On this love song that falls somewhere between drippy-sap and very pleasant cabaret, notably out-of-tune electro-keys set the stage for Charlotte Dos Santos to croon away, Pink Martini-style. What we’re hearing, though, is straight bohemianism. Charlotte Dos Santos is a Brazilian-Norwegian artist living in Berlin, where she’s pursuing this neo-soul-infused jazz thing after music school. She just dropped her first album last near, which the Norwegian press is liking, and otherwise she’s toiling away in artistland (again, Berlin) to make her tunes reach the rest of our ears. If that all sounds nice, might as well join her for the ride. Play now.
In preparation for yet more holiday sap and surely a few instagram posts showing how your faraway friends have taken advantage, let’s talk proposals. What once was a life moment consisting of two people agreeing to get married is now more often than not a show, complete with photographers, surprises, and a full supporting cast. That’s a lot of pressure. So, why not call in the professionals? That’s right, there are now multiple agencies that you can hire to plan your elaborate proposal for you, so you can look like a champ for everyone judging the footage you will later post to social media. According to the Times piece on this, “most customers are heterosexual, middle-class men whose desire for romance exceeds their creativity,” and that feels about right. And if that sounds like you, then great news: the agencies will also help you re-enact your proposal so you can get staged photos to supplement the authentic ones. That could also dissipate some of the romance you might have felt in the moment itself, but look, this isn’t about you– it’s about your loyal instagram following.
While proposals themselves live on instagram, there’s a dark engagement underbelly on facebook (what else is new). Turns out there’s a popular group just for engagement ring shaming– basically the place people go to blow off steam after forcing themselves to politely like all real engagement photos. Mean? Sure. But hilarious in that anonymous way afforded by the internet, and also probably healthy as a private forum, away from social decorum. Right?
Evidently iPhones were the top seller on Singles’ Day last week (that is, by the way, China’s top consumer holiday). You probably already have a phone, but if an engagement agency isn’t currently on your list of expenses, why not treat yourself with a bedazzled phone case? Etsy is full of options– or, if you love yourself extra, you could DIY.
