Emotional tracks perfect for a drive; road trip songs that deepen your memories.
There are all kinds of songs you can play on a drive, but choosing the right ones can be tough.
Ideally, you want to pick tracks that suit the person you’re with and the situation, so the music truly fits the drive.
In this article, we’re focusing on songs that carry an emotional vibe.
We’ll pick out “emo” tracks based on recent hits.
Whether you’re alone, with friends, family, or a partner—how about heading home with songs that bring back memories from the day or the past? Music has the power to elevate the atmosphere, so enjoy your driving time with these wonderful tracks.
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Emotional songs you’ll want to play on a drive. Drive tracks that deepen your memories (21–30)
Slow & EasyHirai Dai
With its soothing acoustic sound and warm vocals, this song whisks listeners away to a tropical beach.
It’s a track from Dai Hirai’s May 2015 album “Slow & Easy,” carrying a message of breaking free from the busyness of everyday life and taking it slow to enjoy living.
It was also used as the theme song for Sumitomo Forestry’s “Sakimachi Arai-Minami Sustaina Town” commercial and chosen as the ending theme for TV Asahi’s “BREAK OUT.” Blending elements of Hawaiian music and reggae, its refreshing melody is perfect not only for road trips while traveling but also for relaxing moments in daily life.
Twilight SurroundRIP SLYME
What I’d love for you to listen to against the backdrop of an autumn sky awash in orange is the 10th single by the hip-hop group RIP SLYME.
Released in October 2004 as an advance single from their fourth album, MASTERPIECE, the track features a lively yet delicate acoustic guitar that creates a floaty, autumnal vibe.
The melodious rap, which portrays the passage of time from dusk to dawn, draws you in until you feel yourself melting into its world.
Peaking at No.
5 on the Oricon weekly chart, this song is perfect for a nighttime autumn drive.
Its slightly wistful, groovy sound gently wraps you in a sentimental mood—an evocative hip-hop tune through and through.
LOOPSIRUP
This song is perfect for when you want to sink into a sentimental autumn mood! It’s a track from singer-songwriter KYOtaro’s solo project, crafted by SIRUP.
With a sound rooted in R&B and soul, it’s sure to resonate with fans of Black music.
At first, it sounds like it’s depicting joyful everyday moments—like café dates and drives with a lover—but hidden beneath is a bittersweet story of someone replaying memories with a person who’s no longer by their side.
The sweet, mellow vocals and laid-back groove seem to gently wrap around the protagonist’s bittersweet recollections.
Released digitally in 2018 and included on the EP “SIRUP EP2,” this refined sound will enrich your autumn moments—perfect for a solo night in or a drive.
I want to see you.iri
This is a popular song by iri that captures the bittersweet emotions of late nights.
Featured on the EP “life ep,” released in November 2017, the track blends R&B and hip-hop within a smoky atmosphere to create a unique soundscape.
Written in the middle of the night, it portrays lingering attachment and longing for a lover, shaded by complex, hard-to-unravel feelings.
mabanua’s sophisticated arrangement pairs perfectly with iri’s soulful, reverb-laden vocals, resulting in a mature and sensual finish.
It’s a memorable piece you’ll want to play on a nighttime drive or during special moments with someone important.
more than wordsHitsuji Bungaku
Hitsujibungaku captivates with their unique sound that blends inorganic coolness and warmth, along with poetic, delicate word choices.
Released in September 2023, this track was selected as the ending theme for Season 2 of the TV anime Jujutsu Kaisen, the Shibuya Incident arc, and has surpassed 100 million streams.
Incorporating a four-on-the-floor beat and programmed sounds for the first time, the piece is an ambitious work produced by Moeka Shiotsuka after a year of studying DTM (desktop music production).
The lyrics, which reflect on how to convey feelings that words alone can’t express and on how to navigate one’s own life, really resonate.
The transparent vocals meld into the expansive soundscape, making it a song you’ll want to savor on a quiet night.
As memory servesTAIL
This track comes from TAIL, whose hybrid, R&B-centered sound is a key part of the appeal.
Released in December 2024, the song portrays the tangled feelings of being unable to genuinely celebrate the happiness of a former lover upon reunion.
Its airy synths and beats that make artful use of space weave a soundscape that seems to mirror the ebb and flow of sentimental emotion.
Following November 2023, when TAIL concluded activities under the name Taichi Mukai, this work marks a new chapter of expression and has been entered in two categories at Music Awards Japan 2025.
It’s a song whose faintly wistful vocals linger in the ear—perfect for a sentimental night scene.
sea glassSaucy Dog
This work captivates with its emotional atmosphere that conjures vivid scenes of summer.
Listen by the seaside, and you’ll feel as if you’ve stepped into a beautiful moment from a film.
The lyrics, delicately weaving tales of bittersweet love and the fleeting sparkle of youth, resonate deeply with listeners.
Released in July 2020, the song was also included on Saucy Dog’s mini-album “Take Me.” A music video produced in collaboration with a Honda project was also released, vividly portraying the radiance of youth.
It’s a highly recommended track to use as background music when you want to relax by the ocean or get lost in thought at dusk.