Happy Medium Club: Volume 7
"I’m Joel — the new Grammy’s."
Hello, everyone.
In this volume, we’re talking about the Grammy’s (sort of), crippling embarrassment, and Taylor Swift, famously.
Drawing inspiration from the Grammy’s (sort of), crippling embarrassment, and Taylor Swift— we made a Spotify playlist. Famously! Stream HMC: Volume 7.
Hmmm, maybe you should follow @happymediumclub on Instagram.
My favorite albums of 2022
By Joel
I’m Joel—the new Grammy’s.
In this volume, I’m the only Grammy Academy voting member. I decide who wins a few of the awards and some I've made up myself. :)
As Michael Limentato, who’s literally on a music podcast, once said, “there’s way too much music to listen to.”
I don’t remember if he's actually said that, but I bet he has in the past.
Anyway, this year Drake, Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, and Beyoncé dropped albums that have amassed millions (probably billions) of plays on all the platforms. Those are only a few of the artists that come to mind, so please be kind to me as I fumble the bag and only award my favorite artists.
The Album of the Year was hard to decide. I wanted to pick something that would make it seem like I listen to super-good music, but that's all subjective.
So, without further interruption… the winner of Album of the Year is Un Verano Sin Ti by Bad Bunny! Ask my wife, this album was on repeat. Lo mereces Benito!
Best New Artist was kinda hard because I wanted to choose one, but instead, I made it a tie. AG Club and Rosalia are the Best New Artists of 2022!
AG Club's Imposter Syndrome album has vibes from rap bangers to smooth R&B showing their range in styling.
Rosalia's Motomami is such a fun album to listen to, and really put her on the map in the hearts of people all over the world. Who cares if you don't speak Spanish, give it a listen.
There was an impressive bunch of options for Rap Album of the Year. But it was easy. You may have forgotten that in early January 2022, we were all singing along to Pushin P. So, of course, Gunna's DS4L wins rap album of the year. Free Wunna or whatever the kids are saying.
Lastly, and most importantly, the Hardcore Album. Many of you reading would be terrified to hear the stylings of any of the bands in the running.
I had a small Hardcore revival in my life this year. And it has been fun to see the new bands crushing the breakdowns that lost their impact a few years ago.
But very easily, Oceans Ate Alaska's Nova was the best album.
If you're interested in more music, feel free to follow our Spotify playlist below!
Dom and Hannah Discuss Midnights
By Dom & Hannah
Dom is a late-in-life Swiftie. He’s always been an admirer of Taylor Swift but didn’t become a pathological fan until the Reputation Era.
Hannah is an early adopter. She’s been on board since the debut album.
Dom and Hannah have a lot in common (they love crystals, they love each other, and they love their friend David). They also have a lot of differences (Hannah doesn’t like Lavender Haze, and Dom thinks she’s foolish and [redacted] for not liking Lavender Haze.
They hashed out their differences (below) and tried to find some common ground. It went okay! But they still have work to do.
Lavender Haze
Hannah: This song gives off 80s synth pop vibes, which usually I’d be here for, but I’m not a big fan. The lyrics are catchy, and I find myself singing along when I listen to the song, but it’s not a song I’ll go out of my way to play, especially when a song like Maroon follows up behind it.
Rank: #10
Dom: I’m baffled that this isn’t in your Top 5, Hannah! This is one of my favorite songs of 2022. I love the theme of the song--finding an oasis in someone when life gets fuggin stressful. It’s equal parts a love ballad and a song about burnout. Relatable as fluck. And the bridge. Get it off my desk!!! It’s good.
Rank: #4
Maroon
Hannah: This song sits at number 3 for me for the album. It gives me Red album vibes, and that was one of my favorite Swift eras. The way she sings about a failed relationship but makes it something beautiful is just the epitome of Taylor Swift. “And I wake with your memory over me. That’s a real fuckin’ legacy to leave.” The chills I get when I hear this line. It makes me reminisce on my past relationships and smile at what they brought to my life, no matter how dark they ended.
