[2025 Edition] Stylish Western Music to Listen to While Driving – Latest Popular Songs

HushVRSTY

VRSTY – Hush

If you usually listen to intense, heavy music but are looking for bands in those genres that still bring a stylish flair to their sound, I’ve got a highly recommended band and track for you! VRSTY, a four-piece post-hardcore band based in New York, delivers a sound that’s technical and heavy, yet their melodies—driven by R&B-influenced vocals with impressive power and expression—are undeniably stylish and cool.

They follow in the lineage of bands like Issues that blend metalcore and nu metal with R&B elements, and their debut album, Welcome Home, released in January 2022, features many tracks packed with that vibe.

The song Hush, which we’re highlighting here, is a true standout on the album for its elevated sense of style.

While staying properly aggressive, the melodies carried by the superb vocal performance will fit perfectly as a driving soundtrack, no question!

Hot Crush LoverBlu DeTiger

Blu DeTiger – Hot Crush Lover

As of 2022, she isn’t very well-known in Japan yet, but I’d like to introduce an incredibly cool female bassist and singer-songwriter who’s sure to attract attention going forward! Based in New York, Blu DeTiger is a popular artist on platforms like TikTok and Spotify.

Her songs center on her own technically skilled, groovy bass playing and feature catchy melodies with an ’80s disco-pop vibe.

As mentioned, she’s highly regarded overseas, especially among younger listeners.

She’s even released videos in collaboration with that famous instrument brand Fender, which shows just how much buzz she’s getting.

Her April 2022 track “Hot Crush Lover” is another super stylish, ultra-pop number with a retro ’80s sound where the bass really shines.

It’s perfect as driving music, and if you like Dua Lipa’s work from her second album onward, this is absolutely an artist and a song you should check out.

Talkbeabadoobee

beabadoobee – Talk (Official Video)

The young singer-songwriter beabadoobee is set to visit Japan for the first time at Summer Sonic 2022 this August, and with her long-awaited second album Beatopia dropping in July, an even bigger breakthrough seems inevitable.

Highly praised for her ability to distill elements of alternative rock, shoegaze, and grunge into superb pop songs through the sensibilities of someone born in 2000, she brings a dreamy sound shaped by the modern, sophisticated taste you’d expect from an artist on Dirty Hit, home to popular bands like The 1975.

It’s perfect as driving music, too.

Talk, the track featured here, was released in March 2022 and can be called a quintessential beabadoobee song that captures her core appeal.

With its dreamy melodies, raw alternative-style rhythms, and enveloping guitar tones, it’s sure to create an amazing time on a drive—especially if you’ve got indie rock-loving friends in the car.

MS. PAC MANSudan Archives

Sudan Archives – MS. PAC MAN (Official Music Video)

This is a track by Sudan Archives, a U.

S.

-born musician, where nostalgically familiar game sounds and Y2K vibes are brilliantly fused.

With its electropop beat and synth tones, many listeners will likely find their bodies moving before they know it.

In this work, the image of pushing through the labyrinth of fame is superimposed onto a game protagonist who powers up to overcome obstacles.

The playful backstory—born from studio improvisation—is uniquely charming as well.

The song will be unveiled in August 2025 and included on the album “THE BPM,” releasing that October.

Its lead single has even been used in a Chanel show, underscoring the buzz around it.

It’s the perfect track for when you want an energetic beat to lift your mood or to treat challenges like a game and power through them!

SkateSilk Sonic

Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic – Skate [Official Music Video]

Silk Sonic is a super unit that fully showcases their love for classic, retro soul music and won four awards at the 64th Grammys.

The sound created by top musicians Bruno Mars and Anderson .

Paak is a masterful blend—balancing nostalgic warmth with the freshness of contemporary music.

Their debut album, An Evening With Silk Sonic, released in 2021, is perfect as a stylish driving BGM from start to finish.

Among its tracks, I especially recommend the masterpiece Skate for summer drives! Elegant strings, a sunny, summery percussion beat, and an irresistibly sweet melody will make you want to start dancing as soon as you hear it.

With lyrics that channel straightforward feelings for that special someone through the motif of “skate,” it’s also perfect for a romantic drive.

Be SweetJapanese Breakfast

Japanese Breakfast – Be Sweet (Official Video)

The name “Japanese Breakfast” is pretty playful, but it’s the solo project of Michelle Zauner, a Korean American artist who first made her mark as the vocalist of the band Little Big League.

She also performed at Coachella 2022, which was streamed live on YouTube, and her wonderful music and performance drew fresh attention from music fans who hadn’t known her before.

Japanese Breakfast’s latest album to date and third release, 2021’s Jubilee, is a true pop kaleidoscope—a masterpiece where her songwriting talent explodes.

This time, let’s spotlight Be Sweet, a track distinguished by its glimmering synths, funky guitar, and sinuous bass lines.

Jack Tatum, the driving force behind the popular dream-pop/chillwave band Wild Nothing, is credited as a co-writer, and the result is a killer tune that blends contemporary chic with shimmering pop in just the right measure!

DFMUElla Mai

Ella Mai – DFMU (Official Music Video)

In May 2022, Ella Mai, a popular young R&B singer-songwriter from the UK, released her second album, Heart on My Sleeve, about three and a half years after her smash-hit debut album Ella Mai.

DFMU, a track by the Grammy-winning talent, was released in January 2022 as the second advance single from the album.

With Ella’s languid, wistful vocals, the song—and its sound—take on a deeper, more mature, adult feel.

It’s the perfect soundtrack for a late-night drive that will immerse you in its world—just don’t forget to keep your eyes on the road.

Be sure to check out the music video as well, which depicts a journey with a lover and moments inside a car; its lyrics are more candid and personal than ever, and the direction and visuals—showing her love for ’90s R&B—leave a strong impression.