Atwood Magazine’s writers unpack Djo’s bold and introspective third album ‘The Crux,’ exploring its sonic playfulness, lyrical vulnerability, and emotional evolution as Joe Keery steps further into himself, navigating solitude, identity, and the search for truth through music.
Featured here are Atwood writers Anu Sarode, Ashley Littlefield, Claire Meyer, Dimitra Gurduiala, Miranda Urbanczyk, and Olivia Martinez!
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To start, what is your relationship with Djo’s music?
Miranda Urbanczyk: Discovering new music is a hobby of mine, which leads to great treasure. There are so many musicians that are waiting to be found. Before Djo was announced as Joe Keery’s musical project, I had seen the name on my Spotify recommendations. I never clicked on his music, and genuinely couldn’t tell you why. It’s easy to pass by new artists when you’re in the midst of learning the songs of multiple musicians. Once I found out that Joe Keery was Djo, I immediately recognized the artist’s name and dove right into his discography. Ever since that moment in 2022, he has been on my regular rotation of music.
Anu Sarode: Casual! To tell you the truth, I don’t know too much about Djo himself beyond that he’s an actor in Stranger Things and that I’ve heard his song “End of Beginning” a lot on the internet (which I love). You can see in his live performances his love for the music, and I have a lot of respect for that.
Olivia Martinez: I first encountered Djo’s music on Spotify when his song, “Chateau (Feel Alright)” was put on my Discover Weekly playlist back in 2019. I saved the song and included it in several of my own playlists throughout the following year or so. Eventually, I saw a picture of him and made the association with his character, Steve, from Stranger Things, realizing that he was actually the actor, Joe Keery. Rewatching the Stranger Things, I realized that Steve is actually my favorite character. I am happy that his talent as both an actor and a musician is being recognized on such a large scale right now!
Ashley Littlefield: Djo is considered a new artist I discovered earlier this year. It was cool to see that he had a performance at Coachella on the Mojave stage. Joe Keery, an actor and musician best known for his role in Stranger Things, has sparked my curiosity about his work. Once I began listening, I noticed a uniqueness that stood out in his third album, The Crux. Djo opened up my regular palate for listening, and it’s refreshing to hear new music from such a multi-facted performing artist.
Dimitra Gurduiala: It’s pretty funny, actually. I’ve always known who he was thanks to TikTok, without ever watching Stranger Things (it’s on my watchlist, though). “End of Beginning” was literally everywhere, I looked for him on Spotify, and then I was pleasantly surprised. Not only because I realized Djo’s pretty good indeed, but also because it seems that some time ago I had saved his 2019 single “Mortal Projections,” without having any idea about who he was or was about to become. Glad I had the chance to re-discover him!
Claire Meyer: I would also consider myself a pretty casual listener in regards to Djo. Like many others have said, I first learned about Joe Keery from Stranger Things, and would say I probably know him from his acting more than his music. But his sound/brand of music is very, very similar to what I typically listen to, so I have been slowly (and maybe unconsciously) absorbing it over the past year or two – pretty much since “The End of Beginning” blew up on TikTok. I became a more conscious listener leading up to this album, with his singles popping up in my Release Radar on Spotify.
What are your initial impressions and reactions to The Crux?
Miranda Urbanczyk: Initially, I was utterly in shock and disbelief upon my first listen of The Crux. This album was nothing I expected it to be, in the best possible way. While I knew it would be great regardless, Keery stepped into a new sound that I absolutely adored.
Anu Sarode: Oh man, great stuff. There’s so much happening on this record. He takes his voice to a lot of different places and there’s a really warm, kinda 70s undertone to everything. I had a lovely time listening. It reminded me of being a teenager.
Olivia Martinez: I am really happy anytime an indie musician puts out music that feels fun. Modern artists often take themselves too seriously in order to appear “authentic,” but I think that The Crux illuminates Djo’s authenticity by means of vibrancy and sonic diversity as opposed to monotony. This is definitely more captivating to my ears.
