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Tracy Chapman’s ascent to the pop stratosphere in 1988 was not in any approach assured. She was making folks music in a time of stadium rock and hip-hop. She was orienting her songs round social issues. And but, after a couple of fortuitous turns in the summertime of that 12 months, Chapman’s “Fast Car” turned a worldwide anthem. And its success landed her on the duvet of Rolling Stone.
For a younger Black lady on her first album, it was a startling achievement. The journal was comparatively cloistered in its protection, however Chapman proved a power to reckon with. The story, written by Steve Pond, is a vital doc — however it’s also prophetic, capturing how Chapman was skeptical of the highlight, and even of the explanations individuals had embraced her so assiduously.
On this week’s Popcast, a dialog about Chapman’s speedy rise to pop royalty, how her music figured into the broader musical dialog of the late Eighties, and the methods wherein she’s modified little over the a long time.
