Djo’s ‘End Of The Beginning’ Tops Spotify Global Chart After Stranger Things Finale

Djo’s song ‘End Of The Beginning’ has surged to the top of Spotify’s global chart, knocking Taylor Swift’s ‘The Fate Of Ophelia’ out of the Number One spot following the finale of Stranger Things.

Swift’s 2025 hit had dominated the chart for 78 straight days before being overtaken by the 2022 synth-pop track from Djo, the musical project of Joe Keery, who plays Steve Harrington on the show.

‘End Of The Beginning’ reached the summit with around 6.5 million streams globally. The song is also currently Number One on Spotify’s US chart, pulling in about 1.38 million streams. The spike came immediately after the final episode of Stranger Things aired on New Year’s Day, January 1.

The track has already enjoyed a viral journey. It first gained major attention on TikTok last year, and its renewed popularity has been closely tied to the emotional ending of the series, where the core group of friends — including Keery’s Steve Harrington — reunite for a final battle against Vecna.

Speaking previously about the song’s meaning, Djo explained that listeners connect to it in very personal ways. He noted that while many fans link it to Chicago, others relate it to their own cities or moments in life, which he says is the real purpose of making music.

Keery has also shared a memorable moment involving Swift. On The Spout podcast, he revealed that he once ran into her at a recording studio, where she told him she loved ‘End Of The Beginning’ — long before it became a chart-topping hit. Keery said Swift had discovered the track while searching for new music and took the time to tell him how much she liked it.

Djo released his latest album, ‘The Crux’, last April. Reflecting on balancing music with his long-running role on Stranger Things, Keery said having music to focus on alongside acting helped him stay grounded. He described working on the series for so many years as a rare experience and admitted that not having another creative outlet during that time would have been difficult.

With the show now concluded and the song sitting at the top of the charts, ‘End Of The Beginning’ has found a powerful second life — driven by nostalgia, fan emotion, and a perfect cultural moment.