Just a year ago, Massachusetts native Rachel Platten was a struggling singer-songwriter. Her music was featured in a few television shows such as VH1’s Basketball Wives and MTV’s Finding Carter, but she was nowhere near making it big. However, that all ended with the 2015 release of her single “Fight Song,” which reached number thirteen on Billboard’s Hot 100.
The song begins with Rachel singing “Like a small boat / On the ocean / Sending big waves / Into motion / Like how a single word / Can make a heart open / I might only have one match / But I can make an explosion.” Upon first listen, I was incredibly and pleasantly surprised by these carefully crafted and truly beautiful lyrics. Sung in Rachel’s powerful yet angelic voice, these lyrics had an immediate impact on me because I can relate to them very well.
“Fight Song” continues with one of my favorite choruses every written. Rachel sings “This is my fight song / Take back my life song / Prove I’m alright song / My power’s turned on / Starting right now I’ll be strong / I’ll play my fight song / And I don’t really care if nobody else believes / ‘Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me.” These are incredibly inspirational lyrics that truly moved me as soon as I heard them. In addition, I noticed that these lyrics were relatable not only to me but to those around me. Everybody has their own “fight song,” and I believe this is the reason why this track has achieved such tremendous success.
I also believe that another reason why this song has become so popular over such a short period of time is because of Rachel’s outstanding voice. Full of passion and emotion, Rachel pours her heart into this song, and the listener can easily tell that she truly believes the words that she is singing.
The instrumental behind this track is great as well. The verses and bridge are aided by only light tapping on the piano, but the rest of the track is driven by a powerful drum beat. The song ends with a few strums on an acoustic guitar which ties everything together perfectly.
Overall, I believe that “Fight Song” is an incredible track, and I highly recommend it to all fans of pop music. Its highly relatable lyrics and incredible melodies will draw you in and force you to put it on repeat for days.