January 8, 2026 03:39 PM IST First published on: Jan 8, 2026 at 03:39 PM ISTThere’s something about Steve. His hair, his stare and pretty much everything he wears — the white knit, his backwards trucker, the Scoop Ahoy sailor outfit that only he could pull off. Steve said goodbye to his fans last week with the Stranger Things finale. But he has hardly left the consciousness of the fandom that on Sunday, propped him, aka Joe Keery (the actor who plays Steve), up to #1 on Spotify’s Global Top 50, dethroning Taylor Swift. It is a big feat anyway, but particularly for Joe, whose career as a musician leapt to a peak in the five years since he launched his first album in 2019; his third album, The Crux released only last year. Much of his popularity can be attributed to Steve — or was it the other way round? Either way, Steve or Joe’s story is one of success, and a beautiful, kind and relatable one at that.Joe and Steve have permeated each other’s beings to create a beautiful phenomenon of a celebrity whose presence lingers long after he departs. On screen. On stage, Steve may have left, but Joe is still in your ear with “End of the Beginning,” the crown jewel of his discography that toppled the “music industry.” The song that recorded 6.5 million daily streams is steeped in nostalgia, echoing the perpetual, universal hankering for home, wherever it may be, whoever it may be.AdvertisementBut Joe’s popularity goes beyond this one song. There is, of course, Steve’s enigma. And in the mirroring of these off and on-screen personas lies a perfect recipe for success. Steve’s end is only the beginning for Joe.Steve was a character, the Duffer brothers have repeatedly said, they had planned to kill off right after the first season of Stranger Things, and it was Joe who charmed them into keeping him alive till the very end, making him part of the core cast. Over five seasons, notwithstanding the loopholes in the otherwise fantastic show, Steve went from being an inconsiderate “jock” to a thoughtful, will-die-for-the-people-I-love kinda friend. Having a Steve in their lives is everybody’s dream, including Joe’s. This yearning for your ride or die is at the heart of “Basic Being Basic.”“I don’t want your money, I don’t care for fame/ I don’t wanna live a life where that’s my big exchange/ I want simple pleasures, friends who have my back…”AdvertisementAs he mocks himself for being a sheep in a culture that rewards sameness, he peels off the layers of insecurity to reveal a sense of self-awareness — a characteristic that came to define Steve. In Steve, we saw ourselves. In Joe, we see ourselves.Steve was the only character who had no real stake in the fight in Stranger Things. No family to fight for. Friends came only along the way. His inability to belong even when surrounded by people he was ready to die for is not very different from the disconnect we are increasingly feeling in a world that is supposedly more connected than ever. This paradox is captured by Joe poignantly in “Lonesome is a State of Mind.”“It’s one on one/ Two for life/Thought that you were on my side”And there’s that bit of Joe, a bit of Steve, you see in yourself.Steve’s biggest likeability factor was his beautiful arc. The way he transforms into an empathetic friend, especially for Nancy, from a whiny, unreasonable boyfriend, becomes more than just a character’s evolution. It is about the inevitability of and, more importantly, the need for change and how we are the sum of all our parts — the good as much as the bad. That’s Joe’s “Change” for you.most read“But every mistake I’ve ever made (has led me right here)/ It’s easier to refuse to change (year after year)/ Something’s happening to me, a change that I can see/I thought that change was bad…”This sense of familiarity with Joe’s songs and his believable portrayal of Steve strikes a chord, evoking a range of emotions. There’s aspiration, admiration, hope, disappointment, yearning, nostalgia, heartbreak, ambition, anger, frustration, and so much more that millennials, hovering around an impending midlife crisis, fail to find words for. Thankfully, we’ll always have Steve. And Joe.“And now I’m ready to go.” #iykykThe writer is associate editor, The Indian Express. trisha.mukherjee@expressindia.com