Fighter (song)

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"Fighter"
Single by Christina Aguilera
from the album Stripped
Released	April 2003
Format	Airplay single
Recorded	2002
Genre	Pop-Rock
Length	4:05
Label	RCA Records
Writer(s)	Christina Aguilera Scott Storch E. Dawk
Producer(s)	Christina Aguilera Scott Storch
Certification	Gold (ARIA)
Chart positions
#3 (UK, Canada) #5 (Australia, Dutch Top 40) #20 (US) #30 (Latvia)
Christina Aguilera singles chronology
"Beautiful" (2002)	"Fighter" (2003)	"Can't Hold Us Down" (2003)

"Fighter" is the third single from Christina 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 1 Composition and inspiration 2 Remixes 3 Chart performance 4 Music video 5 Alternative Covers 6 Charts

[edit] Composition and inspiration

"Fighter" was penned by Aguilera and Scott Storch, and was also produced by Aguilera and Mr. Storch. Of much debate is whether "Fighter" can be considered a "true" rock song. Supporters of the song as a rock song point out the song's harsh tone and harsh rock guitars. Purists of rock music, however, ring a different tune and feel that the song is nothing but a pop song. Both parties will agree though that "Fighter" does bear elements of rock (but whether it is a "true" rock song or not is still debated).

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 feels that by dealing with him, she was only able to become that much stronger: "Makes me that much stronger/ makes me work a little bit harder/ makes me that much wiser/ so thanks for making me a fighter."

"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. This single is her most played song in Asia, especially in the Philippines; it stayed in the Philippines Music Chart on the top for 7 non-consecutive weeks.

[edit] Remixes

• "Fighter" (Hani Remix)
• "Fighter" (Freelance Hellraiser Thug Pop Mix) (5:13)
• "Fighter" (Freelance Hellraiser Full Club Remix)
• "Fighter" (Freelance Hellraiser Radio Edit)
• "Fighter" (Freelance Hellraiser Full Dub)
• "Fighter" (Friburn & Urik Remix)

[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.

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, and number fourteen in New Zealand.

[edit] Music video

The music video, directed by Floria Sigismondi, is known for being one of Aguilera's most unusual. In the video, she is wearing a black velvet kimono, with a pale complexion, and long black hair, resembling that of a goth. Three pins are stuck to her back, making her hunch. Initially trapped in a glass box & her kimono goes flying about like a balloon & while Aguilera is in the glass box, three goth ballerinas eat fruit and then collapse, possibly symbolising forbidden fruit. Aguilera breaks free from the box by pounding on it until it breaks, as a form of expressing her frustration.

Aguilera then loses 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, then lots of moths fly on to her.

Another stage of evolution occurs as Aguilera wears an Elvira-type spider dress, finally proclaiming—at the end of the song—that she is, indeed, a fighter & at the 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 after being heartbroken, to the degree that she becomes unbreakable.

Oddly, this video has a scene similar to one in the music video for the song "Ourselves" by Jpop singer Ayumi Hamasaki. The black outfit and hairstyle Christina is wearing in the scene in the box is similar to an outfit Ayumi wears in the video. Also, both videos have grey, industrial-looking backgrounds.

[edit] Alternative Covers

Commercial	Europe	Mexico

[edit] Charts

Charts (2003)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	20
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Tracks	9
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream	5
U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40	28
UK Singles Chart	3
Argentina Top 40 Singles	1
Canadian Singles Chart	3
Irish Singles Chart	4
Australian ARIA Singles Chart	5
Dutch Top 40	5
Swiss Singles Chart	11
Austrian Singles Chart	12
German Singles Chart	13
Indonesia Chart	10
Latvian Airplay Top	30
Mexican Top 100	17
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart	14
Italian Singles Chart	15
Greek Singles Chart	19
Spanish Singles Chart	15
Brasilian Singles Chart	21
World Chart Show	1