Djo’s song “End of Beginning” has reached No. 1 on the UK Official Singles Chart today, marking the first chart-topper of his career in the UK. The track sits at the top of the chart for the week ending 15 January 2026, completing an unlikely rise for a song first originally released in September 2022.

Performed by Djo, the musical stage name of actor and musician Joe Keery, “End of Beginning” surged back into prominence following the finale of Stranger Things Season 5. Renewed attention from fans of the series, combined with a sharp increase in streaming activity, helped propel the song to the top spot. It is Djo’s first No. 1 single on the Official Singles Chart.

The achievement highlights how modern chart success is increasingly shaped by streaming platforms and social media rather than traditional release cycles. “End of Beginning” was originally released in 2022 as part of Djo’s album DECIDE. While it received positive attention at the time, its long-term impact was driven by TikTok, where the song began gaining widespread traction in 2024. Clips using the track spread rapidly, pushing it onto major playlists and introducing it to a new audience well beyond its initial release window.

Streaming momentum intensified again in early 2026 following the conclusion of Stranger Things, in which Keery starred as Steve Harrington. As viewers revisited the series and sought out related content, the song experienced a fresh wave of listens. In January 2026, “End of Beginning” also reached No. 1 globally on Spotify, underlining how international streaming trends can feed directly into national chart results.

The success of a four-year-old track reaching No. 1 speaks to a broader shift in how music travels today. Songs no longer peak and disappear according to rigid timelines. Instead, viral moments, television exposure and algorithm-driven discovery can revive catalogue tracks and turn them into late-breaking hits. In this case, a television series finale, social media usage and sustained streaming combined to create a chart-topping moment years after the song’s release.

Musically, “End of Beginning” is an indie synth-pop track rooted in nostalgia and reflection. Its sound blends synth-pop, psychedelic pop and indie rock, drawing heavily on retro-inspired production. Ethereal looping synths, hypnotic drum patterns and mellow guitar riffs give the song a dreamlike atmosphere, while its structure builds gradually from softer passages into a more expansive and emotional crescendo.

Keery’s vocal delivery is restrained and soulful, adding to the track’s reflective tone. Lyrically, the song explores themes of home, identity and personal transformation. Written about Keery’s time living in Chicago in his early twenties, it reflects on returning to places that once shaped you and the tension between past and present selves. Lines such as “You take the man out of the city, not the city out the man” and “Another version of me, I was in it” capture the pull of earlier identities and formative moments.

The title “End of Beginning” itself suggests the close of a foundational chapter and the start of something new, a theme that resonates strongly with listeners navigating change. That sense of emotional universality has helped the song endure and find new meaning for audiences over time.

Djo, who independently released his debut solo album Twenty Twenty in 2019, wrote and produced the record in its entirety. While his connection to Stranger Things is now widely known, Keery originally adopted the Djo moniker to separate his music from his acting career.

With “End of Beginning” now officially a UK No. 1 single, the track stands as a clear example of how music can find its moment long after release, shaped by streaming culture, social platforms and the lasting emotional connection between artists and audiences.<