Sid Dorey’s ‘Middle Seat’ Is a Coming-of-Age Queer Pop Triumph

Sid Dorey’s Middle Seat is the rare sophomore EP that doesn’t just build on a debut — it redefines what an artist is capable of. After the sharp wit and emotional storytelling of Drama in Doses, Middle Seat arrives with a softer punch, a deeper pulse, and a louder heart.

The production is clean but not clinical, lush yet unafraid to leave space for silence. There’s a maturity here, not just sonically but thematically. Dorey leans into the discomfort — grief, confusion, estrangement — and crafts pop songs that don’t beg for radio play, but demand emotional presence.

Tracks like “What Comes With Heaven” and “Unlovable” showcase their unique ability to turn heartbreak into hook-laden beauty, while “Isn’t This Just So Us” takes aim at the scars of religious trauma with lyrical precision that cuts through the noise. This isn’t just vulnerability for the sake of aesthetic — it’s purposeful, powerful, and deeply queer.

What’s most impressive is how Dorey manages to create a community in their storytelling. You don’t just listen to Middle Seat — you feel like you’ve been given permission to feel your own mess. It’s an EP that understands the stakes of simply staying — of choosing to be here, in this moment, with these people.

In a world that too often asks queer artists to shrink themselves into digestible narratives, Sid Dorey doubles down on truth. Middle Seat is a quiet rebellion — and one hell of a listen.

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