Fighter (song)

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“Fighter”
“Fighter” cover
Single by Christina Aguilera
from the album Stripped
Released April 2003
Format CD single
Recorded The Enterprise Studios
(Burbank, California)
Conway Studios
(Hollywood, Los Angeles, California)
Genre Pop rock
Length 4:05
Label RCA
Writer(s) Christina Aguilera, Scott Storch
Producer Scott Storch
Certification Gold (ARIA)
Christina Aguilera singles chronology
"Beautiful"
(2002)
"Fighter"
(2003)
"Can't Hold Us Down"
(2003)
Alternate cover
Mexican pocket single cover
Mexican pocket single cover

"Fighter" is the third single written by Christina Aguilera and Scott Storch for Aguilera's second album Stripped. Released in 2003, the single peaked at number twenty on the Billboard Hot 100, where it became Aguilera's ninth U.S. top-twenty single. "Fighter" also reached number three in the United Kingdom and Canada, and number five in Australia.

Contents

[edit] Composition and inspiration

"Fighter" was written by Aguilera and Scott Storch and produced by Storch. It features Dave Navarro on guitar. In her first single to bear elements of rock music, a seemingly dissatisfied Aguilera seems to bemoan and scream of a man who apparently did her wrong. However, in a surprising twist, she does not want to complain or insult him; in fact, she wants to thank him. Aguilera wrote the song about her father, who abandoned her family.[1]

"Fighter" is also one of Aguilera's most popular songs, as it became the official anthem for the 2003 NBA Playoffs and was heard daily during the NBA Finals commercials by millions of viewers. An official video was even shot for the NBA Finals featuring Aguilera doing choreography with her dancers on a basketball court. Also, in 2007, American Idol winner Jordin Sparks sang this song at the finale.

[edit] Chart performance

"Fighter" proved to be a moderate success in the United States, peaking within the top twenty of both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Hot 100 Airplay. "Fighter" entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #40, it moved to #23 the following week and moved up three more spaces the next week before dropping from the chart.

"Fighter" is one of the very few rock songs to chart the Posh Mayfair Chart reaching #80 and remaining there for three weeks until dropping from the chart. Surprisingly, "Fighter" became the most successful song on unofficial charts ever, topping 450 unofficial charts worldwide including the Playwax Chart. It is one of the heaviest songs in Aguilera's catalog. Aguilera is said to be pleased with the unofficial chart success.

Internationally, the song proved even more successful, peaking within the top five in both the UK and Canada, while going top twenty in most European nations; it reached number five in Australia, number fourteen in New Zealand, and just missing the top spot at number two in Israel. The single has sold over 3,540,000 copies worldwide.

[edit] Music video

Aguilera losing her kimono to reveal a dress made of white moth.
Aguilera losing her kimono to reveal a dress made of white moth.

The music video, directed by Floria Sigismondi, is known for being one of Aguilera's most unusual. In it, she is wearing a black velvet kimono, with a pale complexion, and long black hair, resembling that of someone who follows gothic fashion. Three pins are lodged in her back, making her hunch. Initially, she is trapped in a glass box, and her kimono is billowing like a balloon. Three gothic ballerinas eat fruit and then collapse. Aguilera then breaks free from the box by pounding on it until it breaks.

Aguilera tosses aside her kimono after furiously removing the pins on her back and throwing them away. A tattered, white, moth-covered dress is revealed, symbolising her metaphoric evolution from a larva to a pupa. In addition, her hair becomes white, and moths fly on to her.

Near the end, Aguilera wears an Elvira-type spider dress, again proclaiming that she is a fighter. At the very end of the video, she kicks the TV camera.

This video shows the metamorphosis of Aguilera's slow, yet steady progression of her inner-strength, from being heartbroken, to becoming unbreakable.

"Fighter" was also a huge success on TRL. Debuting at number 6 on April 9, 2003 and hitting number one sixteen times while retiring at number 6, spending fifty days on the countdown in the summer of 2003.

[edit] Formats and track listings

CD Maxi-single

  1. "Fighter" [Album Version] — 4:05
  2. "Fighter" [Freelance Hellraiser "Thug Pop" Extended Edit] — 5:11
  3. "Beautiful" [Valentin Club Remix] — 5:51
  4. "Fighter" [Video]

[edit] Remixes

  • Instrumental (Unreleased In-House Promo)
  • Hani Remix
  • Freelance Hellraiser Thug Pop Mix — 5:13
  • Freelance Hellraiser Full Club Remix
  • Freelance Hellraiser Radio Edit
  • Freelance Hellraiser Full Dub
  • Friburn & Urik Dub — 10:13

[edit] Charts

Chart (2003)[2] Peak
position
Argentina Top 40 Airplay 1(2)[3]
Australian ARIA Singles Chart 5
Austrian Singles Chart 12
Belgian Singles Chart 11
Brazil Hot 100 Singles 64
Canadian Singles Chart 3
Danish Singles Chart 15
Dutch Top 40 8
Finnish Singles Chart 16
German Singles Chart 13
Greek Singles Chart 19
Hungarian Airplay Chart 8
Irish Singles Chart 4
Chart (2003)[4] Peak
position
Italian Singles Chart 15
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart 14
Norwegian Singles Chart 12
Russian Airplay Chart[citation needed] 5
Spanish Singles Chart 15
Swedish Singles Chart 12
Swiss Singles Chart 11
UK Singles Chart 3
Euro 200 Single Chart 3
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 20
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream 5
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Tracks 9
United World Chart 3

[edit] References