Ashley Littlefield: The album unfolds as a narrative, beginning with the feeling of being stuck in a particular mindset brought on by solitude and uncertainty. As the record progresses, it gradually builds on hope and transformation, whether through relationships or personal ambitions. The music evolves towards a more profound inner truth and self-acceptance through the journey it undertakes to reach its destination, marked by growth.
Dimitra Gurduiala: Loved it. I expected something light and fun, so I was amazed at how profound it turned out to be. It made me ponder about loneliness, my expectations for the future and much, much more. It also made me dance though, a lot indeed! Even though it was released in April, to me it feels very much like a summer album.
Claire Meyer: I was also shocked at how fun and loose it felt. It’s one of those albums where if you don’t really listen to the lyrics you would think every song is happy. It’s definitely a big tonal and thematic shift from his previous releases. Dimitra said it feels more summer than spring, but I think it fits the transitional period of late spring/early summer pretty well; there’s a breeziness to it that feels like early summer, but there’s still a bit of storminess inside that reminds us not everything is so sunny.
How does this album compare to Djo’s first two albums, DECIDE and Twenty Twenty – what are the most striking similarities or differences?
Miranda Urbanczyk: The Crux opens the door to vulnerability with its sensitive, passionate, and powerful lyrics. Keery is no longer bound to alter-egos as he fully embraces and expresses what weighs on his heart. His albums prior to this recent release, DECIDE and Twenty Twenty focused on fame and other navigation Keery faced. Keery takes a different approach with The Crux while simultaneously staying true to himself.
Olivia Martinez: With each album that Djo releases, he seems to further embrace his talent for writing catchy hooks. I appreciate that many songs from The Crux are fun to sing along with and have been getting stuck in my head, without losing any of Djo’s inherent artistic integrity. When given control of the aux, this is an album I can confidently play in the car, regardless of who I am riding with. Each track has an immediate hook, which is a value cherished by most music listeners.
Ashley Littlefield: Crux has a softer tone throughout the record. Decide features more 80s-inspired drum pads and synths, with textured vocals adding a futuristic touch to the album. Twenty Twenty has a smoother cadence and groove to his debut. Crux and Twenty Twenty are similar in sound, but with Djo’s latest, evolved and emotionally resonant timeless staple.
Dimitra Gurduiala: It sure is coherent to Djo’s artistic identity. Like Miranda mentioned, The Crux seems to be more focused on the vulnerable side of the artist, even if musically it could be defined as more fun than DECIDE. Twenty Twenty is also pretty great, even though you can definitely notice (both lyrically and musically) that Djo’s matured quite a lot. I’d say that his initial works feel more experimental and diverse than The Crux, but it finally seems he has a better view of who he is and who he wants to be.
Claire Meyer: You can tell that with each album released, (D)Jo(e) is growing more comfortable as a solo artist. I like how Miranda put it, that with his other releases Djo focused on fame and navigating it. But it feels like on this album, the focus has shifted more inward. I still think that how he is navigating fame is being explored, but it feels like he is more interested in exploring himself and his relationships, and by proxy, how fame has affected them. To me, this album feels less synth-heavy than his previous releases were. It feels more exploratory in sound and thematically.
Djo teased The Crux with “Basic Being Basic,” “Delete Ya,” and “Potion.” Are these singles faithful representations of the album?
Miranda Urbanczyk: While all three singles are wonderful, “Potion” was the only one that felt truly representational of the album. First impressions are important, and in this case mislead me. “Basic Being Basic” was the first song I heard from the LP, which led me to believe The Crux would include more upbeat anthems. However, I actually prefer softer songs such as “Potion” and immediately fell in love with the album upon first listen. In this way, even though my first impressions led me astray, it felt even more rewarding hearing an unexpected sound.
Anu Sarode: Well, what I appreciated most about this album on first listen was how many different vibes and tones he’s able to hit and still have the tracks sequenced so the songs flow nicely into each other. So I think they’re about as faithfully representative as they could be for an album with such range.
