Two weeks at number one in the UK and 2 billion Spotify streams later, End of Beginning by Djo is officially unstoppable. If you told Stranger Things fans a few years ago that Steve Harrington’s soft-eyed charm would morph into one of alt-pop’s most intriguing sonic masterminds, they might’ve raised an eyebrow. But here we are: Joe Keery, under his Djo alias, has claimed the crown again with a sleeper hit that’s become a full-blown chart beast.
Originally released in 2022 on DECIDE, End of Beginning has taken the scenic route to the top. After a slow-burn climb that first peaked in 2024, the track has now cemented itself in UK chart history, earning double platinum certification and making waves globally, with a #1 on Billboard’s Global 200 and a tidy #6 on the Hot 100. TikTok helped, sure, but you don’t stick around this long without something deeper. Think woozy nostalgia meets philosophical lyricism, stitched together with shimmering production that feels both airy and intimate.
And it’s not just one track doing the heavy lifting. Singles from Djo’s 2025 album The Crux are creeping up too, Basic Being Basic at #62 and Delete Ya at #72—proving Keery’s latest body of work isn’t just a side-project curiosity; it’s a full-blown moment.
The Crux, along with its extended companion The Crux Deluxe, dropped to critical acclaim last year, marking a sonic shift from Djo’s earlier synth-led explorations to something warmer and guitar-driven. It channels a blend of Beatles-era psychedelia, McCartney-esque songwriting, and a splash of West Coast haze. The lyrics unpack grief, fame, and existential weirdness with a shrug of wit and sincerity that hits differently when you realise he’s probably writing between Netflix shoots and tour stops.
While his earlier records felt like headphone confessions crafted alone in bedrooms, The Crux is clearly a studio baby, recorded at New York’s legendary Electric Lady Studios, no less. The sound is bigger, the storytelling sharper, and Keery’s command as a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter is undeniable. Every track was written by him, either solo or with longtime collaborator Adam Thein, and the detail shows.
What seals the deal, though, is the live show. With a sold-out international tour under his belt, including three nights at both LA’s Greek Theatre and London’s O2 Forum, plus debut slots at Glastonbury and Coachella, Djo has shifted from cult favourite to festival staple. The upcoming 2026 festival run, Lollapalooza across Argentina, Chile, and Brazil, plus Colombia’s Estéreo Picnic, is only fanning the flames.
In a time when actor-turned-musician can often read as vanity project territory, Djo is the rare exception that doesn’t just work, it thrives. Maybe it’s because Keery isn’t trying to distance himself from the fame machine, he’s using it as fuel. Maybe it’s the hair. Whatever it is, Djo’s moment is no longer coming. It’s already here.
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