Spotlight Song: “Potion” by Djo
September 7th, 2025
Welcome to our Spotlight Song!
Each week, Musicians Found shines a light on a new song that we’re sure you’ll enjoy. With a mix of emerging and established musicians, you might just find your new favourite artist.
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Djo’s Latest Album, The Crux, Highlights His Musicality in a New Way
It’s been a big year in music for Joe Keery. Spring saw the release of Djo’s The Crux and summer brought Post Animal’s psychedelic indie-rock album Iron.
In a sea of many great songs between these two albums, “Potion” stands out, with its gorgeous instrumentals showcasing painfully relatable lyrics. The fourth track on The Crux, “Potion” sees Djo team up with Post Animal mixing-engineer Adam Thein (credited as a producer on “Potion.”)
Djo’s “Potion” Tells the Story of a Search for Love
A bright, melodic guitar line opens “Potion,” giving a preview of what to expect the rest of the song. While the lyrics and vocal performance create a well-rounded musical experience, the real star is the beautiful guitar that undercurrents the whole song.
Djo’s vocals enter alongside the drum line, depicting the familiar feeling of waking up in the middle of the night and feeling like the only person in the world. It’s the kind of feeling that’s only amplified when you’re starkly aware of the fact that nobody is lying in bed beside you.
The first verse goes on to explore the idea of continually searching for love and seeing signs in everything. (If you’ve ever scrolled through endless tarot readings on TikTok, hoping that the words curated to give you a false sense of hope might actually be true, you’ll understand the sentiment.)
The musical background to the chorus becomes a sort of lonely duet between the guitar and vocal parts, with the guitar riffs echoing the melody of the lyrics.
Still, despite the melancholy that can often come with this genre of songs, “Potion’s” chorus is decidedly optimistic. The song’s central theme can be summed up in one poetic lyric: “I’ll try for all of my life just to find someone who leaves on the light for me.”
With one line, Djo manages to capture the way that love can turn the mundane into the magical. There’s a simple beauty in knowing there’s someone waiting for you when you get home, and it’s something worth searching for, no matter how long it takes.
What Gets in the Way of Genuine Connection?
The second chorus takes on a more resigned view of the world the narrator is living in.
It can seem like all we do is compare ourselves to impossible standards, idolize people we don’t even know, and chase a spotlight that eventually goes out.
It all fades away in the end, and what’s left is the authenticity of the relationships you were able to create with the people you love.
With this message, the song hits a minor chord to turn back into two repetitions of the chorus. Djo carries us out with an instrumental outro, circling back into the same guitar progression we recognize from the beginning of the song. The familiar search for love continues, and we’re reminded that it’s worth it.
While the song lends itself well to the idea of romantic love, it can also be interpreted to highlight the beauty of all the different kinds of love we experience. The people who leave the light on for you might be your family, your friends, or even your roommates who simply don’t want you to fumble for your keys in the dark.
So, while you search for your one true love, don’t forget to take in all the love that already exists around you.
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