Latest news with #EndofBeginning
Gulf Weekly
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Weekly
Musical crossroads
AMERICAN actor and musician Djo, aka Joe Keery, is set to drop his third studio album The Crux tomorrow. The synth-pop creation dives into themes of community, collaboration and character, with the concept being a hotel that houses guests who are at crossroads in their lives. The project is expected to be a follow-up to Joe's previous release Decide (2022), which earned breakthrough success last year when the song End of Beginning became the sixth most streamed track of 2024 on Spotify, after it became viral on TikTok. 'I didn't plan for that to happen, you know? The fact that people really connect with the song is amazing. Then, to be able to sing it as a massive group is beyond my wildest dreams,' Joe said in an interview. The artist is best known for playing Steve Harrington in the Netflix series Stranger Things.
Euronews
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Beyond Hawkins: DJO's Joe Keery on his most personal album yet
Musician Joe Keery, aka DJO, is both excited and nervous about his upcoming album, The Crux, which will be released on 4 April. The 32-year-old, best known for playing Steve Harrington in the Netflix Sci-Fi hit, Stranger Things, gained even further mainstream recognition last year when his song "End of Beginning" went viral. His third studio album marks a stylistic shift from his synth-heavy, bedroom-recorded past to a more expansive, guitar-driven sound evocative of late '60s and '70s pop. "I think the recording process influenced the sound", Keery told Euronews Culture. Recorded at New York's legendary Electric Lady Studios, founded by Jimi Hendrix in the 1970s, The Crux was shaped by its environment. "We used the tools available there, which naturally shaped the album's direction", Keery explained. "I'm a big fan of music from all eras, but there's something about the pre-digital age that intrigued me this time. We tried to keep things as real and analogue as possible – less reliance on computers, more organic recording techniques." Keery, juggling two careers at once, explained that he recorded this whole album while shooting Stranger Things, where he portrays one of the main characters, Steve Harrington. For him, his acting and music career are feeding off each other. His characters, however, are not creeping into his music. "I'm not the type of actor who brings my work home. I like to have a little bit of a line in the sand. I'm not a method actor or anything." He concluded: "The POV is really from me." Letting the whole world read your diary Keery described his upcoming record The Crux as a kind of journal. "I'm writing about things happening in my life. It's not necessarily linear in how the songs are arranged, but there's definitely an overarching message", he said. Regarding the album's message, he paused and explained that "it's about finding what's important to you, holding onto it, and appreciating the simple things – friends, family, the moments that really matter." The musician did acknowledge, however, that putting out such personal music can feel vulnerable – after all, it's like letting the world read his diary. But to him, that's the point of art. "It's about connecting with people and being brave enough to share", he told Euronews Culture. "You lay it all out there and hope that if someone is feeling the same way, they know they're not alone." Despite the occasional fear, he finds the process cathartic. Keery is not only influenced by personal but also current political and societal issues. "I think it's probably creeping in on everybody. It's hard to ignore what's going on. It's a very scary time we're living in", he said. Although he hadn't been writing new music recently, he believes that personal experiences, shaped by current events, inevitably make their way into his work. "As painful as it is to watch, and as much as everyone wants to turn away, it's important – now more than ever – to tune in", he continued. The pressure of going viral again? DJO's viral hit "End of Beginning" was one of those tracks that seemed impossible to escape last year. The catchy, nostalgic song captures the emotions triggered by being in a particular city – in Keery's case, Chicago, where he went to study at the Theatre School at DePaul University after graduating high school. The hook, "And when I'm back in Chicago, I feel it. Another version of me, I was in it. I wave goodbye to the end of beginning", became especially popular on TikTok, with users pairing it with their travel videos. With more than a dozen million hits on YouTube and over one billion streams on Spotify, the song's success raises the question: Has it put Keery under more pressure on to reproduce that level of achievement? "Honestly, I don't know", Keery replied. While he recognises the uniqueness of the situation, he insisted that he didn't do anything different when producing the song. "You put music out, and sometimes it catches a wave. Other times, it doesn't", he added. "Once it's out there, it's out of your control. Of course, I want my songs to connect with people, but even before 'End of Beginning', I had fans who cared about my music. I make it for myself, but also for them", he explained. As for whether he feels pressure to have more songs go viral, Keery said that his new album feels like a blend of his first two, "but with more maturity." Still, he acknowledged his high expectations but remained realistic. "A song going viral again would be near impossible – but that's not really the point. My goal is to enjoy the process", Keery concluded. 'Are you doing it just to be famous?' When listening to newly released music nowadays, one notices that some of them have grown substantially shorter in length. One reason behind that could be the theory that shorter songs are somehow more poised to go viral. Keery admitted that he also fell into the trap of producing shorter songs. "But at the end of the day, nobody can predict it. If people could, music labels would just crank it out", he said. He believes it always comes down to why artists do what they do. "Are you doing it because you enjoy it and have something to say, or are you doing it just to be famous?" In his case, he will continue making music, "whether it goes viral or not", he concluded. 'Delete Ya' Ahead of the album release, DJO has shared the record's second single, "Delete Ya", today. Following the release of his third studio album, he will embark on a US and European tour. For the European leg, Keery is especially excited to visit cities and countries he's never been to before. "I think I'm most excited to visit Copenhagen. One of the lead hairdressers on Stranger Things, Sarah Hindsgaul, is from there, and she's been talking about it for years. I'm really looking forward to checking it out." One of the highlights of the tour for him is getting to experience it with his friends – both his bandmates and his friends from Post Animal. "It's going to be a lot of fun. Of course, I want to enjoy the shows, but I also just want to soak it all in because it's such a unique experience. Right now, at this stage in my life, I understand how fleeting things can be. So it's important to appreciate these moments, and that's exactly what I plan to do", Keery concluded.
