Tracey Chapman's Song Is a Foul Taste in Luke Combs' Mouth

Not everyone is happy with Comb's topping the country charts

Say what you like about Donald Trump, his assertion that the media are the enemy of the people is continually proved correct.

Consider this tweet from Washington Post entertainment reporter Emily Yarh.

“As Luke Combs's hit cover of Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" dominates the country charts, it’s bringing up some complicated emotions in fans and singers who know that Chapman, as a queer Black woman, would have an almost zero chance at that achievement herself.”

The phrase “complicated emotions” is a huge warning sign that is commonly known to mean “everything that follows this is going to be complete garbage”.

But I digress.

Luke Comb’s chart topping success covering Tracey Chapman’s song is causing no such “complicated emotions” for Tracey Chapman.

The queer Black woman told Billboard Magazine …

“I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but i’m honoured to be there. I am happy for Luke and his success and happy that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Cars’.”

What’s wrong with Chapman? Is she a racist against herself?

Or is she hating on herself for being gay?

Or maybe, and this is a big call, Chapman is just a normal person, rather than an attention-starved millennial looking for clicks.

Chapman had huge popular success with Fast Cars back in 1988, making the top 10 in the US, the UK, Australian and Canada, as well as earning her three Grammy Award nominations.

Now, 25 years later, her song is back on the charts, this time performed by Combs.

While Chapman, who wrote the song and Combs who is now performing it are more than pleased with its success, Yarh - who has never had so much as a hit hum in her life - is dismayed.

She said it was terrible that Chapman’s song could only achieve success on the country charts via a “white middleman”.

Yarh, who knows better than queer black recording artists how queer black recording artists are supposed to feel whined …

A recent study by data journalist Jan Diehm and musicologist Jada Watson reported that fewer than 0.5 percent of songs played on country radio in 2022 were by women of color and LGBTQ+ artists. Watson’s previous work shows that songs by women of color and LGBTQ+ artists were largely excluded from radio playlists for most of the two decades prior.

Fair enough.

Now do a study of the R&B charts and tell me how many overweight, bearded white heterosexual fundamentalist Christians are doing big business.

I’ll twerk while I wait.

It’s almost like there are cultural differences between the races, including differences in music.

And that’s what makes the world so beautiful, interesting and diverse, isn’t it?

Sadly, many writers now calling themselves reporters are little more than race baiting trolls, seeking to create division where there is none in a bid to be edgy.