Music, like food, water, and the proliferation of cat memes, is up there with the most popular things on the planet. It’s rare that you meet someone who doesn’t like ‘a bit of everything’, and even rarer to find a person that’s completely deaf to new sounds, or the classics, or rhythm of any sort. Bonding over great songs with your date is bound to happen, and can be an early sign that you’re seriously compatible.
Despite this, there are certain – shall we say – guidelines you should heed when playing music for your date. To help your romance truly sing, let’s go through some of them:
Do – Share playlist choices
It used to be mixtapes that defined a couple’s musical history, but now we have almost every recorded song at our fingertips, which makes it more fun to scour for the perfect make-out soundtrack.
If you’re magnanimous enough to give your date control over at least some of the playlist, expect gratitude to shimmer over their lips. A music hog is no-one’s best friend, much less an attractive candidate for late night listening.
Don’t – Go for cheese or clichés
Marvin Gaye and Atomic Kitten have their relative merits, not least because they made careers out of seducing swathes of men and women. Modern superstars like Rihanna have taken raunch to a whole other level, and you may be tempted to impart the sexual wisdom of a heavy bass line on your beau.
At all costs, don’t do it. If they have any sense, they’ll be laughing their backside off at your misguided play for potency. It’s the equivalent of hitting your date on the head with a hammer, instead of chipping gently away at them.
Do – Adapt to the situation
Thanks to a thousand rom-coms, we’re endeared to the sight of someone singing into a spatula whilst they’re cooking, or having a diva moment in the shower. Music infiltrates every part of our lives, so showing your unabashed love for a song no matter what’s going on around you puts a spring in your date’s step.
Be brave with your song choices for any occasion; Brian Eno, for example, can seem really appropriate for afternoon coffee, but so can the Sex Pistols, depending on where the mood takes you.
Don’t – Insult their taste
One of the hardest things for a music lover to do is shut up about the songs they hate. With your mates, this topic of discussion can lead to much laughter and shared vehemence. Dating, though, requires holding one’s tongue until you’ve gained enough trust to demolish preferences. First impressions will land like a lead zeppelin if you spew bile about what’s ‘authentic’ and ‘real music’ to your ears.
A famous Englishman once wrote, “If music be the food of love, play on.” He had a point – melodious accompaniment is romance distilled, a trigger for desire and harmony and the interplay of emotions driving our quest for partnership. If you want to sing the same tune when it comes to romance, keep these points in mind, and get off on the right note by joining FreeAndSingle to find daters in your local area.