The fourth single from American alternative hip-hop band Gym Class Heroes' fourth album, The Papercut Chronicles II, "The Fighter" was co-written and produced by Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic. Tedder has proved himself to be a prolific hitmaker for other artists, having created successful recordings for the likes of Leona Lewis ("Bleeding Love") and Beyoncé ("Halo"). Tedder also sings on this inspirational track, while Travie McCoy handles the raps.
McCoy told Billboard magazine that this is "definitely a very motivational, inspirational kind of song." He added: "It was kind of a proverbial kick in my own butt to remind myself that I've worked really, really hard, that we all as a band have worked really hard to get where we're at and a reminder not to slack. Hopefully it'll inspire kids to stay consistent at what it is they love to do and show them that hard work pays off - not to be cliché, but..."
Mark Klasfield directed the song's music video, in which Ryan Tedder makes an appearance. A documentary-style clip, it follows US Olympics gymnastics hopeful John Orozco as he trains. McCoy told Billboard that the director played an important role in his early career. "I won a rap battle on MTV Direct Effect, and the prize was I got to make an appearance in a hip-hop video," he recalled. "It was for Styles P's 'Daddy Get That Cash,' which Mark directed. If you sneeze you'll miss me, but it was my first video experience, and now it's come full circle."
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