How Luke Combs Drove ‘Fast Car’ to the Pop Charts for His First Crossover Hit

Luke Combs made his Billboard Hot 100 debut back in 2017, but in the six years since, the country hitmaker isn’t likely to be called a “pop star.”

That all might change, thanks to his new cover of Tracy Chapman‘s 1988 classic “Fast Car,” which is featured on his latest album, Gettin’ Old, and marks his very first song to cross over to the pop and adult contemporary charts.

This week, “Fast Car” debuts on Pop Airplay at No. 39, Adult Pop Airplay at No. 40, and Adult Contemporary at No. 30 — marking the first time the country star has appeared on any of those charts. On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking all about the song’s longevity. We even get a little help from Billboard‘s own Gary Trust — who manages the Hot 100, Pop Airplay, Adult Pop Airplay and Adult Contemporary charts — to ask why he thinks the song is catching on with pop radio.

Listen to the podcast here:

Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on how SEVENTEEN, Eslabon Armado and Jack Harlow all debut in the top 10 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and how Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” becomes the first song to concurrently be No. 1 on both the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and the Country Airplay chart. Plus, we’re talking all about Taylor Swift announcing Speak Now as her next re-recorded album, and big news across the pond this week with Beyoncé launching her Renaissance Tour in Sweden and the Eurovision Song Contest kicking off in the U.K.

The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)