Tracy Chapman is back! The celebrated singer-songwriter made a splash at Sunday night's 66th Grammy Awards as she took to the stage with Luke Combs.
The pair performed Tracy's eternal 1988 classic "Fast Car," which found renewed success in 2023 thanks to Luke's cover of the track, which was a number one country radio hit, making her the only Black woman to have a solo writing credit on a country number one.
The performance not only resulted in a well-deserved standing ovation for the 59-year-old musician, but also saw her original version of the track surge to the top of the US iTunes chart.
© Getty ImagesThe Grammys return marked a reintroduction of sorts to the singer for many younger fans, who found the song through Luke's hit cover, which has received varied responses.
Many critics have praised the country star, 33, for remaining faithful to the original and celebrated the return of the song to the spotlight. However, several others were concerned about the song finding a new audience through the lens of a white male country artist, particularly given the meaning behind the track.
The song speaks of a poor working class woman who dreams of building a better life for herself, running away in the titular "fast car" to the city to find a job, escape the cycle of poverty, and "be someone."
© Getty Images"Fast Car" comes from Tracy's self-titled debut album, which was released in 1988 to critical acclaim. It was also a commercial success, selling over six million copies in the United States alone.
It surged in popularity thanks to Tracy's performance of the song at the televised Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute in London that year, becoming a top-ten hit worldwide.
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At the 1989 Grammys, the song won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, the album picked up Best Contemporary Folk Album, and Tracy herself won Best New Artist. "Fast Car" remains one of the most beloved songs in pop music, being named by Rolling Stone as one of their 500 greatest songs of all time.
© Getty ImagesShe has released a total of eight studio albums, the most recent being 2008's Our Bright Future, and had another big hit with 1995's "Give Me One Reason," which won a Grammy for Best Rock Song.
However, outside of her music, Tracy has remained away from the public eye, expressing on several occasions that she prefers keeping her personal and professional life separate.
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While the singer has not stated why she chooses to remain out of the public eye, she has refrained from giving interviews for years, with her last performance coming nearly four years ago, when she made an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers to perform "Talkin' Bout a Revolution" on the eve of the 2020 Presidential Election to encourage people to vote.
© Getty ImagesShe has maintained a strong commitment to political and social activism, however, most recently being honored by The South African Presidency in April 2023 with a National Order.
The singer has also refrained from commenting on her sexual orientation, although The Color Purple writer Alice Walker has stated that the two were in a romantic relationship during the '90s.
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As for "Fast Car," Tracy has nothing but love for Luke. In a statement to Billboard after the song became such a success (and reportedly netted her $500,000 in royalties in its first few months), she expressed: "I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I'm honored to be there.
© Getty Images"I'm happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced 'Fast Car.'"
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