Of all the performers that took the stage at the 2024 GRAMMYs, Luke Combs and Tracy Chapman’s performance of “Fast Car” probably had the most hype. Even Taylor Swift got excited by the duet.
Videos by American Songwriter
Swift could hardly contain her excitement grooving in the crowd. While Combs and Chapman performed a duet, it was certainly a trio with Swift singing in the crowd. The music icon moved to the music, lip-singing to the song.
Swift certainly appeared to have a good time. Since she knew the lyrics, it’s apparent that the song is a favorite of hers, and fans agree, responding to the video of Swift singing.
One person agreed, “That performance was everything I didn’t know I needed.” Another just wanted to know what Swift’s singing voice sounded like when she wasn’t performing. They wrote, “I just want to hear her singing voice when she’s not performing. Like does she sound the same or what?”
While Swift was having a good time, it was ultimately a dream come true for Combs. The country singer previously admitted “Fast Car” played a big role in his early music development. He heard the song from his father and grew to admire it. Ultimately, that helped him down the path to becoming a singer.
“Fast Car” Becomes a Success
For her part, Chapman embraced the attention the song’s got since Combs’ cover. However, the singer has largely avoided performing since retiring. The GRAMMYs mark a rare appearance by Chapman, so of course, the crowd was overjoyed.
Chapman previously said(via Billboard), “I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honored to be there. I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car.’”
Combs also spoke about the success of the song and his appreciation for Chapman.
“Oh man, ‘Fast Car’ has surprised me more than you can imagine. Tracy Chapman wrote this perfect song that that I first heard with my dad and it has stayed with me since,” Combs told the outlet. “I have played it in my live show now for six-plus years and everyone — I mean everyone — across all these stadiums relates to this song and sings along. That’s the gift of a supernatural song writer. The success of my cover is unreal and I think it’s so cool that Tracy is getting recognized and has reached new milestones. I love that she is out there feeling all the love and that she gave me a shout-out! Thank you, Tracy!”
[Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy]
