Djo, the musical project of singer, songwriter, and actor Joe Keery, is set to release their third studio album The Crux on April 4. But you can be among the first to hear it at a listening event near you as early as March 29. The star partnered with local record stores nationwide to debut the album to fans and treat them to a listening party exclusive Polaroid print and giveaway for a slipmat. Fans will have the opportunity to hear the new album in full and preorder throughout the event. Find the list of over 100 participating stores below and contact your location for details.

To tide you over until then, get a taste of the album with the newest single, "Delete Ya" out now. The song boasts an upbeat and swinging melody that beautifully contrasts the emotional lyricism. The groovy guitar strum in the first seconds hooks the listener, and a low-voiced Djo begins to sing about the painful memories of a past relationship. Lyrics like "Back in the city, no longer my home / Trying to let it go" explore the feelings one faces when leaving behind the nostalgia associated with places you used to create joy.

Leading up to the chorus, Djo sings, "And now I'm back on your couch, frozen peas to my head / Driving up to your folks," perhaps a callback to his first viral hit, "Chateau (Feel Alright)," a song featured on his album, Twenty Twenty (2019). He's described that track as a love song, with lyrics like "I could feel the pain / Of my head, seeing stars / You said 'Come to ours'" recounting the same moment. Revisiting the storyline in the context of a lost relationship is not only an Easter egg for fans but also emphasizes how a memory evokes different feelings depending on the stage of one's life.

In the second verse, Djo's witty sarcasm invites the listener to find humor in the situation by poking fun at himself. He exclaims, "I'm locked, she's the key / I'm a boat that's sinking, guess who's the sea." The word choice "guess" is laced with sass and reveals his awareness of how dramatic the premise of the song can feel. Instead of using two metaphors to tell the listener how he is feeling, he lets them conclude. He acknowledges they already know the answer, which creates a shared bond and genuine understanding.

The chorus, an immediate and unforgettable earworm, features the plea, "I wish I could delete ya," which explores how he would prefer to erase the relationship rather than deal with managing the pain of losing it. In a chat with Coup De Main, with whom the singer has an exclusive zine releasing next month, he revealed that Apple TV+’s hit television show Severance inspired his previous album's aesthetic. The series features a surgery one can get to separate their work life and home life memories. The idea that Djo wants to forget his relationship is an extension of that concept that has been explored in many classic media pieces.

In the final chorus, Djo dives deeper; "I wish I could release ya / Wind it back and never be with ya / Then I'd be happy just to meet ya," cementing his stance that he would rather sacrifice any happy memories from the relationship for the chance to feel better in the present. The song abruptly ends after the lyrics, "but this is done," leaving the listener craving the rest of the album and solidifying "Delete Ya" as an excellent choice for a single. Visit your local listening party and presave The Crux to be the first to hear the other 10 tracks when they release.

Massachusetts Listening Party Location: Max J Records