MUMBAI: Djo, the musical project of actor, producer, and songwriter Joe Keery known for his work in blockbuster projects such as ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘Fargo’, has released a new single, “Basic Being Basic”, today via AWAL Recordings. The release marks the first taste of his highly anticipated forthcoming album, ‘The Crux’, also announced today. Fans can listen to the song HERE and pre-order ‘The Crux’ today at djomusic.com.
With its Oberheim OB-X8 synths and falsetto refrain, the final verses of “Basic Being Basic” shrewdly skewer the (often online) tropes of modern day posturing. “It’s kind of a shot fired to anyone who’s trying to be of the moment,” says Keery. The follow-up to Djo’s 2022 album, ‘DECIDE’, which featured the blockbuster hit “End of Beginning”, ‘The Crux’ is slated for release on April 4th via AWAL Recordings.
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Co-produced by Keery and his long-time collaborator Adam Thein, ‘The Crux’ spotlights lush guitars and instrumentation reminiscent of late 60’s and 70’s pop—a departure from Keery’s previous albums, which were bedroom recordings centered around synths. It’s an album full of loss and yearning, but also one full of wit and gratitude. ‘The Crux’ not only showcases his ambitious scope, but also his skills as a deft multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, with all songs written by Keery or in collaboration with Adam Thein.
The album was written all over the world in a particularly fertile period for Keery, where he was grappling with the transience of his other job, being untethered and away from his friends and family. What begins as a meditation on the dissolution of a relationship winds its way back to self-resilience and a celebration and recognition of the importance of nurturing community. These themes are reflected in both his lyrics and in the collaborative spirit of the music, with contributions from his family and lifelong friends lending the album a warm energy mirroring the bonds at the record’s core.
Although the songs are rich with specificity, the album plays like a movie soundtrack, where the listener can easily align with a character, situation, or emotion. And this is, in part, how Keery frames the album’s concept through its art—a collaboration with Neil Krug—as a hotel where all of its guests are transient, and at a spiritual or emotional crossroads.
Djo had a massive 2024 with his hit song “End of Beginning” taking off worldwide, where after climbing to #1 on the Global Spotify chart it was the #6 most streamed song in the world in 2024—with 1.5 BILLION streams and over 60 BILLION TikTok views. The song had landed on official single charts in 41 countries, while racking up multiple Platinum and Gold records in 17 territories. In Asia, “End of Beginning” has reached #1 on the official single chart and Spotify chart in Indonesia, topped the Spotify Viral and Shazam charts in Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore, and was #9 on the Top 10 TikTok songs of 2024 in Indonesia. With over 2 BILLION career streams and over 9.5 MILLION monthly listeners from Asia, Djo has established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the region, with #2 Indonesia, #5 Malaysia, and #6 Philippines in his top global streaming markets.
Though most widely known for his acting roles, Keery has long been an interdisciplinary powerhouse, having began making music as a teenager. He later joined the psych-rock band Post Animal while in Chicago. In 2019, he released his first album, ‘Twenty Twenty’ under the moniker Djo. In 2022, his remarkable sophomore album ‘DECIDE’ was released via AWAL to critical acclaim.
