Luke Combs: The Country Star That Feels Like Your Best Friend

Breaking the Cycle: Luke Combs on the Memorial Chart, Mental Health, and Staying Grounded

In a wide ranging conversation on the New York Times Popcast, country superstar Luke Combs sat down with John Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli to discuss the mechanics of his massive career. Combs, often described as a stadium filling artist, joined the show following a quiet year to announce his sixth album, The Way I Am, scheduled for release on March 20th.

The dialogue touched on everything from his historic run of 20 consecutive number ones on the Airplay chart (now jokingly referred to as the Luke Combs Memorial Chart) to the deeply personal struggles he faces behind the scenes with weight and obsessive compulsive disorder.

The Fast Car Phenomenon and Tracy Chapman

A central pillar of the discussion was Combs’ cover of the Tracy Chapman classic, Fast Car. The track has become one of the biggest crossover country singles of the century. This success culminated in a rare public appearance by Chapman at the Grammys, where she performed alongside Combs.

“I just don’t know that she would want to do that,” Combs said when asked if they would recreate the moment at his upcoming three night sold out run at Wembley Stadium. He expressed deep respect for her privacy and her way of living. “Favorite moment of my career. Close to, for sure. And it was just so kind of unexpected.”

Combs revealed that after the song was released, he didn’t hear from Chapman for six months. Eventually, her team reached out to suggest the Grammy performance. To ensure she felt 100% confident, the two spent three days practicing. Combs sat on stage and watched her, noting, “I just got to sit up there and watch her be awesome and like kind of just like get to be there.”

Navigating the New Era of Country Music

The landscape of country music has shifted dramatically since Combs’ breakout single, Hurricane, in 2016. Alongside Morgan Wallen, Combs was one of the first artists from the genre to become a digital streaming star.

While the media often pits Combs and Wallen against each other like athletes (comparing them to Mahomes and Allen) Combs dismisses the idea of a rivalry. “I don’t think me and him see it that way… I don’t feel like I’m competing against him… I’m running my own race,” Combs explained. He views the current state of the genre as a broad ecosystem where multiple styles, including the folk leaning approach of Zach Bryan, can thrive simultaneously.

The Journey from Asheville to Nashville

Combs’ musical upbringing in North Carolina was anything but traditional. Growing up in Charlotte and later Asheville, he was exposed to a diverse array of sounds:

• The 90s Country Greats: Vince Gill, Brooks & Dunn, and Travis Tritt.
• Vocal Heavy Pop: Boys II Men and the Backstreet Boys, which taught him how to sing.
• Alternative and Punk: Nirvana, Dead Kennedy’s, and The Misfits.
• Hip Hop: Lil Wayne and Tupac.

He spent a decade away from country music before an awakening in college at Appalachian State. Hearing Eric Church, a fellow North Carolinian, made him realize there was space for the music he loved. This led to a tear where he spent two years finding everything he had missed in the genre before picking up a guitar at age 21.

The Science of the Smash and the New Album

With The Way I Am, Combs is leaning back into his identity as a hitmaker. Following a selfish and quieter acoustic project, Fathers and Sons, he is ready to deliver what his team calls the big ones.

“I would love to have all the things with this record… make hits and have hits,” Combs stated. He mentioned specific tracks like Sleepless in a Hotel Room as potential smashes. He admits that he loves the feeling of a new hit on stage, noting that a “new hit is just as good as old hit.”

Pure O OCD and the Battle for Health

Perhaps the most candid moment of the interview came when Combs discussed his mental health. He revealed that he struggles with a rare form of OCD known as Pure O (Purely Obsessional).

“Your compulsions are strictly mental. So there’s no outward compulsions,” Combs explained. “The compulsions are like trying to solve an unsolvable question.” To manage this, he has turned to specific lifestyle changes to lower the frequency of his intrusive thoughts:

• Gluten Free Diet: He has maintained this for two and a half years to help with mental health and weight.
• Intermittent Fasting: He has been fasting for close to a year to combat insulin resistance.

Despite his fame, Combs still struggles with body image and weight. “It bugs me a lot that I can’t figure it out,” he admitted. However, he is determined to handle these issues the hard way, avoiding new medical technologies or shortcuts. He expressed a sense of guilt that his job has been too easy compared to manual labor like digging ditches, leading him to want to “win the thing” and beat his struggles through pure process.

Staying Grounded: Diapers, Watches, and Moderation

Combs maintains a level of groundedness through a tight circle of friends and family. His assistant is his best friend from high school, and he makes a conscious effort to be a present father. “I spend more time with my kids than 99% of people on the planet,” he said, noting that he only played 20 shows last year. When home, his day consists of cooking breakfast, changing diapers, and playing on his property.

His one major extravagance is a collection of watches, a passion sparked by his grandfather, who received a Rolex after leaving a mill. Combs recalled a Pretty Woman moment in New York where he was initially turned away from a watch store while wearing camo gym shorts, only to eventually secure a piece to commemorate playing Madison Square Garden.

The Moderate Stance

On politics, Combs describes himself as heavily moderate. He previously apologized for his past use of Confederate imagery and participated in a 2021 panel on race and country music. While he was uncomfortable, he felt it was important to show that the genre cares about being a welcoming place.

“There’s no headlines, there’s no clickbait in being a moderate,” Combs said. He views music as an escape and doesn’t want to tell his fans how to think. “I want to come sing country music… we came here to forget all the [shit] that’s going on everywhere else.”

The Vile Snack Test

The interview concluded with the Popcast Snack Test. Combs selected a bag of Korean anniversary edition Italian black truffle shrimp chips. The reaction from the panel was visceral.

“They smell like cat food, dude,” Combs remarked. John Caramanica described the scent as the most rancid smell of any snack the show has tried, comparing it to an old sock.

Final Snack Rankings (Out of 10):

• Luke Combs: 2/10 (Essenced version of the smell)
• Joe Coscarelli: 3/10
• John Caramanica: 4/10 (I never want to taste it again, but it’s well made)

Despite the vile snack, the conversation solidified Combs’ position as an artist who, despite his 20 number ones and stadium tours, is still trying to figure out the puzzle of himself.