[2026] Perfect for walks and drives! A roundup of sunny Western music to enjoy on a clear day

Sunshine (ft. Fousheé)Steve Lacy

Steve Lacy – Sunshine (Official Video) ft. Fousheé

This is the perfect track for when you want to be soothed by a mellow soul number.

While Steve Lacy plays guitar for The Internet, he’s also garnered attention as a solo artist for his unique style that fuses alternative R&B and indie rock.

Featured on his July 2022 album “Gemini Rights,” the song is performed as a duet with female singer Fousheé.

It’s a mature breakup song that portrays lingering feelings for someone the relationship began casually with, and the struggle to keep some distance.

The supple, ’70s soul–inspired guitar and swaying beat feel great, making it perfect background music for a sunny-day drive or walk.

Light on its feet yet emotionally deep, this is a track you’ll want to relax to on a summer afternoon.

ManchildSabrina Carpenter

Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild (Official Video)

Sabrina Carpenter, who rose to fame on Disney Channel’s Girl Meets World.

Released in June 2025, this track delivers a refreshing, summer-ready sound that blends ’80s-style synth-pop with touches of country and disco.

The lyrics channel disappointment and anger toward an immature, self-centered ex, expressed with biting yet humorous wit.

As a new single following her Grammy-winning previous album Short n’ Sweet, it’s generating major buzz.

It’s the kind of song that’ll blow away your lingering frustrations if you crank it up on a sunny-day drive with your hands firmly on the wheel.

10AMUMI

UMI – 10AM (Official Music Video)

Seattle-born singer-songwriter Umi delivers a gem of a love song, released in June 2025, that captures the bliss of a slow Sunday morning at 10 a.m.

spent with a partner.

Inspired by a friend’s words—“That moment when you’re eating breakfast with your partner and there’s nowhere else you’d rather be—that’s love”—the track wraps a serene scene of affection in a slow, weightless guitar sound and her velvety vocals.

Longtime collaborator V‑Ron handles production, crafting a comfortable arrangement that blends neo-soul and R&B.

It’s the perfect song for moments when you want to savor the simple joy of just being together—ideal for a sunny-day drive or a leisurely walk.

SunshineOneRepublic

OneRepublic – Sunshine (Official Lyric Video)

When you want to hit the road under blue skies, you naturally crave music bursting with positive energy.

Released by OneRepublic in November 2021, this track is a refreshing pop song written as the theme for Paramount Pictures’ family film “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” and it’s absolutely perfect for a sunny-day drive.

It carries a message of finding sunlight from the shadows and living positively, even when you’re feeling a little down or dealing with annoying things in everyday life.

Its breezy mid-tempo rhythm and catchy melody lift your spirits, and the arrangement—featuring frontman Ryan Tedder’s rap-like flow—feels fresh.

It’s comfortable not only for driving, but also as background music for walks and daily life!

Everybody Loves The SunshineRoy Ayers Ubiquity

Everybody Loves The Sunshine – Roy Ayers Ubiquity (1976)

A track hailed as a landmark of 1970s jazz-funk! It’s the title song from the album released in 1976 by Roy Ayers Ubiquity, led by vibraphonist Roy Ayers, and its appeal lies in a mellow groove that seems to capture the light and heat of a midsummer afternoon.

The sustained tones of the ARP synth melt your sense of time, while the electric piano and vibraphone intertwine delicately.

The lyrics gently evoke summer scenes—sunlight, sun-kissed skin, bees, and flowers—and also serve as a quiet anthem celebrating the joy of the Black community.

Sampled nearly 200 times in hip-hop and featured in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories and the film Straight Outta Compton, this piece is a cross-generational summer classic.

Put it on during a sunny walk or drive, and you’ll be wrapped in a warmth that feels like it’s setting your heart free.

Sunny DayAnees

Anees – Sunny Day (Official Video)

Anise, who grew up in Virginia and transitioned from a legal professional to a singer-rapper.

This track from the 2023 album “summer camp” sets heartfelt gratitude to a precious partner—to the one who saves you in the storm and lights your way at dawn—against a gentle melody.

Calling the other person “my sunny day,” the lyrics resonate with the message that any hardship can be overcome together.

The light, airy sound that fuses R&B and pop, layered with a mellow beat and guitar, creates a liberating feel that evokes a clear, open sky.

It’s perfect for a drive with someone special or a leisurely afternoon stroll.

SunnyBoney M

Boney M. – Sunny (ZDF Disco – 05.02.1977)

As pivotal figures of the ’70s disco boom who got the whole world dancing, Boney M delivered a masterpiece with their 1976 cover of Bobby Hebb’s classic, brilliantly reimagining the gentle soul-jazz original through a Euro-disco lens.

The four-on-the-floor beat, propulsive bassline, and sparkling strings meld with Liz Mitchell’s powerful yet warm vocals to create a jubilant feeling, as if basking in sunlight.

Topping the charts in Germany and reaching No.

3 in the UK, the track was included on their debut album, Take The Heat Off Me, and became a signature number from the group’s early years.

With its hopeful message of a rain-soaked life filling with light, carried by gospel-tinged choruses, this song radiates brightness—perfect for a sunny-day drive or stroll, guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.