Olivia Martinez: I think these songs were perfect representations of the album. Both “Basic Being Basic” and “Delete Ya” seem like obvious upbeat singles, whereas “Potion” gives a taste of the more bare-bones acoustic tracks. They simultaneously sparked anticipation and expectation for The Crux, which is exactly what good singles should do. Once the rest of the album was released, my expectations were met with a cohesive overall vibe and also exceeded by clever and exciting moments I never would have predicted.
Ashley Littlefield: Absolutely! “Basic Being Basic” is a fun, satirical commentary on the current language used to make the mundane humorous, while welcoming it into conversations to shed light on it in a positive way through negative comments in hindsight. “Delete Ya” is a reflective, nostalgic tune that yearns to turn back time and reconsider past decisions. “Potion” is a softer insight, featuring bright acoustic guitar that adds hope and a sweet surrender to the simple moments we endure throughout life.
Dimitra Gurduiala: Yes, I’d say so especially for “Delete Ya,” even though I think the most representative song of the album is “Lonesome Is a State of Mind.” It’s also true that this one is the opening track, though, so I don’t complain too much about it not being a single. Apart from this, “Potion” is lovely and “Basic Being Basic” is quite upbeat and manages to catch the listener’s attention, which are perfect ingredients for a single track. They represent the various souls that form the album, the nostalgia and hope that come with it.
Claire Meyer: I think the singles chosen gave a great sneak peak of what to expect from the album as a whole. They each hit on a different tone during the album. “Basic Being Basic” and (sort of) “Delete Ya” hit on the more upbeat, catchy, fun side of The Crux, while “Potion” touches on the softer, more introspective side of things. I agree with what everyone else said about each single having a sweet sense of nostalgia in it.
The word “crux” refers to the most important point at issue. Why do you think Keery might have settled on this name for this album?
Miranda Urbanczyk: The Crux acts as a search for the truth, a desire for true connection. Whether Keery is being honest with himself, or navigating through life- the truth changes a person. When reality changes in a split second, what you know to be true acts as the foundation of life. Juggling all of these emotions at once simultaneously connects with the meaning of “crux,” providing a representational title for such a complex album.
Anu Sarode: Perhaps he felt that the issues he wrote about for this album were of particular consequence in his life. There’s a lot of reflection on self and those around him.
Olivia Martinez: The lyrics of the album seem to focus on life changes and personal growth, two themes that are usually united by one central crux. When I listen from start to finish, the song “Egg” stands out as a sonic turning point every single time. Specifically, there is a moment at the end of the prechorus when the beat drops out and is replaced by solitary eighth notes played by an electronic keyboard. This moment feels not only significant, but like a climactic arc of the album as a whole. Listening back, I found that the lyric during this moment is “Don’t you wish you could be somebody else?” Maybe this is entirely misguided, but that simple question might potentially be a sort of thematic crux, or “essential point requiring resolution resolving of an outcome,” of the record.
Ashley Littlefield: Crux reminds me of the weight humans carry and the emotional impact of how we choose to carry the moments we have ahead. The name is a simple representation of how others can also relate to the meaning of following an inner compass. The changes in tonality throughout the album can shift the listener’s perspective on the long road ahead.
Dimitra Gurduiala: Being vulnerable is not easy, at all. It requires strength, courage, but most of all – it requires love. There are many people who are afraid to do anything because of their fears, which is understandable and perfectly normal. We’re afraid to get our heart broken, to experience loss, to grow. All of these fears are carried like a heavy weight on the heart, similarly to a crux. Everybody carries their own crux, what really matters is how you decide to deal with it, to live instead of surviving with fear. This is exactly what I get from listening to The Crux.
Claire Meyer: Throughout the album, Djo is exploring himself and how he relates to the world around him – his friends, his family, etc. He bares all, leaving himself vulnerable for the listener to truly examine him. In many ways, it feels like Keery is trying to figure out the crux of his personal struggles. At other times, it feels like he views fame as the crux that caused him to feel disconnected from the rest of the world. There is also an acceptance near the end of the record that makes it feel like embracing his vulnerability was the crux of this whole exercise. I really like what Olivia said about viewing “Egg” as the crux to The Crux, it provides a unique insight that I’m eager to consider the next time I listen through!
