They say you should never meet your heroes but for Luke Combs that didn’t hold true on Grammys night. A contemporary figure in the country music scene, Luke has expressed his undying devotion to Tracy Chapman by covering her iconic track Fast Car for his own album Gettin’ Old. And Sunday night brought things full circle when he got to perform the track with Tracy Chapman herself. A childling grin on his face an mouthing her words while she sang, Luke met his hero and it went SO WELL.
The song itself was an instant success upon its release in 1988, becoming one of Tracy’s most iconic songs. It still remains one of Tracy Chapman's most enduring and well-loved songs. The poignant lyrics and soulful melody continues to resonate with audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Addressing themes of poverty, social mobility, and the pursuit of a better life. A resurgence in its popularity has been humbly revealed by Tracy as well who has since maintained that the song finding new fans in newer generation is what has contributed to its timelessness.
Within moments of Chapman and Combs wrapping up their rendition of the song, Fast Car surged to the top spot on the iTunes Top Songs chart. The fact that this remarkable achievement occurring 36 years after the song's initial release shows how much nostalgia has taken over media and the arts in the 2020s. From Y2K fashion trends coming back to audiences flocking to stadiums to catch a glimpse of icons who careers spanned decades (we're looking at you Sting!), the new year has been about looking back and we're not complaining. Finally parents and maybe even grandparents, have something common to talk about on the dinner table with the younger generations and share their love of art and artists without being lost in translation.