Luke Combs Tweets Just Resurfaced With Racism & Disparaging Comments Against Women
StyleCaster Editors
He’s a beloved country music star with multiple awards, but a series of Luke Combs tweets that resurfaced over the weekend of July 14 has some people rethinking their opinion of him.
Born and raised in North Carolina, Combs has captured the hearts of millions with his relatable songs that effortlessly blend traditional country elements with a modern twist. With a distinctive baritone voice and a knack for storytelling, he has become a beacon of authenticity in a genre known for its deep-rooted emotions.
He’s also conscious and supportive of country music’s recent efforts to broaden the voices it represents. “I think it’s great—any opportunity that our genre has to broaden its listenership or its base is so cool,” he told Esquire in March 2023. “Bringing in people who have different outlooks and different perspectives on life is what keeps music interesting. I don’t want to hear the same version of the same song from the same person every day. I think having those different viewpoints, whether it’s from a Black artist or a woman or a guy like myself or whoever, everybody has different views and different takes, and that’s what makes music awesome.” But in a series of posts from 10 years ago, Luke Combs tweeted some racist and controversial content that has been raising some eyebrows.
Luke Combs tweets
Luke Combs’ tweets were first uncovered on July 14, 2023, by PopFlop revealing some very controversial opinions. One tweeted, posted on May 16, 2012, said, appearing to be quoting DJ Pauly: “She’s a jungle Asian, not a math Asian.” Another tweet shared on August 25, 2012, said: “Miley Cyrus… The reason for my decision to spank my future children.”
Some tweets that alleged Combs was being racist towards Black people were found to be fake, however, as an advanced search of his Twitter account didn’t bring back any results, and, as one Redditor pointed out, the exact wording can be found shared by other people. The other one appearing to disparage Taylor Swift could also not be found, where Combs allegedly asked Swift if she’s “sure your [sic] cut out for the job,” next to a photo of a magazine headline that reads “Find A Great Guy: Taylor Swift Tells You How.”
Combs also made mention of NFL player Adrian Peterson, who agreed to a plea deal in a felony child-abuse charge, where he used a switch to spank his then-4-year-old son. “So Adrian Peterson whopped his son and he can’t play but Justin Bieber snorts coke and street races and can still sing for your kids?!?,” Combs tweeted.
Combs was in the Billboard charts in early July when he released a cover of Tracy Chapman’s 1988 hit “Fast Car” and it was an instant hit as part of his most recent album, Gettin’ Old. “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,” he told Billboard, adding later that he’d never expected the song to be as successful as it was.
“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 Billboard. “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!”
However, a Washington Post article dated July 13, 2023, noted that Chapman, as a Black queer woman, would likely have never seen the same success in the county music industry. “Although many are thrilled to see ‘Fast Car’ back in the spotlight and a new generation discovering Chapman’s work, it’s clouded by the fact that, as a Black queer woman, Chapman, 59, would have almost zero chance of that achievement herself in country music,” the piece stated.
“On one hand, Luke Combs is an amazing artist, and it’s great to see that someone in country music is influenced by a Black queer woman—that’s really exciting,” said Holly G, founder of the Black Opry, an organization for Black country music singers and fans. “But at the same time, it’s hard to really lean into that excitement knowing that Tracy Chapman would not be celebrated in the industry without that kind of middleman being a White man.”
At the 65th Grammy Awards, Growin’ Up was nominated for Best Country Album, his duet with Miranda Lambert for “Outrunnin’ Your Memory” was nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance, and his hit song “Doin’ This” is nominated for Best Country Song. He was nominated for Best New Artist in 2019 and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Brand New Man” with Brooks & Dunn.
On getting his noms, he told Kicks 99 Country, “Getting these Grammy nominations is awesome, you know? You know they don’t come around too often. And so you know, having the opportunity to be thought of when that time comes is pretty unique and is always, always awesome. ”
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