Melissa Kacar

"End of Beginning" is a powerful reflection on a time - and even more so, a place - that continues to represent a very specific chapter of Djo 's life. At the heart of it, the song tells a coming‑of‑age story and serves as a love letter to the people and the city that shaped so much of who he is today. For Joe Keery , who has been releasing music under the pseudonym Djo since his debut album in 2019, this song marked a major breakthrough moment for him. Released in 2022, it captured the feeling of being on the precipice of a major life change while simultaneously looking back at how formative living in Chicago was for him. After moving there for college, he spent much of his early twenties auditioning for acting jobs, playing in his band Post Animal, waiting tables, and building a life there as a young adult on his own for the first time.  "And when I'm back in Chicago, I feel it, another version of me, I was in it," he sings in the chorus. "I wave go...

At its core, The Crux by Djo is a heartfelt ode to the people that have shaped him, along with his family and friends that have supported him through every phase of his life. Musically, this album pays homage to many of the influences he grew up with, signaling a nostalgic return to the sounds that inspired his love for music at an early age.  Djo is the musical pseudonym for actor Joe Keery, who is best known for his work in Stranger Things.  He first released music under Djo (pronounced the same as his first name) in 2019 with his debut album, Twenty Twenty . The decision to create under a stage name allowed him to separate his acting career from his music, encouraging listeners to approach his projects without any preconceived notions or expectations. His first two albums, Twenty Twenty and DECIDE , were mostly made at home alongside his close friend and frequent collaborator Adam Thein. Together, they crafted deeply personal records that were bold, experimental and intros...

Happy Record Store Day! One of the records I was looking forward to the most for this Black Friday event was the deluxe pressing of Djo 's 2022 sophomore album DECIDE . Djo is the alias for actor Joe Keery, who is best known for playing Steve Harrington in Stranger Things , as well as roles in Free Guy and Fargo , among others. He is one of my new favorite artists that I discovered this year, I absolutely love everything about this album.  DECIDE  focuses on Joe's deepest existential thoughts, his perception of life and relationship with fame in the digital age. Much of it was definitely written through the lens of the pandemic as well, which was an isolating and introspective time for many. His prominent influences on this record include artists like Daft Punk, Tame Impala, Devo and The Talking Heads, to name a few. Some of the instrumentals throughout sound straight out of a Nintendo video game too, which is such a cool reference to be drawing inspiration from with an album ...

"Gap Tooth Smile" is absolutely one of the brightest shining moments of Djo 's entire discography. It is so unapologetically direct and playful as he captures love with such sincerity. There's an earnestness and whimsy to it that just feels so genuine and inherently joyful. That, paired with the humor and confidence woven throughout, fully embodies all the reasons why Joe Keery is such a magnetic performer and songwriter. The way he captures such a specific, unconditional kind of love and admiration is so sweet. "Anything's cool if it's done with heart" feels like the thesis not just of this song, but of everything Joe does with his music.  Those traits shine through in every lyric. "There she is, gap-tooth smile, God, how lucky can a simple man be? One life living and a cat beguiled, I know that's my future looking right back at me," he sings in the opening lines. There are so many other really great lyrics that stand out that embody...