Rank: #3
Dom: Lyrically, this is an S-Tier song. So good. Storytelling at its finest. Musically, it’s not as seamless as a fit for me. It feels a little dated (reminds me of 2014 for some reason). But I can get past that. The lyrics are wonderful. And the hook is friggin catchy.
Rank: #6
Anti-Hero
Hannah: Everything about this song is a “yes.” The lyrics, the tune, the theme. We’re all the problem at some point in our life, so it’s immensely relatable, and this is the shining star of the album. “When my depression works the graveyard shift, all of the people I’ve ghosted stand there in the room.” A lot of us fight with some form of mental illness, and I think this is an anthem for us. And let’s talk about the snake hiss she heavily leans in on in the post-chorus…what a shout-out to all of the tabloids calling her a snake.
Rank: #1
Dom: So freaking good. Basically, every lyric functions as a standalone one-liner (Instagram Caption, tattoo, email signature). But at that the same time, it’s so cohesive. It feels like it fits so perfectly in the album, the era, and my literal LIFE. So good. I want to give it a #1 ranking, but there are some other songs that literally broke my bones. So I’m going to give her a #5.
Rank: #5
Snow On the Beach (Ft. Lana Del Rey)
Hannah: Y’all are going to hate me for this one. Where’s Lana? There seems to be a trend where female guest artists on Taylor’s albums don’t get their own time to shine as a male artist does. Perfect examples would be No Body, No Crime and Breathe, where HAIM and Colbie Calliet are simply an accent to the song. Then you have songs like Everything Has Changed or Exile, where Ed Sheeran and Bon Ivor have their own moment. The song is beautiful, I just wish I would have heard more from Lana. This leaves this song in the middle of the pack for me. It’s not bad but it’s not amazing.
Rank: #7
Dom: Yeah, Hannah, I do hate you for this! I know Taylor gets a lot of flack for giving boring-ass men full verses (Gary Lightbody had a verse but HAIM got background vocals???). But in this case, I think Lana’s and Taylor’s voices literally mesh into one eerie and melancholy, and beautiful voice. And it makes me feel better that they wrote it together. I will say I think this song would’ve worked well as a Lana solo track, but I’m not sure Taylor could’ve pulled it off by herself. I love this song so much. The sentiment. The serendipity.
Rank: #3
You're On Your Own, Kid
Hannah: You’re On Your Own, Kid is one of those songs that I think can have various meanings. When I sat and listened to it for the first time at 12am, I was brought to tears. It reminded me of my constant feeling of loneliness. For this reason, YOYOK solidifies its spot at number 2 for me with this album.
Rank: #2
Dom: Famously—and traditionally—Taylor reserves Track 5 on each album for the most gut-wrenching or emotionally vulnerable song. On Folkore, we’ve got My Tears Richochet. On Red, we’ve got All Too Well. I was surprised to see YOYOK as Track 5. It’s a great song—like every song on this album. And I agree with Hannah about the themes… this is the definitive anthem for loneliness. Closely followed by Akon’s Mr. Lonely. BUT, I have high expectations for Track 5. And with songs like Would’ve, Should’ve, Could’ve and Bigger Than the Whole Sky on the album, I’m a little (ONLY A LITTLE) underwhelmed.
Rank: #10
Midnight Rain
Hannah: I’m gonna love any song that’s about Tom Hiddleston. It’s guaranteed. Getaway Car? Art. Midnight Rain, it’s little sister. There’s something so beautiful about TS realizing she did someone dirty and owning up to the mistakes. “He wanted a bride. I was making my own name.” We’ve all had those moments of being in a situation that we know better than to be in. I’d rank this one higher up in the middle of the songs.
Rank: #8
Dom: I love how Taylor has written at least 139 versions of this song, including Archer (“I've been the archer. I've been the prey”), Getaway Car (“I left you in a motel bar.”), and Back to December (“This is me swallowing my pride, standing in front of you saying I'm sorry for that night.”) The latest rendition of “I Broke the Heart of a Nice Young Man” is good! But not my favorite.
