The Crux: Djo’s Fever Dream of a Lost Time

By: Emily Eade

Djo, an alias for Stranger Things actor Joe Keery, created in 2019 as a way to separate his acting career from his music career. On April 4, 2025, Djo released his third studio album, The Crux. This 12-track album took inspiration after yearning to return to his roots and the music that had inspired him. Having easily recognizable elements reminiscent of The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Queen. Throughout the album, there are themes of self-discovery and emotional vulnerability, influenced by Keery's transformative period in his life, a breakup, and how he decided to start living again. 

“Lonesome Is A State of Mind” is the first track on the album. On this track, Keery creates a perfect start, by creating this emotional envisionment of how his life feels increasingly repetitive and unfulfilling, eventually making changes in his lifestyle to highlight that he is in a period of significant change and adjustment. The lyrics, “Time, it takes an edge and grinds it clean turns a scare to a seam,” is Keery’s way of creating an image of balance to listeners, by showing them that time-changing things can be for the better or the worse. The scars you receive can turn from something that affects you every day to something that is a simple part of you. The mixture of his emotional lyrics and soft voice contrasts with the subtle, yet electrifying beats that established the lonesome feeling he felt and broke out of. 

Immediately after, Djo gave up his lead single, “Basic Being Basic.” The track is driven by 80s synth and drum sounds, with a defined groovy beat and lyrics delivered in a monotone way. The combination of these unique elements is a key part of the song’s message, critiquing the superficial and materialistic expectations of others, while also expressing a desire for more of an authentic, meaningful connection. The lyrics, “Everyone has secrets, but not everyone can fool a man like that. It sent me reeling, still not the same. It’s like my capacity to love and give has changed,” is Keery’s way of expressing someone betrayed him; showing that some people you care about are in your life to use you.

“Delete Ya” is the second single and fifth track on the album. The track is filled with nostalgia, regret, and the difficulty of moving on. Expressing that plaguing feeling of ‘what if?’ leaves the listener to wonder whether Keery is ready to move on with his life or if he is pretending. The lyrics, “It’s hard to shake it off and get back to me. When anything is a memory and you repeat to the nth degree,” is Keery’s way of emphasizing the cycle he’s in of being unable to let go of his relationship. 

“Charlie's Garden” is the eighth track on the album. Immediately, this track screams “Paul McCartney” with its lighthearted vocals, use of keys, and piccolo trumpet. The lyrics on this track, “How can I convince myself, convince myself to stay? That work just won’t do itself,” is Keery’s way of addressing his procrastination and escapism from the demands of his daily life, repeatedly deciding to delay work and embrace an effortless, and more relaxed day.

“Back On You” is the eleventh track on this album. This track features a choral opening by the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, with a desirable nod to the ‘70s rock sound. Keery used this track as a heartfelt ode to the support and strength found in close relationships, but in the case of this track, it's with his sisters and a dear friend, highlighting the comfort gained from leaning on loved ones during difficult times. The final track on this album is “Crux.” Keery used this track to emphasize the importance and sensitivity of giving one’s heart to fully receive love and emotional fulfillment in return, giving this album a perfect spiritual and emotional ending. 

The Crux is an album full of emotion from pain to gratitude, with elements of ‘70s and ‘80s rock. Keery used this album as a love letter to the people in his life, making an unskippable masterpiece. Showing us a glimpse into the world of Joe Keery, and peeling back the layers of who he is. None other than a vulnerable person just like you and me.