In the last issue of 2018 I want to leave you with this rad track from Rosalia. She’s known for mixing flamenco with more contemporary pop techniques, and this two-sided lovesong is a great example: a series of driving claps brings the flamenco to a structured pop song with a totally catchy chorus. In Spain, where she’s more famous, she’s being heralded as a refreshing mix of old and new, which is totally America’s favorite thing right now too, so turn on your ears and welcome Rosalia to your mind space.

The time had to come. And incidentally in step with everyone deleting facebook, a bunch of folks are peacing out on instagram for the simple reason that it has peaked. Or, in artists’ terms, it’s stifling creativity. As a platform, it has its own creative constraints– everyone has to post the same way, etc– but also, artists become beholden to their followers, giving people what they want instead of making something new and risky. Which is an interesting turn, given how instagram originally functioned as liberation from creative constraints, helping artists become known for what they wanted to do, rather than what galleries would let them do. But a new dictator isn’t always a better dictator, and those who can afford to are leaving instagram’s borders. And you know what that means: instagram becomes a place for aspirers, not for those who’ve made it. (But, to those leaving, please tell us where you’re going.)

Other big news item: some Ibis hotels are offering a service that will instagram your vacation for you. Named, “Relax We Post” (this is why you bother with hiring an agency), the program offers a “social media sitter” who will post your photos and stories, and even reply to comments on your posts. Cause even normals just can’t even.

You’re about to have some time off. Have you considered making some art offline? Watercolors are *real* soothing and also send you zero notifications. Grab a set and consider it a gift to yourself (which… it objectively is).