Joe Keery’s latest Djo album The Crux is out today, and if you’ve only been watching him swing a nail bat on Stranger Things, you’re missing the full picture.
The third album from Keery under the Djo name arrives with Potion as its centrepiece. It’s a breezy, Laurel Canyon-style cut that trades synths for guitars and leans hard into classic songwriting. It’s a stripped-back standout that feels like Harry Nilsson and Lindsey Buckingham jamming in a cabin, with Keery handling everything from vocals to drums to Mellotron. He’s not just playing the frontman—he’s the whole band.
It’s been a wild year already. ‘End of Beginning’ blew up unexpectedly, going viral across TikTok and racking up enough streams to land Djo on the Spotify Global Top 200 and Billboard charts. By the end of 2024, it was one of the most-streamed songs on the planet. If DECIDE put Keery on the map, The Crux cements him as a serious contender. He is an artist with range, taste, and his own sonic language.
Unlike previous albums built from bedroom synths and warped textures, The Crux sounds wide open. Co-produced with longtime collaborator Adam Thein and tracked at Electric Lady Studios, it blends psych-pop with ‘70s West Coast warmth and a sense of emotional clarity that hits different. There’s loss, disconnection, and hope buried in these songs—but also Keery’s usual wit, wrapped in arrangements that feel lived-in and layered.
The release follows a sold-out North American tour that kicked off last night and will roll through Coachella, Glastonbury, Lollapalooza, and a run with Noah Kahan in Europe. Keery plays Jimmy Kimmel Live! on April 14.
Call it a turning point, or just the sound of someone figuring it out in public. But with The Crux, Djo’s no longer the internet’s best-kept secret. He’s arrived.
The Crux was released on April 4. It can be streamed/ downloaded here.
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