Stranger Things' Joe Keery reveals why he ditched disguise for new Djo album
The actor and singer tried to fly under the radar with a different look when starting his band.
Stranger Things star and singer Joe Kerry has opened up about ditching his ‘alter ego’ while performing on stage.
While he is known to most as the loveable Steve Harrington in the Netflix series, the actor quietly launched a music career during his downtime.
In his half-disguise, Keery rebranded himself as ‘Djo’ (pronounced the same as ‘Joe’) and took to the stage at Lollapalooza in the US in sunglasses and a shoulder-length, chopped orange wig.
Speaking to NME, Keery admitted that this was partially to create some level of anonymity via a half alter-ego, but when his music blew up on TikTok, it changed how he felt about it.
“It felt like [the disguise] went against the core of what this process has been all about, which is trying to strip away things that are interfering with being honest,” he said.
End of Beginning, a song from his second album Decide, was initially released in 2022, but went viral around the world on TikTok in 2024.
It is still frequently used in videos depicting transformations, or nostalgic reflections on times gone by, but initially tells the story about his feelings towards Chicago.
Keery is now preparing to release his third album, The Crux, on 4th April, and is ditching the disguise completely – not that many people were fooled by it.
The new album comes as Keery prepares to say goodbye to Stranger Things after more than 10 years in the role, something he called “an extremely unique experience”.
“You don’t make people forget you are in Stranger Things, but you do want to have a life outside of it,” he added.
Read more:
- Stranger Things creators confirm "rare" good news about season 5
- Stranger Things creators confirm special Behind the Curtain documentary on Netflix
Djo's new album The Crux is released on 4th April – and is available to pre-order now.
Stranger Things’ fifth and final season is due for release on Netflix later this year.
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Authors
Tilly Pearce is a freelance TV journalist whose coverage ranges from reality shows like Love Is Blind to sci-fi shows like Fallout. She is an NCTJ Gold Standard accredited journalist, who has previously worked as Deputy TV Editor (maternity cover) at Digital Spy, and Deputy TV & Showbiz Editor at Daily Express US.