Express Tribune
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Djo announces new album 'THE CRUX' and world tour, 'Back On You'
Djo, the musical alias of Stranger Things star Joe Keery, is set to release his highly anticipated album THE CRUX on April 4, 2025, through AWAL Recordings. Following the success of his 2022 album DECIDE and its viral hit End of Beginning, Keery's latest project explores themes of resilience and community with a fresh sonic direction inspired by late '60s and '70s pop music. In tandem with the album announcement, Djo has released the lead single Basic Being Basic, an upbeat track featuring Oberheim OB-X8 synths and his signature falsetto. Keery describes the song as a critique of fleeting cultural trends. The single debuted on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on January 28, 2025, where Keery also appeared as a guest. Djo's Back On You world tour kicks off on April 4, 2025, with a two-night stint at Portland's Revolution Hall. The tour spans North America, the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, with stops at major festivals like Coachella and Hurricane Festival. Indie rock band Post Animal, Keery's former group, will support select dates. Tickets go on sale January 31, 2025, at 9 AM local time, with pre-sale options available from January 28. $1 from every North American ticket sold will benefit the PLUS1 LA Fires Fund, supporting wildfire recovery efforts. Keery co-produced THE CRUX with longtime collaborator Adam Thein, recording at Electric Lady Studios. The album's introspective lyrics, layered instrumentation, and nostalgic yet modern production solidify Djo's evolution from actor to acclaimed musician.
Boston Globe
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Joe Keery talks ‘emotional' final day of filming ‘Stranger Things' on ‘The Tonight Show'
'It was a long year,' Keery said of filming the show's last few episodes. 'To wrap it all up and, you know, the anticipation of working on something for so long, I mean it's been one-third of my life, really. It was emotional.' Advertisement Keery went on to tell Fallon about his last day on the set of the show, and how everything hit him in that moment. 'We sort of like got to that last day and it was like, everything really hit on that last day of shooting,' Keery explained. 'And then I stuck around and watched the other cast members wrap, and it was just emotional and great.' 'Those people are family for life for me,' he added. Though there's no official release date yet, Netflix previously revealed that the fifth season will premiere later this year, which show co-creator Ross Duffer teased in an In addition to chatting about the end of 'Stranger Things,' Keery also opened up about his musical endeavors under the pseudonym Djo, with his next album, 'The Crux,' releasing in April. Meanwhile, Keery's song 'End of Beginning' from his 2022 album 'Decide' became a social media sensation last year, as Fallon noted that the track hit the top spot on Spotify's global charts, amassing over 1.5 billion streams. 'It was really cool that people connected to the message of the song, just kind of reconnecting with your past and visiting a place that really means so much to you,' Keery told Fallon. Advertisement Later in the night, Keery performed his newest single, 'Basic Being Basic,' off of his upcoming third studio album. Marianna Orozco can be reached at
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Joe Keery Addresses 'Emotional' End of 'Stranger Things': 'It's Been One-Third of My Life'
Joe Keery is getting candid about the end of Stranger Things. On Tuesday, Jan. 28, the actor, 32, appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and spoke about wrapping up the fifth and final season of the science fiction series last December. 'It's crazy,' Keery, who is best known for playing Steve Harrington on the show, said. 'It was a long year.' 'But to wrap it all up and the anticipation of working on something for so long — I mean it's been one-third of my life, really,' he continued. 'It was emotional,' Keery added. 'We sort of got to that last day and it was like everything really hit on that last day of shooting.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Related: Joe Keery Opens Up About His 'Big Breakup' from Maika Monroe The actor and musician added that he waited to watch 'the other cast members wrap and it was just emotional and great.' 'Those people are family for life for me,' he said of costars including Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven, and Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair. ! Related: Joe Keery Finds It 'Validating' His Song 'End of Beginning' About Life Before Stranger Things Has Gone Viral (Exclusive) Netflix announced on Dec. 10, that filming for the final season of Stranger Things was coming to an end. The streaming company shared a collection of photos of the cast on set, with cast members paying tribute to the show. 'We just wrapped Stranger Things Season 5. I'm still in shock," Finn Wolfhard, who portrays Mike Wheeler, wrote on Instagram. "We shot it for a year and I'll miss all of my friends and our characters terribly." Noah Schnapp added, "Two days ago, I wrapped my final scene as Will Byers, and I'm feeling very emotional.' Read the original article on People
