Djo’s ‘The Crux Deluxe’ Surprise Drops as a Masterful 12-Track Companion, Extending Joe Keery’s Alt-Pop Renaissance

Djo—the alt-pop project of actor, producer, and songwriter Joe Keery, best known for his breakout roles in Netflix’s Stranger Things as the beloved Steve Harrington and FX’s Fargo—stunned fans with the surprise release of The Crux Deluxe, a sprawling 12-track companion album to his critically acclaimed third studio effort The Crux, out now via AWAL Recordings. This unexpected drop, teased by midweek singles “Carry The Name” (Monday, September 9), “It’s Over” (Tuesday, September 10), and “Awake” (Wednesday, September 11), arrives just five months after The Crux‘s April 4, 2025, debut, transforming what began as a meditation on relational dissolution into a fuller exploration of self-resilience and transient crossroads. Stream the album here and dive into the lush, guitar-driven soundscape that Rolling Stone hailed as marking “the arrival of a fully formed artist who’s only just getting started.” 0 With over 2.7 billion streams across his catalog—bolstered by the 3x Platinum viral smash “End of Beginning,” which topped Global Spotify in 2024 with 1.5 billion streams and 60 billion TikTok views—The Crux Deluxe cements Keery’s evolution from bedroom synth wizard to a deft multi-instrumentalist grappling with fame’s fleeting nature, all while teasing his return to Stranger Things’ final season on November 26, 2025.

The Crux Deluxe mirrors The Crux‘s 12-track length and thematic core, written and recorded during the same fertile sessions with longtime collaborator Adam Thein, but shifts the narrative from the sunlit “daytime” of the original—framed as a transient hotel where guests confront emotional crossroads—to a moody “nighttime” inverse at The Crux Hotel, symbolizing introspection before a new dawn. Conceptualized through art by Neil Krug and Jake Hirshland, the album’s visual motif of a labyrinthine hotel evokes spiritual limbo, with tracks like the opener “T. Rex Is Loud” roaring in with psychedelic rock energy, evoking T. Rex’s glam stomp amid Keery’s wry reflections on isolation. “Love Can’t Break The Spell” follows with hushed beauty, a gentle acoustic plea that Billboard praised for stretching Djo’s “creative ambition outward, tinkering with alt-pop idiosyncrasies.” 1 “Mr. Mountebank,” a swirling psych-folk gem, upends expectations with its carnival-like whimsy, while “Carry The Name” pulses with indie urgency, its release sparking X frenzy where fans dissected lines like “carry the name, but don’t wear the crown” as metaphors for inherited burdens. 10 11

The deluxe’s emotional arc winds through loss and yearning laced with wit and gratitude, as NPR noted Keery’s ability to “turn a clever phrase” in tracks like “It’s Over,” a shimmering closer that Far Out Magazine called “a welcome addition, highlighting Djo’s versatility.” 7 “Purgatory Silverstar” evokes late-night motel haze with its twangy guitars and existential drift, while “Who You Are” builds to a cathartic swell, affirming self amid relational wreckage. “Grime Of The World” injects gritty blues-rock, “Try Me” a defiant strut, “They Don’t Know What’s Right” a satirical jab at judgment, “Thich Nhat Hanh” a meditative nod to the Zen master with ethereal flutes, and “Awake” caps the set with soaring resilience, its piano-led build earning X raves as “life-changing” from users like @angelsared1cks, who shared a clip of its sunset walk vibe evoking Nirvana’s “Something In The Way.” 15 21 Unlike Djo’s synth-heavy bedroom recordings on SERMON (2021) and DECIDE (2022), The Crux and its deluxe spotlight lush guitars and instrumentation reminiscent of late ‘60s and ‘70s pop—think T. Rex, Big Star, and ELO—crafted at New York’s legendary Electric Lady Studios during a “particularly fertile period” for Keery, who grappled with acting’s transience while untethered from friends and family, as he shared in a Billboard interview on September 12. 5 This shift, produced by Keery and Thein, showcases his multi-instrumental prowess on guitar, bass, and keys, blending psych-rock, indie folk, and subtle electronic whispers into a masterful continuation that Uproxx dubbed “more of a new project than a mere extension.” 2

Keery’s dual life as actor and musician fuels Djo’s authenticity. Starting music as a teenager in Chicago’s psych-rock band Post Animal—releasing When The Morning Meets The Dew (2015) and Love Struck (2017)—he debuted as Djo with SERMON in 2021, a lo-fi synth-pop gem, followed by DECIDE‘s critical darling status in 2022. But 2024’s “End of Beginning” from DECIDE exploded, hitting No. 1 on Global Spotify, No. 11 on Billboard Hot 100, and charting in 41 countries with Platinum/Gold in 17 territories, including Asia’s dominance: No. 1 on Indonesia’s official singles and Spotify charts, topping Viral and Shazam in Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore, and No. 9 on Indonesia’s Top 10 TikTok songs of 2024. 1 With over 2 billion career streams and 9.5 million monthly listeners from Asia—Indonesia now his No. 1 market—Djo’s ascent mirrors Keery’s on-screen charm, from Stranger Things’ heartthrob to Fargo’s nuanced intensity. The Crux, released April 4, 2025, debuted at No. 50 on Billboard 200 (No. 11 Independent, No. 10 Top Alternative & Rock), selling 79,000 units by July, per Wikipedia. 1 Lead single “Basic Being Basic” earned radio play, while “Delete Ya” and “Potion” built buzz, supported by the Back on You World Tour (February-October 2025), hitting North America, Europe, and Australia with Post Animal opening. 1

The Crux era exploded with Glastonbury and Coachella debuts, a sold-out international tour, and Lollapalooza’s 75,000-strong Chicago homecoming, landing on 2025 Best Of lists from Rolling Stone, Spin, Entertainment Weekly, and more. 0 The deluxe, surprise-dropped after a “song leak shock” in September (Daily Orange), blends genres while experimenting with The Crux‘s themes, as Far Out Magazine reviewed on September 13, praising its “versatility” despite “questionable autotune” moments like the “audio assault” of “Mr. Mountebank.” 7 Stereogum quipped on September 12 about the title’s “deluxe” rhyme, while mxdwn noted the “handful of new singles” topping off the week. 6 8 X buzz exploded, with @steddie_freak ranting tracks to family (September 17), @flyawayfromher obsessing since release (September 17), and @angelsared1cks calling “Awake” life-changing (September 16). 10 11 15 @montagegirI declared “mr djo u have done it again” (September 16), and @bl0odjunkie dreamed of live “Awake” and “Mr. Mountebank” (September 16). 19 22

In Asia, Djo’s pull is seismic: Indonesia’s No. 1 market, with “End of Beginning” dominating charts and TikTok, alongside Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore’s viral surges. 0 The deluxe’s fertile-period writing—amid Keery’s untethered travels—resonates here, with lush guitars evoking ‘70s pop amid loss’s wit. As The Crux sold 79,000 U.S. units by July (Wikipedia), the deluxe—available on black 12” vinyl limited to 4 per customer (Djo Store)—promises more, with tour dates like September 24 at Rochester’s Gordon Field House, September 26 at Forest Hills’ All Things Go, and more through October (Uproxx). 2 9 Keery’s return to Stranger Things on November 26 adds meta layers, but Djo’s music—rooted in Post Animal’s psych-rock (When The Morning Meets The Dew, 2015)—stands alone, as SERMON (2021) and DECIDE (2022) proved. The Crux Deluxe, a “masterful continuation” (Daily Orange), invites fans to nighttime’s crossroads, where resilience dawns. Stream now—it’s Djo’s boldest yet.