The Crux | Album Review
2025 is the year of DJO.
The 32-year-old Massachusetts native is back again with his third studio album, after some radio silence following his release of DECIDE in 2022. He rewrites his narrative, showing listeners his grapple between stardom and privacy.
DJO - or - Joe Keery, has been acting since 2015, with his most well-known role being Steve Harrington in Netflix’s Stranger Things.
Let’s take a look at the tracklist:
Track 1, “Lonesome Is A State of Mind”, sets the tone of the album with Djo singing about a life that feels repetitive and unfulfilling. He talks about change, mentioning the switch from driving a truck to taking the train. Lyrics like “I swear I've had this dinner before/I know I've heard that song”, are just some of the many lines referencing repetition. The outro of the song shows a shift in Djo’s mindset, finding peace in himself and changing the focus of his life.
Yeah, the future's over
Don't drag me anymore, I'm done
(Thought that you were on my side)
(Lonesome is a state of mind)
No, you're not lonely when you're hanging with yourself”
Track 2, “Basic Being Basic”, was the single released for the album on January 24th, along with a music video shot entirely in reverse, captioned teasing the album release on April 4th. This song is exactly how it sounds. It consists of light synths, scratchy vinyl sounds and a lighter, 70s feel in contrast to his last album DECIDE, having darker synths in a more 80s sound. Lyrics like “I don't want your money, I don't care for fame/I don't wanna live a life where that's my big exchange/I want simple pleasures, friends who have my back” show Djo’s criticism on the fakeness of our current society. The bridge highlights the passing of trends so quickly, the flash photograph referencing the current digital camera craze.
“Change your body, change your face
Curl your hair then make it straight
Take a picture of your plate, Tarantino movie taste
Rah-rah, cheugy-phobe, Vera Bradley's back in Vogue
It's a flash photograph
What an empty epitaph that is”
Track 3, “Link”, explores Djo’s desire to break off from the monotony of everyday life, to escape expectations and pave his own way. “Blind leader I’d follow/What does it say about me?”
Track 4, “Potion”, Djo shares his desire for true love and the need for companionship. “Like a witch, I know I need my potion”. He compares his yearning for love to the need of a potion to help him get there. The chorus,
“I'll try for all of my life
Just to find someone who leaves on thе light for me
Leaves on thе light for me”
Don’t worry, Djo. I’ll always leave the light on for you.
Track 5, “Delete Ya”, first teased on January 18th, and released on February 27th. This song shows Djo’s work-life unbalance with his work with Stranger Things. Similar to End Of Beginning, he talks about the feeling of not feeling at home in Los Angeles. The chorus, “Oh God, I wish I could delete ya/'Cause nothin' can compete with ya/I replenish and repeat ya/A heart excretes only one of us, only one”, dives into Djo’s battle with grief of a lost relationship. With his limited online presence, he uses the words “delete ya” as a way of describing the complete removal of someone from his life.
Track 6, “Egg”, starts off with a familiar Djo-link synth. This song explores his desire to fit the mold and to serve the expectations thrust upon him by his fame. “I'm crawling out of my skin/Saw me through the eyes of the world”.
Track 7, “Fly”, shows Djo’s moving towards a new path in life. In a more positive tone, he sings about knowing it’s time to go, to move on. “Falling back to her/Sounds so easy to me/But I must fly/Fly away from her”.
Track 8, “Charlie’s Garden”, is Djo’s escape from procrastination and mundane repetition. He finds solace and peace with his friend, Charlie Heaton, whom he met while filming Stranger Things. He mentions Charlie and Natalia Dyer’s dog, Penny in the intro. He even got Charlie to do a voice memo for the song,
“Hey, uh, sorry to let you know last minute
I know you’re probably on your way
But we’re not going to get to you tonight
Maybe Thursday, maybe Friday?
I don’t know, sorry man”
Track 9, “Gap Tooth Smile”, the first thing that jumped out to me was the guitar. This sounds like a classic Djo song, complete with his yell-like singing and funky lyrics. This song hints at a new start romantically for Djo, with lyrics like, “It’s not fair, it’s love/ God, I count my blessings from the one eyed dove/It’s her hair, her style/But I fell in love with her gap tooth smile”
Track 10, “Golden Line”, uses piano! This was the first thing that stood out, and the growing anticipation of the slow singing and beat, combined with the soft lyrics of, “But everyday is better with you/How can I repay the due?”. The song feels like the calmness one feels when fully immersed with a person. The first verse, “Life can bring you down/The world can be so cruel/But I still trust in love/I find that trust in you” explores how with the right person, the world isn’t too scary. He closes the song with the chorus, “Yes, it's true, I do it all for you”, fully submitting to this person, careless of who knows.
Track 11, “Back On You”, blesses our ears with a choir-like intro, supplied by the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. This track consists of Djo appreciating the bond he has with his sisters, realizing that he can lean back on them when times get tough. He gives credit to his sisters for making him a better man, and includes their vocals in the chorus as well.
“When life’s plan
Isn’t shinin’ through
You understand
You can help me see it through
So, you can count on me
I’m leaning back on you”
Track 12, “Crux”, ties the album together in a perfect bow. In the sense of conclusion, Djo closes with a song looking for connection, repair. His use of the subtle choir of his voice in the back of the chorus, the piano and guitar audibly enhancing the idea that to fully find love and emotional fulfillment, you must be able to give up your entire heart.
It truly is the year of DJO. On his “Back On You Tour”, he’ll be performing in 28 different
cities across the country and Europe. See you in May!