Beginning his music career in the midst of 2019 with the release of his first song “Roddy” and debut album, “Twenty Twenty,” Djo (formally known as Joe Keery) quickly made a name for himself within the psychedelic-rock and alternative music genres. Performing as a guitarist and drummer with the band Post Animal until 2017, Djo decided to pursue an acting career before returning to the music space. Now, with a total of four albums, including “Twenty Twenty,” “Decide,” “The Crux” and his new expanded album, “The Crux (Deluxe),” Djo has risen in the world of indie-rock, with a total of 24.5 million listeners monthly on Spotify. Overall, with his unique retro, genre-blending sounds, which he showcases immensely within “The Crux (Deluxe),” it is clear why Djo’s music is so addictive and vastly adored by fans.
Djo’s third studio album, “The Crux,” was released on April 4, 2025, after the unveiling of three separate tracks that would be included on the record. Those three singles: “Basic being Basic,” “Delete Ya” and “Potion,” along with 12 other tracks, make up the first of Djo’s albums to reach the Billboard 200 at Number 50. Following the success of the record, it seemed that the artist wasn’t going to release new music anytime soon.
Then, from Sep. 8, 2025 to Sep. 10, 2025, Djo unexpectedly dropped three new tracks: “Carry The Name,” “It’s Over” and “Awake” through a series of Instagram posts. Each day, the post would feature a sun slowly setting, foreshadowing an exciting announcement for fans on Sep. 12, 2025 —the release of “The Crux (Deluxe).”
As stated by Djo via Instagram: “This album serves as a companion piece for ‘The Crux,’ and a peek into the process that went into putting that album together… The biggest reason I wanted to release this is for the fans. It’s a thank you for embracing the project and allowing me and my friends to live out our dream.” The record features 12 new tracks in addition to the original album, totalling 24 songs. Along with that, the deluxe cover features a new perspective from the original. While “The Crux” has a highly maximalist design, with individuals crowding a street, a brickstone hotel, and seemingly Djo hanging from the window of the building, the deluxe features a more serene picture. Replacing the maximalist and daytime design, “The Crux (Deluxe)” cover displays the same viewpoint as the original, but with a quieter, moody, and nighttime approach. All of the individuals sprawling across the original cover were replaced with empty, rainy streets, with just a view of the hotel bellman and Djo looking out the window he was once crawling into.
Diving into the tracks of “The Crux (Deluxe),” the album starts with a prominently guitar-heavy, more specifically acoustic, song titled “T. Rex Is Loud.” The track being included on the record was an exciting and surprising element for fans, as the song was originally supposed to be included on “Decide,” but was removed from the final tracklist. “T. Rex is Loud” is a moving and notable song on the album and seems to be the exact track needed to lead up to a genre-blending deluxe album. Blending into the following song, “Love Can’t Break The Spell,” Djo starts off the track with an immediate lyric: “I’m sad,” and dives into a form of lost love. The track conveys the message that Djo has accepted and gone through the turmoil of a heartbreak, acknowledging the time that they had together, but knowing he is now better off without the relationship. The song is more slow-paced compared to the prior introduction track, though it keeps a similar acoustic sound, with a blend of comforting harmonica and keyboard elements as well.
Moving into the third song of the album, Djo switches gears in regards to sound production of “Mr. Mountebank,” where he dives into more electric and autotuned sounds with heavy drums, versus the previous acoustic guitar elements. This track represents the true beginning of the genre-blending sounds that “The Crux (Deluxe)” offers. Following “Mr. Mountebank” is the fourth song on the record, “Carry The Name,” which was the first single off the deluxe album. The entrancing and seemingly vintage-inspired track is being interpreted by fans in numerous ways. Though it appears that Djo is conveying the message that, despite him holding his head up, he is not completely over his recent relationship. Following the sort-of melancholy tune of “Carry The Name,” Djo created a bluesy and comforting-sounding song, “It’s Over.” The track was the second single released before the deluxe was dropped, and dives into the themes of the pain and acceptance that one endures when a relationship ends. The lyrics communicate the feelings of having to let go of the past and move forward in life, despite it causing restless nights and the inability to dream. Djo’s voice has a true sound of longing and aching within the track, which adds much emotion to the song as a whole.
Now, within the midst of “The Crux (Deluxe),” after two vintage and mellow tracks with the themes of longing and the feelings of heartbreak, Djo completely altered the sounds of the album. Bursting into the record, “Purgatory Silverstar” is being interpreted by fans as a messy yet entrancing song that blends a mix of alternative and psychedelic melodies. It pieces into the heart of the album well, as it demonstrates the genre-blending and twisting music that Djo has made himself known for. “Who Are You,” which is the next song on the record, showcases a much calmer and reflective side of Djo, versus the prior track. The usage of the piano and lyricism of “Who Are You” conveys the message that no matter how much time has passed, there will always be a lingering hurt from a former relationship.
The eighth track of the record, “Grime Of The World,” has the overall essence of Djo’s usual sound, complete with funky and trippy tunes. The song lyrics dive into themes of greed with a backing of an electric guitar, leading into the next track, “Try Me.” Beginning with a quick, cracking countdown with drumsticks, “Try Me” is a very playful and fun song, in which he sings about knowing that someone is dating the wrong person for themself, and he would be a better partner instead. The track definitely has both a catchy tune as well as lyrics.
The tenth song of the record, “They Don’t Know What’s Right,” brings a punk, rock feeling of melodies into “The Crux (Deluxe).” With the use of guitars, drums and synthesizers, as well as the raw vocals of Djo, the track conveys the theme of growing tired of people who are controlling.
Straying away from the psychedelic and rock genres that Djo is notable for, the following track, “Thich Nhat Hanh” adds a dreamy and meditative collection of sounds. The song, named after the Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist, Thich Nhat Hanh, only has eight lines within the entirety of the track, but stands out on the album with the mix of string instruments and calm vocals of Djo.
Closing the 12-song record, “Awake” serves as a representation of coming into consciousness of the world and chaos around oneself. The track starts with a soothing melody with the primary use of an acoustic guitar and raw vocals. Nearing the end of the track, it comes to a dramatic close with heavy guitars and drums, as well as Djo crying out to the listeners.
In the end, “The Crux (Deluxe)” serves as both a reflection of Djo’s musical journey as well as a heartfelt gift to devoted fans. Expanding upon the depth and experimentation of “The Crux,” the record offers a new perspective into Djo’s musical process, with a novel blend of psychedelic sounds, raw lyricism and retro-toned melodies. Ultimately, the expanded album represents the constant evolution of Djo’s work, which continues to grow in emotion and his own sound.