Rank: #18
Question...?
Hannah: It’s giving Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber’s relationship from an outside perspective. I don’t really have much to say about it. It’s not a bad song, but I feel like we’ve heard it before, ya know?
Rank: #12
Dom: I love this song, and I like this song. I wrote it in my Enneagram/Midnights analysis and dubbed this as a song for Enneagram Nines (folks who strive to maintain peace and have trouble saying what they want). Relatable as fluck. Also, I love cute little sound effects in songs. I get a cute little serotonin boost when the crowd yells after Taylor kisses her twin flame in the bar. This is a cute little song that I cute little like.
Rank: #7
Vigilante Shit
Hannah: It’s like Reputation Vol. 2, but the initial bad bitch feeling is gone? That opening line, though…”Draw the cat eye sharp enough to kill a man”…absolute chills. There’s no denying Miss Swift is brilliant when it comes to her lyrics, this song just didn’t hit like I wish it would have.
Rank: #13
Dom: The best song of all time. I went on a $300 shopping spree after I heard this song. So I, too, could dress for revenge. But I don’t have a good fashion sense, so I bought a couple of dad hats. One of them has flowers on it. I wish I was a vengeful vigilante, but I am a cotton ball.
Rank: #1
Bejeweled
Hannah: Bejeweled is a track that didn’t click with me during the initial listening of the Midnights. But as I listened to the album over and over again, I tolerate it now. It’s not in my top songs by any means, but I wouldn’t skip it if the album was on shuffle.
Rank: #19
Dom: Fun. Incredible. Very pop. It’s giving Leo Sun, Aquarius Moon, and Sagittarius rising. Also, I’ve said this one, and I’ll say it 13 more times: give Laura Dern an EGOT for her cameo in the music video. Do it now!
Rank: #8
Labyrinth
Hannah: People who don’t rank Labyrinth high, and I’m just gonna say it, have absolutely no taste. She captures the stages we go through when we realize a person has bewitched our heart and soul with three simple lines.
Uh oh, I’m falling in love (Fear)
Oh no, I’m falling in love again (Reluctance)
Oh, I’m falling in love (Serendipity)
It’s truly genius. It was hard to rank it this low on the list but I can’t place it any higher.
Rank: #5
Dom: I agree with Hannah! If you don’t like this song, you have bad taste! Sorry!
Rank: #9
Karma
Hannah: This is “This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things,” chiller little sister. I will say I love the chorus here, emphasizing all of her GOOD karma that many of the news outlets didn’t think she would have, as they constantly criticized her. This is supported in the following lyrics. “Ask me what I learned from all those years. Ask me what I earned from all those tears. Ask me why so many fade, but I’m still here.” The most polite way to tell people to STFU if you ask me.
Rank: #17
Dom: Some people say this song is cringe. They are right. I too am cringe. I love this song. I love the one-liners that make people roll their eyes: “Karma is a cat purring in my lap because it loves me.” I don’t like cats. But I like this song.
Rank: #17
Sweet Nothing
Hannah: I personally love a good love song about Mr. William Bowery, AKA, Joe Alwyn. It has a sweet little nursery rhyme vibe which I think is super cute, because nursery rhymes tend to help children relax, calm down, and sleep, so it’s adorable that she’s comparing her relationship with Alwyn to this sort of nostalgic comfort we all experienced as a child.
Rank: #14
Dom: This is one of my favorite songs of the year. I listen to it while I’m walking around my cute little neighborhood, romanticizing my quiet life. Something about, “on the way home, I wrote a poem. You said, ‘what a mind.’” Ah, it makes me gush.
Rank: #2
Mastermind
Hannah: Mastermind wasn’t one of my favorites when I first sat down, but it grew on me in a way that I didn’t think was possible. As I sat and actually soaked in the lyrics I was SHOOK. Like, are you kidding? Let’s talk about the bridge. “No one wanted to play with me as a little kid, so I’ve been scheming like a criminal ever since to make them love me and make it seem effortless.” Listen Taylor, if you wanted to hurt me, you could have just stabbed me instead. Holy cow this song is magic.
