of his sisters, Emma and Kate Keery.
Link, the third track of the album, is very relatable to high school students who are in their senior year. It showcases the confusion some have after graduation, and the loss one can feel when they don’t know what to do next.
The album slows down a little with the next few songs. “Potion” is track four of “The Crux” and deals with the hassle of trying to find the right person for yourself. “I’ll try for all of my life/ to find someone who leaves on the light for me,” Keery expresses in his lyrics.
“Delete Ya” describes Djo trying to forget his past relationship. In this Police-inspired single, he refers to his “Stranger Things” castmates: “Team up with Charlie/ take these kids for a ride.” The Charlie in this lyric is Charlie Heaton, who plays Jonathan Byers in the Netflix TV Show alongside Keery.
But that’s not Heaton’s only appearance. After songs “Egg” and “Fly”, the 8th track, titled “Charlie’s Garden,” features Heaton’s convincing American accent in the form of a voicemail to Keery. The song is about how Keery lived near Heaton and his girlfriend, Natalia Dyer, who played Nancy Wheeler, during the filming of Stranger Things Season 5. Many fans compared the instrumentals of this song to The Beatles’ style of music.
After track 9, Gap Tooth Smile, a gushy love song about a girl he is in love with, Keery pays homage to his family in “Golden Line” and “Back On You.” “Golden Line” focuses on his parents and how everything Djo does is done for them. “Yes, it’s true/ I do it all for you.” This emotional ballad is simple yet powerful, and shows the influence parents have on their children. “The world can be so cruel/ But I still trust in love/ I find that trust in you”.
The song then transitions into “Back On You,” with an opening from the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. Written about his sisters, Emma and Kate Keery return to the mic, providing background vocals in the song. Lizzy Keery also provides stomps and claps to the background instrumentals. Back On You ends with more vocals from the choir and a guitar solo; two things that one wouldn’t usually expect together, but they beautifully combine to conclude the second-to-last track of The Crux.
After ending the album with its title track, “Crux,” the portal to Djo’s soul is complete. Keery meant it when he said he wanted to make the album personal and open. Each song is uniquely different, from the lyrics to instrumentals, making “The Crux” a must listen to all music lovers, and a necessary Grammy winner.
Here is my personal ranking of the album from my favorite to least favorite:
- Potion
- Basic Being Basic
- Lonesome Is A State Of Mind
- Link
- Delete Ya
- Back On You
- Gap Tooth Smile
- Charlie’s Garden
- Fly
- Egg
- Crux
- Golden Line
