When the album DECIDE by Djo was released on Sept. 16, I saw my roommate post the album on her Snapchat story. I thought, “well if she likes it then maybe I will too,” so I gave it a listen. My mind was blown. I was casually listening to the album but when I came across “On and On,” I was hooked. 

This song immediately makes me bop my head. The bass is so addicting and Djo uses many cool audio effects — at one point you can even hear him dropping coins. A cool aspect of the song is that he uses a lot of repetition while using his voice to make a looping rhythm throughout the song. My favorite part is the rise to the chorus, with a subtle piano chord that gradually grows and he adds a little cello riff and then the bass kicks back in and it just sounds so beautiful. 

Djo is a very unique artist; I have never heard a song that uses this type of technique before. During the bridge, the drums kick in and they continue to speed up with a violin pitch that gets higher and higher, giving an overwhelming eerie effect to the song. Suddenly, it cuts to just the piano chords and peaceful vocals, creating a very satisfying lead into the ending chorus. It reminds me of a horror movie scene right before the girl is murdered as the killer is creeping toward her. 

This song reminds me of many ‘80s pop songs because he uses an electric piano and a variety of synths. It’s very nostalgic for me because it brought back memories of my mom and I driving in the car and listening to “’80s on 8” on the radio and jamming out. 

After I was non-stop listening to “On and On” with one of my roommates, she revealed to me that the artist Djo — a musical genius — was actually Joe Keery, who plays Steve Harrington in Stranger Things. My jaw dropped. This made the song so much more attractive. 

So if you love Steve from Stranger Things or some sick, snazzy, funky ‘80s synth beats, you need to listen to “On and On” on and on — and the rest of the album.