Rank: #6
Dom: It’s great! I don’t have much else to say! I like it a lot!
Rank: #14
The Great War
Hannah: The Great War is one of Taylor’s best songs she’s ever written. Between the snare drum that was used in actual battles, and the story she sings about the battles you face with relationships, ah, it gives me actual chills. The bridge is my favorite part of this song because she really lays into emphasizing the snare drum and dials back on the use of other instruments and it really makes you feel like you’re going through the battle she’s singing about.
Rank: #4
Dom: I love when Taylor goes FULL metaphor. Take a shot every time blondie drops a reference to warfare in this song. You’ll blackout! And I didn’t notice the snare drum until Hannah pointed it out. Seriously, love that. This song has so many layers and if you don’t like it, listen again!
Rank: #13
Bigger Than The Whole Sky
Hannah: This song makes me ache in my bones. It’s that one relationship that was so perfect for you, but it wasn’t perfect in the other person’s eyes so they leave. That loss is absolutely KILLER and I think Swift is able to capture that pretty perfectly when she describes that this person in her life was “bigger than the whole sky,” essentially implying this person was their world, and now she has to go through and figure out how to live without the person she thought was the end game for her. It’s immensely relatable. I’ve ranked it low on the list only because there are other songs that I reach for first.
Rank: #15
Dom: Yeah, this song gives me a lump in my throat. It should’ve (would’ve, could’ve) been Track 5. It’s an example of Taylor’s ability to distill complex experiences into songs that are digestible and accessible while creating space for listeners to prescribe whatever meaning resonates for them. Nicely done.
Rank: #12
Paris
Hannah: Paris is a difficult one for me to figure out how I feel about it. It’s not really relatable for me, so I think that’s what makes it hard for me to connect to the song. The beat is fun and the flow of her lyrics naturally puts a smile on your face while you listen, but this one…it’s gonna be last for me.
Rank: #20
Dom: I forgot this song was on the album until I started writing this sentence. 😊
Rank: #20
High Infidelity
Hannah: I mean, this one is fine. But there are stronger tracks that I like. “You know there are many different ways that you can kill the one you love…the slowest way is never loving them enough”...OOF. Those lyrics though. An absolute stab to the heart. But I feel like I would have liked it more if it was paired with a different music track. There’s just something about the tune that makes me go “Ehh.”
Rank: #18
Dom: I can’t help but compare this song to Illicit Affairs from Folklore, since they both explore varying levels of infidelity. Illicit Affairs is an incredible and complicated song. High Infidelity song is fine! I maintain there are no skips on this album. And I’m sure this song will rise in the ranks after I’ve overplayed Vigilante Shit in a few weeks.
Rank: #19
Glitch
Hannah: I really like the relaxing vibes to this song but that’s about it if I’m being honest. Like, I’d listen to this song as I sit beachside soaking in some Vitamin D. This is a song I don’t listen to for the lyrics, because I think she has some songs with stronger lyrics, but this song gets the job done for what I need it to do.
Rank: #16
Dom: I love this song!!! It’s so cute. It’s vibey. It’s good cute little song. And, like Hannah said, it’s the perfect song for a relaxing evening Under the Tuscan Sun. Boring movie, btw.
Rank: #15
Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve
Hannah: Dear John Mayer, you sir, are the gunk on the bottom of my shoe. Need I say more? Probably not, but I’m going to. Instead of focusing on the lyrics, as tragically deep as Demi Lovato’s “29”, I wanna focus on some of her vocal choices on certain lines and words, example - when she sings “Give me back my girlhood”. I’ll wait while you go listen to that part…did you go listen to it? Did you hear the slight teeny bopper whine she adds to it, almost signifying that she was only a young teenager. It’s brilliant. There’s a desperate plea to her voice in this whole song as well, which really tugs at my heart strings and wants me to form Dallas’s chapter for the John Mayer hate club. It’s ranked a little lower only because I can’t put it past Dear John. That remains a classic.
