The Daily Valet. - 6/8/23, Thursday
✔️ Summer Requries a Song
Thursday, June 8th Edition
By Cory Ohlendorf, Valet. Editor
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Today’s Big Story
Summer Requires a Song
Everyone from Billboard to Spotify is weighing in on 2023's Summer Anthem
You know it when you hear it. Or perhaps you have to keep hearing it ... over and over again, for a song to become the anthem of the sunny season. Do you have any predictions yet? Because we're mere weeks away from summer solstice, and the song of the summer has yet to reveal itself.The song of the summer has the potential to define the entire course of the season. Just look at the impact of “Hot Girl Summer” by Megan Thee Stallion in 2019 as an example. The best ones will have the power to transport you back to that time for years to come.According to Mashable, predicting the summer anthem has become its own niche on TikTok. The tag “song of the summer” has over 4.2 billion views on the platform. In the months before the official start of summer, like clockwork, every aspiring singer-songwriter posts a video saying something along the lines of, “I don't want to jinx is, but I think I just wrote the song of the summer.” In fact, it's such a popular format that it's now spurred parody videos from people posting their own intentionally terrible fake songs to cash in on the trend.But what about the real sound of summer 2023? Well there are some early predictions. Spotify on Wednesday released its predictions. The list is created by its global hits curation team and is based on “a number of factors”, including streaming numbers and current trajectory to predict “which song the team thinks will pop off.” So far, that includes “4EVA” by KAYTRAMINÉ and Taylor Swift's “Cruel Summer”, along with Dua Lipa's theme for the Barbie film.Billboard, of course, has some thoughts too. Their annual summery summary is back, in the form of the official Songs of the Summer chart. The 20-position chart tallies up the most popular titles based on cumulative performance on the weekly streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Billboard Hot 100 chart now through Labor Day. At the end of the season, the true top song of the summer will be revealed.
Listen:
Time-travel through every year since the Hot 100 began back in 1958, with the top 10 hits from each summer.
Trump Indictment on the Horizon?
Federal prosecutors inform the former president that he is a target in classified files probe
Federal prosecutors have officially informed the legal team for former President Donald Trump that he is a target of their investigation into the handling of classified documents after he left office. It's the clearest signal yet that Trump could face federal criminal charges.According to NPR, notices like this give lawyers a chance to argue against indictment. People who receive target letters are usually indicted, but not always. The notification to the Trump legal team followed the announcement that Mark Meadows, the former White House chief of staff, had recently testified before a grand jury. Later on Wednesday, Trump posted on Truth Social that “no one has told me I'm being indicted, and I shouldn't be because I've done NOTHING wrong.”The Washington Post reports that Justice Department prosecutors are planning to bring a significant portion of any charges stemming from the possible mishandling of classified documents to a federal court in South Florida, since the bulk of the conduct at issue in the investigation occurred at Trump's Mar-a-Lago home.
FYI:
A former Army lieutenant colonel was just sentenced to three years in prison for illegal retention of classified documents.
Partner
The kind of stuff that your father would no doubt appreciate, but likely never buys for himself.
Messi’s Miami Move Stuns Soccer
The sport's Most Coveted Free Agent and World Cup hero could really help Major League Soccer
Lionel Messi has pulled off his latest stunning feat: Argentina's World Cup hero announced that he's headed to the United States, to play for Major League Soccer's Inter Miami—the team partially owned by David Beckham.According to the Associated Press, it was widely believed that Messi eventually would choose to play for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, following longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo to a nation where some clubs now are funded by the state's sovereign wealth fund. “After winning the World Cup ... it was my turn to go to the league of the United States to live football in another way,” Messi said.Passing up that Saudi offer (worth around $500 million) was a big shock to Soccer world. Of course, he'll still be paid well. Inter Miami didn't announce the terms of Messi's contract (yet), but the deal is shaping up as one of the most elaborate in history, reports the Wall Street Journal. Messi will not only earn a salary from the team, but also be paid by MLS's two largest commercial partners, Apple and adidas. And if the deal goes through, it will certainly shift perceptions of MLS's quality and ambitions around the world. Messi will no doubt deliver even more attention to the league in the run-up to the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Volvo Makes Waves With EX30 SUV
Sure, it's more hatchback than SUV, but This is the affordable, stylish EV we NEED more of
The only downside to successfully repositioning your car brand from “safe” to “luxury,” as Volvo has managed to do over the past few years—a strategy that was clear in 2013 when it poached Bentley's interior design head—is that inevitably your pricing has to start saying “luxury” too. And that makes it tricky to lure in those younger customers that might stick with the brand as they trade in and trade up.But it seems the automaker has successfully created their “gateway” vehicle, if you will. Car folks seem to be buzzing about the EX30, Volvo's new electric SUV. And there's a lot to love about it. The starting price of $34,950 puts it as one of the least expensive modern EVs on the market. The interior is beautifully minimal and made from sustainable materials. And while tiny outside, the cabin makes good use of the available space.“Minimalist doesn't mean boring, and questionably screwed together in the EX30 like it does in the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y,” reports Car and Driver. Instead, it channels Volvo's recent chic cabins with luxe textures. However, all information, including driving data, is displayed on the one central touchscreen, not unlike a Tesla. To which, I ask, what's wrong with a few knobs?
Buy:
The U.S. version of the 2025 Volvo EX30 is currently available to pre-order.
In Other News
The smoky haze is expected to continue through Thursday.
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Partner
Gift Him What He Won’t Buy Himself
Huckberry has the perfect gift for every kind of dad
The team at Huckberry spends a lot of time thinking about what guys want and need. They specialize in hardwearing gear that's stylish, cool as hell and tough enough for any adventure—stuff that your father would no doubt appreciate but likely never buys for himself. And that's what makes for the perfect gift, right? So whether it's a rugged blazer, cut from washed cotton or a functional retro watch or power tool, there's something for every kind of dad here.
Half Dome decanter, $65 by Whiskey Peaks
Ironman Flix reissue watch, $109 by Huckberry x Timex
Patnoflex loafer, $198 by Astroflex
Military glass top cigar humidor, $300 by Case Elegance
12v brushless drill tool kit,$199 by Hoto Tools
Want more?
Shopping
What We’re Buying
A throwback tee
Summer time is prime tee season. Which means you want to have a variety of options. Buck Mason just introduced this boxy crewneck inspired by vintage T-shirts from the 1990s. It boasts a straight hem, slightly longer sleeve length, drop shoulder and wide ribbed collar, all cut from ridiculously soft and smooth pima cotton. The natural off-white “canvas” color is particularly good looking as well.
Get It:
Costa '90s boxy tee, $55 by Buck Mason
Morning Motto
There’s usually an upside somewhere.
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