Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs delivered a moving duet of “Fast Car” at the 2024 Grammys, marking a rare public appearance by the legendary folk singer.
The performance was a tribute to the song’s enduring popularity and its unexpected success as a country crossover hit in 2023. “Fast Car” was first released in 1988 as the lead single from Tracy Chapman’s self-titled debut album.
The song’s poignant lyrics and acoustic guitar melody resonated with listeners across genres and generations, earning her a Grammy for best female pop vocal performance and nominations for record of the year and song of the year in 1989.
Later on, the song started getting covered by numerous artists over the years, including Jonas Blue, Khalid, Sam Smith, and Justin Bieber. However, none of them achieved the same level of success as Luke Combs, who released his version of “Fast Car” in 2023 as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of his album What You See Is What You Get.
Combs, who is known for his authentic and relatable country songs, said he recorded “Fast Car” because he loved the song so much and it meant a lot to him in his life. His cover of “Fast Car” became a viral sensation, topping the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The song also won Song of the Year and Single of the Year at the 2023 CMA Awards, making Tracy Chapman the first Black songwriter to win in the category. She accepted the CMA award in a statement, saying it was “truly an honor” for her song to be newly recognized after 35 years of its debut.
She also joined Combs on stage at the recent 2024 Grammys for a rare live performance of “Fast Car”, which received a standing ovation from the audience. The two singers, representing different musical genres and generations, harmonized beautifully on the chorus and exchanged smiles and nods throughout the song.
The duet was a highlight of the Grammy night and a testament to the timeless appeal of “Fast Car”.
You can watch the performance video here:
