CMA Awards crown Luke Combs, Lainey Wilson on country’s big night
Country stars showed up for the CMAs in Nashville. This year’s winners include Luke Combs, Brothers Osbourne and Chris Stapleton.
Cody Godwin, USA TODAY
Tracy Chapman is topping charts with her 1988 lyrics for “Fast Car” 35 years after the initial recording’s release.
The song’s success decades later is thanks in part to country singer Luke Combs, who covered the song that hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart this week. Combs’ version is also No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 this week. In 1988, Chapman’s original climbed to number six on the Hot 100.
“I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honored to be there,” Chapman told Billboard Thursday. “I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car.'”
The song’s renewed popularity and shelf-life has not only been extended as a result of Combs’ cover but Chapman has become the first Black woman as a sole writer on a track to top Country Airplay since it was created in 1990, according to Billboard. Chapman was also No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Songwriters list on June 17 thanks to Combs’ rendition.
While the song is attracting more listeners with the Combs twist, this is far from the first time another artist has covered “Fast Car.” The long list of covers includes versions sung by Sam Smith, Justin Bieber, Jonas Blue and Dakota and Khalid.
After her folk-rock album “Tracy Chapman” came out in the ’80s with “Fast Car” as its first-released single, Chapman earned three Grammys and additional nominations. The album also hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200, according to the publication.
In recent years, Chapman’s career has been quieter. But the notoriously private singer has made appearances here and there including her first television appearance in five years during the 2020 election on “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” performing her song “Talkin’ ‘Bout a Revolution.”
She also made headlines in 2021 when she settled a copyright dispute that accused Nicki Minaj of sampling her 1988 song “Baby Can I Hold You” in the rapper’s leaked track “Sorry.”
Copyright settlement: Nicki Minaj agrees to pay Tracy Chapman $450,000
Combs’ career has taken off in the last half decade.
He dropped his first album, “This One’s For You,” in 2017. Bonus track “Beautiful Crazy” won song of the year at the 2019 Country Music Association Awards, one of many awards Combs has snagged. In 2019, he was invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry, one of country music’s highest honors.
A second album, “What You See Is What You Get,” followed in 2019, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It won the best album category at the 2020 CMAs, where Combs was also named male vocalist of the year.
Last year, he started performing in stadiums and was named CMA’s Entertainer of the Year, for the second year running.
Contributing: Gary Dinges, Hannah Yasharoff, Jenna Ryu