Keery has said he was grappling with the transience of his other job and being untethered and away from friends and family while writing this record. How do you feel those themes manifest on these songs?
Miranda Urbanczyk: Emotions and experiences are a musician’s fuel when songwriting. It only makes sense that Keery channeled these feelings of loneliness and struggle when creating this album. It’s seen in his raw lyricism, putting his heart on showcase for all to dissect.
Anu Sarode: In the final track of the same name, he repeats many times, “Get back to your heart.” Which kind of makes perfect sense for a guy missing his loved ones.
Olivia Martinez: “Fly” seems to encapsulate this statement very well. Keery sings, “I followed every winding road, and the path it took me to. Now I don’t look back in anger, do you?” twice throughout the track. It must be difficult as an actor and musical artist to have to choose between your craft and your relationships. In this song, he expresses the necessity of having made the decision to “fly,” but also implies a small hint of regretful doubt every time he sings, “do you?”
Ashley Littlefield: Songs like “Lonesome Is A State of Mind,” and “Fly” hold a heartfelt yearning to be somewhere else other than where he predominantly stood in the present moment or where he saw himself most days, being physically unavailable to friends and family, yet far from being emotionally tethered and kept from the heart he has to share with those away from him.
Dimitra Gurduiala: You can definitely feel Keery’s struggles through the whole album, especially with “Lonesome Is A State Of Mind” and “Egg,” where he wonders about the concept of identity, fear and being perceived from the outside. This one’s a personal favourite, and also the most powerful song on the record for me.
Claire Meyer: To me, it feels like there is some dissonance between the themes and the tone of the music. On tracks like “Lonesome is a State of Mind,” while Keery is lamenting about feeling so alone, I am trying hard not to dance. The juxtaposition between the lyrics and the instrumentation make the record feel a bit untethered to reality to me, reflecting how Keery felt about himself during this time. The goofiness and lightheartedness of tracks like “Basic Being Basic” and “Delete Ya” also play into that while still trying to get at the crux of his relationships with those around him.
Which song(s) stand out for you on the album, and why?
Miranda Urbanczyk: “Fly” immediately struck a chord with its bittersweet storytelling of healing. A process that Keery chose to explain as “flying away,” an attempt to rise above the hurt in the midst of reflection on the past. “Falling back to her // Could be easy to do” “But I must fly // Fly away from her.” Instead of wallowing in resentment, Keery used his lyrics to encourage listeners to take the high road and “fly away.”
Anu Sarode: I like the last song of the album, “Crux.” It’s a very effective closer, and has a real sense of hope.
Olivia Martinez: As a fan of The Beatles, I was instantly obsessed with “Charlie’s Garden,” which is clearly inspired, at least in part, by that classic McCartney style. I wish more music sounded like this! I love the telephonic bit, inserted between the first chorus and second verse. The playful change in tempo hooked me immediately, as well. Lyrically, I appreciate the connection with “Charlie’s Garden” and “Delete Ya,” in which Keery at one point sings “team up with Charlie, take these kids for a ride.” I believe both of these moments refer to his friendship with Charlie Heaton from Stranger Things, which is a sweet and amusing detail.
Ashley Littlefield: “Lonesome Is A State of Mind” lyrically, for me, visually sets a scene of solitude through the line, “I’ve shot this picture before.” It’s about finding clarity through quiet moments, even when it may seem we’re alone, but in reality, it’s a state of mind. Another standalone track that carries a beautiful acoustic ballad is “Potion.”
Dimitra Gurduiala: As I mentioned before, “Egg”‘s one of my favorites. I would also add “Link” (especially for the final part!) and the lovey-dovey “Potion,” I’m a sucker for love songs.
