Q: but i know something weird must be going on here because of the super surprising key change at 2:23, putting it back in the same key it was at 0:12
A: going from the verse to the chorus they do not use that pivot point, they jump from the G7 (which sounds like it is setting up for Cmin) and immediately go to Bma7 (as b6 of the new Ebmin key)