Music has this weird way of capturing a specific type of madness. You know the one. It’s that chest-tightening, logic-defying feeling where your brain basically short-circuits because of another person. Lately, everyone is obsessed with the phrase i lose my mind when it comes to you. It’s everywhere. If you’ve scrolled through TikTok or Instagram Reels in the last few months, you’ve heard that haunting, melodic hook soundtracking everything from devastating breakup montages to clips of people staring longingly at their golden retrievers.
But where did it actually come from?
It’s not just a random trending sound. This specific line is the emotional heartbeat of the song "End of Beginning" by Djo. If that name doesn't ring a bell, the face certainly will. Djo is the musical project of Joe Keery. Yeah, Steve Harrington from Stranger Things. It turns out the guy with the best hair in Hawkins is also a legitimate psych-pop savant.
The Story Behind the Viral Hit
"End of Beginning" wasn't even a new release when it blew up. It originally came out in 2022 on the album Decide. For a while, it lived in the relatively niche world of indie synth-pop fans. Then, the internet did that thing it does. A few creators started using the bridge—the part where Keery sings i lose my mind when it comes to you—and suddenly, the song was charting globally. By early 2024, it was hitting the top of the Spotify Global 50.
The song isn't actually about a toxic romance or a person at all, which is the funny part. Keery wrote it about Chicago. It’s a love letter to his mid-twenties, his time at DePaul University, and the version of himself he left behind in the Windy City when he moved to Los Angeles for fame. It’s about the "end of the beginning" of his life. When he says he loses his mind, he’s talking about the overwhelming nostalgia of returning to a place that shaped you.
Why the Internet is Obsessed With Losing Their Minds
Why does this specific lyric resonate so deeply? It’s the vulnerability. We live in an era of "cool detachment." Everyone wants to act like they don't care. But then a song comes along and admits, "Hey, I actually have zero emotional control in this situation."
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People are using the i lose my mind when it comes to you snippet to express different types of devotion. Honestly, it’s kind of fascinating to see the evolution of the trend. You have the "travel" side of TikTok using it to show off cities they miss. Then you have the "fandom" side using it for fictional characters. There’s something universally relatable about admitting that a specific person, place, or memory can totally dismantle your composure.
The Joe Keery Factor
It helps that Joe Keery has a massive amount of "internet equity." People already liked him. He’s charming, he’s talented, and he doesn't seem to try too hard. When "End of Beginning" started blowing up, there was this collective realization that he wasn't just another actor making a "vanity project." The music is actually good. It sounds like a mix of Tame Impala and 80s synth-wave, but with a more grounded, Midwestern sincerity.
Critics from Pitchfork and NME have noted that Keery’s songwriting avoids the cliches of "Hollywood music." He isn't singing about parties or being famous. He’s singing about feeling like a ghost in his old neighborhood. That’s the kind of stuff that sticks.
Analyzing the Lyrics: It’s More Than Just a Catchphrase
If you look at the full context of the song, the line i lose my mind when it comes to you follows a realization. The lyrics go:
"And when I'm back in Chicago, I feel it / Another version of me, I was in it / I wave goodbye to the end of beginning."
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Then comes the hook.
It’s about the friction between who you were and who you are now. Most of us have a "Chicago." Maybe it’s a childhood home, an ex-partner, or a specific year of your life that felt like the peak. When you're confronted with it, your brain doesn't know how to process the time gap. You lose your mind because you’re trying to occupy two spaces at once. You’re the adult with a job and a mortgage, but you’re also the nineteen-year-old who stayed up until 4:00 AM talking about nothing on a porch.
The Anatomy of a Viral Soundbite
How does a song go from 2022 album track to 2024/2025 global phenomenon? It’s usually about the "edit-ability" of the sound.
- The Tempo: It’s slow enough to be emotional but fast enough to keep you scrolling.
- The Frequency: The synth pads in the background have a shimmering quality that sounds great on phone speakers.
- The Relatability: The phrase i lose my mind when it comes to you is a blank canvas. You can apply it to a boyfriend, a cat, a burger, or a sunset.
Digital marketing experts often talk about "low-friction content." This song is the definition of that. You don't need to explain the joke. You just play the music, show something you love, and everyone gets it.
Is This the "New" Indie Pop Standard?
We’ve seen this before with artists like Mitski or TV Girl. Songs that didn't necessarily "pop" on radio find a second, much larger life on social media. Djo has managed to bridge the gap between "actor who sings" and "musician who happens to act."
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What’s interesting is how the success of i lose my mind when it comes to you has forced the industry to look at older catalogs. Labels are no longer just pushing the newest single; they’re scouring albums from three years ago to see what might catch fire. It’s a chaotic way to run a business, but for fans, it means great music gets a second chance at being heard.
How to Lean Into the Feeling
If you find yourself looping the song or feeling that weird pang of sadness when the bridge hits, you're not alone. It’s a high-level nostalgia trip. To really appreciate what Keery is doing with Djo, you have to look past the TikTok trends and actually listen to the full album, Decide. It’s a concept record about growth, technology, and the terrifying speed of change.
Take these steps to get the most out of the "Djo" experience:
- Listen to the full track "End of Beginning" without distractions. The build-up to the viral moment makes the payoff much stronger.
- Explore the "Chateau (Feel Alright)" era. This was Djo's earlier work from the album Twenty Twenty. It has a similar "losing my mind" energy but with a slightly more psychedelic, lo-fi edge.
- Check out the live performances. Keery often performs in a wig and sunglasses, creating a character that separates his "Steve Harrington" persona from his music. It adds a layer of performance art to the whole thing.
- Reflect on your own "Chicago." The reason the line i lose my mind when it comes to you works is because it forces you to think about what makes you lose your composure. Identifying those triggers is actually a pretty decent exercise in self-awareness.
The song is a reminder that even when we move on, pieces of us stay behind. And sometimes, those pieces are loud enough to make us lose our minds all over again.