Claire Meyer: “Lonesome is a State of Mind” also really stuck out for me. It was a great way to dive right into the album and give us a quick rundown on where Keery was mentally when he started creating this record. “Charlie’s Garden” also reminded me of The Beatles, but maybe because I thought of “Octopus’s Garden,” and “Golden Line” also felt very Paul McCartney a la Abbey Road to me, it had a weight to it while still keeping a bit of brevity. “Fly” also stood out to me for the turmoil Djo is going through in the lyrics.
Do you have any favorite lyrics so far? Which lines stand out?
Miranda Urbanczyk: “Delete Ya” is full of visualizations and analogies that truly capture the dominating feelings of dependence within the track. Lyrics including, “I’m locked, she’s the key” and “I’m a boat that’s sinking guess who’s the sea” act as a clever approach to embed emotions thoughtfully throughout the song.
Anu Sarode: I’m not sure if this is a stretch, but there’s a line in Egg: “Back to the egg, it’s crimson and gold” which very much caught my ear as a Wings ultra fan — this line reads like a reference to two awesome albums Paul McCartney put out with the band in the late 70s: Back to the Egg and Venus and Mars. I did hear some Beatlesy moments, like on Charlie’s Garden.
Olivia Martinez: This is petty, but I like when he disses Vera Bradley in “Basic Being Basic.” There is no deeper reason for this other than the fact that I really hate Vera Bradley.
Ashley Littlefield: “I take a walk in Hollywood” in “Delete Ya.” I have an infatuation with city streets in Los Angeles, especially the fondest of memories in Hollywood. There have been plenty of days when I’ve reflected on what it means to grow, but without knowing where you’ve been through the process of growth, you have to experience moving through the emotions tied to specific places.
Dimitra Gurduiala: “My future’s not what I thought / I think I thought it wrong” from “Lonesome Is A State Of Mind” hit quite close to home. We live in uncertain and frightening times, full of expectations so low that sometimes any little mistake looks like it could lead to a catastrophe – especially if you’re quite melodramatic like me. What’s the way out of this awful feeling? Cheesy as it may sound, yes, for me it’s love. And that’s why one of my favourite lyrics from The Crux is also “Life can bring you down / The world can be so cruel / But I still trust in love,” from “Golden Line.”
Claire Meyer: “Falling back to her / Could be easy to do / But I must fly / Fly away from her” and “I’m packin’ up my things again / When will the movement end? / This chapter is through” really caught my attention while listening. Both lines are from “Fly,” where Djo grapples with wanting to move on while still looking back at past relationships. They both highlight the growth he was going through at the time, and the change necessary to move forward.
Where do you feel The Crux sits in the pantheon of Djo’s discography?
Miranda Urbanczyk: If I had to rank his three albums, The Crux would come in second place. Twenty Twenty will forever feel iconic to me, it was Keery’s first LP under Djo, and also the reason I fell in love with his music. DECIDE has some hits, and includes my favorite Djo song, “Change.” However, I find myself gravitating towards Twenty Twenty or The Crux most often.
Anu Sarode: It’s definitely up there with the top. Djo did something special with this album.
Olivia Martinez: I get the sense that Djo didn’t necessarily expect his music to be so successful on top of the already major success of his acting career. The Crux feels like an admission that he has outgrown his days as a small indie artist and would like to take the opportunity of his virality to put some really confident, fun, and wacky music into the world. I hope he continues this surge of boldness with his future releases!
Ashley Littlefield: The Crux, as a new listener, is a reflective work that allows listeners to resonate and cope with the uncertainty presented in their lives, shifting their mindset. The album features added interest with melodic elements, a lyrically narrative approach, and a poetic composition that authentically explores the path to inner truth.
Dimitra Gurduiala: I’d place it on the top, for sure. It’s introspective, it’s confident, it’s young and yet mature. For now, the most complete record among his.
Claire Meyer: I would also place The Crux at the top of the Djo pantheon. I think it shows growth from both Djo and Joe. It feels very true to Keery as a person, while still remaining Djo as a musical act. It’s fresh while remaining reminiscent of where Djo came from sonically and his prior releases.
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:: stream/purchase The Crux here ::
:: connect with Djo here ::
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Watch: “Delete Ya” – Djo
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