Djo’s ‘The Crux’ reveals vulnerability, insecurity behind Joe Keery’s fame
Joe Keery, who also plays the beloved character Steve on "Stranger Things," also has a music career with the stage name Djo. His latest album, "The Crux," details how unfulfilled he feels with his career. Emma Lee | Contributing Illustrator
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Joe Keery, known for his character Steve on the show “Stranger Things,” showcased another facet of his identity with his new album “The Crux.”
Djo’s music peels away the curated image of the “Stranger Things” actor and lets fans resonate with his real self, proving he’s more than his Netflix work and his viral TikTok song “End of Beginning.”
Released on April 4, “The Crux” details Djo’s deep feelings of inadequacy with his career. While his accomplishments might be impressive, Djo reflects that they aren’t internally fulfilling.
His third studio album, featuring 12 songs, has a distinct sound that isn’t entirely reminiscent of his past works, but instead is something newer and different. Along with the album, Djo will be going on his first world tour, spanning from April to September 2025.
In an interview with Pitchfork, Djo described the record as “a hotel housing guests who are all, in one way or another, at crossroads in their life.”
Djo has to figure out where he fits on those crossroads, or the crux, which is why the main visual element is a hotel on the album cover. Throughout the album, Djo seems familiar with staying somewhere short-term and not knowing where to go next, as well as not having a real home.
The first track, “Lonesome Is A State Of Mind,” gives us a window into Djo’s thoughts. The song starts with a melancholy, almost robotic tune, like something you’d hear at the start of a video game. Djo reflects on his life worries for the future, not knowing what’s to come.
The repetition of lyrics throughout the song demonstrates how life can feel repetitive when you’re lonely. Djo knows that this is a feeling that resonates with people — doing the same things over and over again on your own.
Moving further into the album, Djo examines his feelings in relation to society and its l expectations. In the third track, “Link,” Djo wrestles with the fact that all that he’s done with his life doesn’t make him happy.
“I just graduated, top of my class / Furthest from the last / So why do I feel so bad? / So why do I feel so bad?” Djo sings.
With a whining intonation in the lyrics and the driving sound of drums in the background, the song is reminiscent of ‘70s and ‘80s rock. But, Djo adds his own twist with a passionate and emotional touch to the lyrics.
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“Delete Ya” is dedicated to a former romantic interest. The deep vocal tone and smooth instrumentals at the beginning of the song are reminiscent of Her’s’ music. Djo wishes he could let go of a person who broke his heart and he questions how they were able to leave so easily after just two weeks.
He uses social media, which he’s not active on other than promoting his music, as a metaphor. Djo wishes he could “delete” her from his life but struggles to – ironic for someone who is seemingly unattached to social media.
My favorite track on the album, “Egg,” is next. The song details Djo’s fear of not being enough. He wishes he could be somebody else and feels like crawling out of his skin.
The tempo builds as Djo repeats the lyric, “You just gonna let fear take that?” over and over again. Through the words and sound of the music, he represents the feeling of being helpless, of wanting to be more than you are but feeling that you can’t.
Similar to the other songs on the album, the music picks up in the second half. All of the lyrics come to an abrupt stop and the song ends, leaving the listener with unresolved feelings.
With the album’s close, Djo speaks to the larger idea of the work: everyone is connected. Djo continues themes of repetition in “Crux.” He’s trying to find his way back to his heart before it turns cold from his overwhelming loneliness.
The irony with this feeling of isolation is the scale of his popularity. The repetitive piano keys back the lyrics in the song, making a lasting and impactful impression on the listener as they leave the experience of this album behind.
“The Crux” reminds listeners loneliness is a universal feeling. hile things may look good on the outside, they don’t always reflect reality. Every song on this album was unpredictable, but the songs still blended well together, one transitioning into another seamlessly.
As Djo progresses in his music career with this album and upcoming world tour, he will also continue as the forever babysitter figure on “Stranger Things,” which is returning for a final season set to release this year.
Hopefully, meeting fans on tour and appearing on the screen again will make Djo feel like life has meaning.
