Luke Combs is a man on a mission, and he has Tracy Chapman to thank. Combs is setting a big goal for himself: to bring more people into country music. Combs had the idea after seeing the massive success of his cover of Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car."
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"The next frontier is expanding my limits to embrace people who want to destigmatize country music," Combs tells The Tennessean. "It's a fresh, different challenge."
It's a challenge Combs wouldn't have considered if not for "Fast Car." More than just the success of the song, Chapman's hearty endorsement of Combs' version is what is giving him the courage now to reach beyond the boundary lines within the genre of country music.
"I don't think any of this is possible without Tracy's stamp of approval," Combs says. He adds that Chapman's encouragement of Combs "has created the opportunity to showcase how my work can be loved and appreciated by people who may have thought they could never love my music."
Luke Combs and Tracy Chapman's Live Performance of "Fast Car"
Chapman notoriously had not performed on stage for ten years, when she joined Combs at the 2024 Grammys to perform "Fast Car" with him.
"That moment with Tracy is up there in my Top 5 career moments without a doubt," Combs says on The Dale Jr. Download podcast. "I mean if it's not one or two. It was just one of the most pure musical moments that I've ever had in my career, and probably will ever have in my career, for sure."
Not only did Chapman perform with Combs, but she also set a new record with the song. After winning the CMA Award for Song of the Year, Chapman became the first solo Black woman to win in the category.
"I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I'm honored to be there," Chapman said of the success of the song. "I'm happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced 'Fast Car.'"
"Fast Car" is on Combs' fourth studio album, Gettin' Old, released in 2023.
