Tracy Chapman Reacts to Luke Combs’s ‘Fast Car’ Cover and Grammy Nomination

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It’s been more than 35 years since Tracy Chapman released her hit song “Fast Car,” and while the single had its fair share of success back in 1988, no one could have predicted its resurgence in 2023. Chapman, 59, released “Fast Car” with her debut album Tracy Chapman, which quickly hit number one on the Billboard charts, while “Fast Car” climbed to the number six spot for singles. The song is known and admired by many, including Luke Combs, who gave it a new life by covering it on his latest album Gettin’ Old.

Combs’s cover, in its own right, topped the Billboard Country Airplay chart and generated more than $500,000 in royalties since Combs released it with his album in March 2023. Because Chapman owns the writer’s and publisher’s right to the song, she receives a large portion of these royalties. “I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honored to be there. I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car’,” Chapman told Billboard. The popularity of Combs’s cover also resulted in a huge boost in streams for Chapman’s original recording.

Last year, Combs’s rendition of “Fast Car’ took home the Song of the Year award at the CMAs, and now the single is nominated for a Grammy. “Fast Car” is nominated for Best Country Solo Performance alongside Tyler Childers’s “In Your Love,” Brandy Clark’s “Buried,” Dolly Parton’s “The Last Thing On My Mind,” and Chris Stapleton’s “White Horse.” Luke performed during the awards show, and Tracy joined him onstage in a rare appearance.

The newfound success of the song, which was written solely by Tracy Chapman, on the country charts makes Chapman the first Black woman to be the sole songwriter for a chart-topping country song. It seem both Chapman and Combs are happy with the success of the collaboration.

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