Rank: #11
Dom: There’s nothing I can say that Hannah didn’t already say.
Rank: #11
Dear Reader
Hannah: I love when artists talk to their fans through their music and Dear Reader scratches that satisfying itch. And there’s something even more satisfying about her telling us to hit the pavement running to find ourselves, but then doubling back by saying we shouldn’t take advice from someone who’s falling apart, implying that the only person you should look to for when it comes to fixing yourself is who you see staring back at you in the mirror. My favorite line. “No one sees when you lose when you’re playing solitaire.” This goes out to all of us who constantly feel alone and know that we only have ourselves. I’d rank it higher if I could.
Rank: #9
Dom: Perfect closing clack for the album. It’s a great follow-up to the last song Taylor wrote, directly addressing her listeners: Long Live. On that song, she celebrated how far she and her fans had come “Long live the walls we crashed through, how the kingdom lights shined just for me and you,” she sings. This time around, on “Dear Reader,” she’s all like… thanks for sticking with me for all these years, but you should know I have no idea what I’m doing. Same, Taylor. Same!!!
Rank: #16
A few more Taylor Swift updates from Dom
I caused conflict! It was fun.
You should follow English Teacher KP on YouTube!
English Teacher KP is a former classroom teacher. Now, she teaches English to trillions of people online, using popular songs to show folks how to conduct literary analysis and close reading. The videos are 30ish minutes long, so I treat them like a podcast and listen while I’m doing dishes or driving.
They are so good and expanded my appreciation for songwriters. Check out the Anti-Hero analysis below. .
A few of my other favorite episodes are Liability by LORDE, Shake it Out by Florence + The Machine, Champagne Problems by Taylor Swift, and so many others.
Things that are embarrassing but shouldn’t be
By Dom & Dana
“This was the hardest article I’ve ever written,” said Dom. If you’re a regular person, you probably won’t relate or agree with the takes below. If, for some reason, your palms get sweaty when you’re pulling your suitcase out of the trunk of your car (even if nobody is around to watch you struggle)—welcome to the stupid club.
Anyways, here are a few occurrences that Dom and Dana find humiliating for absolutely no reason…
Wearing Sunglasses
Dom: I’d rather squint or close my eyes than subject myself to something so embarrassing.
Dana: This might be one of the most embarrassing things that you could do.
When food goes down the wrong pipe
Dom: Ugh, when you’re trying to tell a story, but you keep coughing. And then people keep asking if you’re okay. Humiliating.
Dana: It’s so embarrassing because people won’t just let you be. Like give me a second to choke.
Carrying around a suitcase
Dom: Especially with wheels. Humiliating.
Dana: I don’t care if it’s normal. It’s so embarrassing.
Taking things out of the trunk of a vehicle
Dom: I’ll literally take 13 trips and grab one thing at a time, before I let someone see me struggle with carrying a lot of bags.
Dana: There’s something about having to drag your bags out that’s just too awkward for me to handle.
Waiting in line for the dressing room
Dom: The most humiliating display of earnest sentimentality
Dana: Something about having an armful of clothes with nowhere to go makes me want to vomit
Confidently singing the wrong lyrics
Dom: I have a pit in my stomach.
Dana: It’s the way people cackle after I do it. I can’t I can’t I can’t
Quick question!
Happy Bits
Curated by Sam
ICYMI: Cyber sales are still going! (Sam’s favorite deal: The Always Pan from Our Home)
Just a friendly reminder that Julia Roberts wore it best. Here are 17 of Julia Roberts’ greatest 90’s style moments (& outfit inspos for your next holiday party)!
The Christmas movie gods have blessed us with movies starring Lindsay Lohan & Ryan Reynolds.
It’s not always the most wonderful time of the year, and that’s ok. We loved this essay on Navigating Body Image & Family During the Holidays.
Thanks for hanging out! It means a lot!
