Tracy Chapman, the celebrated singer-songwriter, has reaffirmed her preference for physical music formats, emphasizing the importance of directly supporting artists through CD and vinyl purchases. In a recent interview with the New York Times, Chapman revealed that she avoids streaming services, citing her belief that artists benefit more from direct sales.

"Artists get paid when you actually buy a CD or the vinyl. That's important to me," Chapman stated. This stance reflects her commitment to a traditional model of music consumption, even as streaming dominates the industry. While she acknowledges that this limits her exposure to new music, she values the tangible act of discovering and purchasing physical albums.

Chapman's comments arrive at a significant juncture in her career, particularly concerning her 1988 hit, "Fast Car." The song has seen a resurgence in popularity through covers by artists like Michael Collings, Jonas Blue, and Luke Combs. Combs' version notably topped multiple charts, including Adult Pop Airplay, Country Airplay, and Hot Country Songs, and reached No. 2 on the Hot 100. This cover also earned Chapman recognition at the Country Music Association Awards, where she became the first African American woman to win a CMA award.

The success of "Fast Car" on streaming platforms has generated substantial royalties. In just three months of 2023, the track amassed $500,000 in global publishing royalties. Furthermore, Chapman's performance at the 2024 Grammys led to a surge in streams and digital sales, with U.S. streams reaching 949,000 the day after the performance and digital sales exploding by 38,400%. The original track has also surpassed one billion streams on Spotify.

Despite the digital success, Chapman's preference for physical media highlights a key aspect of her artistic philosophy. The recent reissue of her self-titled debut album on vinyl, celebrating its 35th anniversary (actually the 37th), underscores this commitment. "We might have talked about it at 25 years or 30 years, and then it just seemed like, 'OK, this is a moment to do it because people have this renewed interest in vinyl and obviously this record was so extremely important to me and my career as a songwriter,'" Chapman told Billboard.

In addition to discussing her listening habits, Chapman shared her appreciation for contemporary artists, particularly the young women making diverse music. She specifically mentioned Chappell Roan and Charli XCX, noting, "It’s not music that I would make, but I appreciate that we’re in this moment where there’s a path for artists like that, and they can even have success."