Country star Luke Combs' hit "Fast Car" is currently the #2 song on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart and the Billboard Top Country Chart. The song is a cover of the Tracy Chapman 1988 hit. A Washington Post article attempts to spark a racial controversy by saying that "as a Black queer woman, Chapman, 59, would have almost zero chance of that achievement herself in country music."
The Post article expresses excitement that the song "Fast Car" is again part of mainstream music, and a new generation is getting to know the work of Tracy Chapman - but raises the issue that Chapman would not have the same success.
"Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman was nominated for 3 Grammy Awards in 1988 and won in the category of "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance." The video for the song also won the MTV Video Music Award for "Best Female Video" in 1988. The song was a smash hit for Tracy Chapman.
Let's expose The Washington Post article as a cheap shot at creating racial controversy. The article quotes members of the Black Opry - an organization for Black country music artists and fans. The members of the group expressed disappointment that Chapman is a "middleman" for a White man's success.
Tracy Chapman reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart in 1988 and was not a top 10 hit on the Country Music Chart because she is not a country singer and the crossover relationship between pop and country was in its infancy in 1988.
The truth is that a white male country artist thought so much of a Black gay female's work that he decided to record it - and the song is a major hit. Any attempt to make it more than that is a superficial attempt at playing the victim card.
Tracy Chapman herself said she is happy for Luke Combs' success and "grateful that new fans have found and embraced "Fast Car." As a songwriter - Chapman would be complimented that others are hearing her work.
By the way - Tracy Chapman - a Black gay female - is currently #1 on the Billboard Country Songwriters Chart. That definitely exposes any attempt to create racial controversy to be a fraud.
