Djo is the musical persona of American actor Joe Keery. The song “End of Beginning” became a viral sensation on Tik Tok in early 2024, becoming the most popular song in his discography. With the release of his third album, “The Crux,” on April 4, 2025, fans were blessed with a new release for the first time in three years. This was shortly followed by a full-length deluxe album including 12 additional tracks—a creative extension of “The Crux.”
HBHS sophomore, Mikah Keathly, said, “I’ve never listened to the deluxe album, but I have heard of his viral song ‘End of Beginning’…I liked that song because I felt really connected to it, so I would give ‘The Crux Deluxe’ a listen.”
The overall sound throughout the deluxe edition changes with each track, moving from psychedelic rock, to jazz and then to alt-pop; it’s a musical whiplash for listeners. Some songs are loud while others are more modest—just like “Mr Mountebank,” which has a muffled quality paired with a flamboyant beat. This differs from “Love Can’t Break The Spell,” which leads with more of a folk storytelling vibe to it, with twangy guitar and soft vocals talking about Djo’s feeling.
“I first heard ‘End of Beginning’ and listened to some songs on his first album ‘Twenty Twenty,’ I really enjoyed ‘Roddy’ and ‘Chateau.’ So when I heard ‘The Crux’ was coming out, I preordered it. I did enjoy that album [it] had a mix of [sound from] The Beatles, Beach Boys, et cetera. I don’t know how he found the time to make the Deluxe but it was pretty good,” said HBHS senior Chris Dawson.
“The Crux” explores topics of love and family, and how the unexpected can sometimes change the route of your whole life. “The Crux Deluxe” shares a similar feeling, but has added elements of nostalgia. For example, in the song “Purgatory Silverstar,” he mentions knowing a girl in the past and reflects on how she treated him, portraying themes of growth and self-discovery.
Emma Concepcion, a sophomore at Huntington Beach High School (HBHS), said, “I’ve listened to a bit of ‘The Crux Deluxe’ and it definitely differs a lot from his other albums. This one has more variety in its moods and themes. Some of his songs are upbeat, like ‘They Don’t Know What’s Right,’ while others like ‘It’s Over’ are more mellow.”
“The Crux ” album cover has a building in broad daylight with many people walking around. It’s a very lively and vibrant scene. This is a drastic visual contrast to “The Crux Deluxe.” The previously colorful, spirited scene we saw is dark now and Djo himself is pictured inside of the The Crux Hotel. In the cover of “The Crux,” he was hanging out one of the windows. This time, there’s no one outside on the street and the color scheme is darker with hues of blue, black and even oranges, which was shown on the three singles before the album.
When the first single, “Carry The Name,” came out on Sept. 8, 2025, no one knew if there were going to be more songs or if this was an official single for him. Shortly after, he released “It’s Over,” another single titled “Awake,” then he released the full length Deluxe.
Most deluxe albums, like “Brat” by Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Short ‘n Sweet,” only have three or four extra songs, but Djo randomly released a couple singles in a row for three days, which was a surprise lead up to the deluxe release with nine more new songs. That is unusual for him, since he only has one official single, “Keep Your Head Up,” so when the official countdown started on Sep. 12, fans were shocked. Fans were caught off-guard because Djo does not usually release singles and had just released “The Crux,” so it was out of the blue. However, it remains a great addition to Joe Keery’s discography.
From seeking success as an actor on the hit show “Stranger Things,” to making a massive career out of singing and songwriting, Djo has always put out music that connects and heals individuals. He is always at work on another masterpiece and has such a unique style when it comes to making art of his own. Hopefully something new is coming soon, so stay tuned!
