When “Stranger Things” began airing back in 2016 there was a lot of buzz around Finn Wolfhard’s band, Calpurnia. The then fourteen-year-old dazzled audiences with his dual talent in both acting and music, but he is far from the only “Stranger Things” cast member who has gone into the music industry.
Maya Hawke is set to release her sophomore album, “MOSS,” on Sept. 23. The first single, “Thérèse,” is already streaming now.
Her album is based on reflections she has had since the beginning of the pandemic, with influence from Taylor Swift’s “Folklore.” Her music feels as if you are wandering around the Louvre, reflecting upon the magnitude of the world around you. Maya is certainly trying to capture the Phoebe Bridgers fans with her music.
Joe Keery, who goes under the stage name Djo, is also set to release his sophomore album on Sept. 16. His release date is a week apart from Maya Hawke’s, which is probably just a coincidence, but feels like something Robin and Steve would plan. Djo’s music wavers more on the pop, punk and EDM side of things. In his music, you can hear influences from the likes of Daft Punk and The Strokes.
In the past, Hollywood stars moving into the music industry was not an entirely uncommon practice. Drake, Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus are all great examples of this. The “Stranger Things” cast has an unusually high number of musicians, even Vecna used to be in a pop punk band. The trend doesn’t stop there. Brad Pitt recently said that he is working on music.
A theory behind the reasoning for this comes from Sydney Sweeney, who recently in an interview talked about how the pay for actors is not the same anymore. With the loss of revenue caused by the pandemic, as well as the high volume of influencers that have risen to the limelight, it takes a lot more to get your voice heard nowadays.
As young actors that still have not defined their careers yet, the music industry may be able to boost them to a level of stardom that can sustain their relevancy. It could also be that they just enjoy making music.
