"Fight for This Love" is the debut solo single by English singerCheryl Cole, recorded for her debut studio album,3 Words (2009). It was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland as thelead single in 2009 byFascination Records (Polydor Records) and in 2010 in some European countries as the album's second single throughUniversal Music. It was written and produced byWayne Wilkins andSteve Kipner with an additional writing from Andre Merrit. Theup-tempopop,dance-pop andR&B song revolves around a lyrical content of not giving up on the partner.
"Fight for This Love" divided music critics; some praised Cheryl's vocals and the powerful production, noting that it had the potential to be a hit with the clubs while other critics criticised the sluggish verses and weak vocals. The accompanyingmusic video was directed byRay Kay. It was generally well received by media and critics who drew comparisons to the works ofJanet Jackson and the video for "Put the Needle On It" (2002) byDannii Minogue.
Following her first performance of the song onThe X Factor it topped charts in Ireland and the United Kingdom. In May 2010 it was certified platinum by theBritish Phonographic Industry for shipments topping 600,000 units. In December 2012 "Fight for This Love" became the 125th single to reach the million mark in UK Chart history, and the third to reach the feat in 2012, along withCarly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" andGotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know".[1] "Fight for This Love" also achieved success in Europe by topping charts in Norway, Hungary and Denmark. "Fight for This Love" received aBRIT Award nomination in the Best British Single category.
The song is anuptempopop,dance-pop andR&B song with asynthy production,[5][6] written in the key ofG major with atime signature incommon time and atempo of 123 beats per minute. The vocal range spans fromE3 toD5. The basicchord progression of the song is Am, G, D, G, Bm, and Em.[7] In the middle eight it features a breakdown where the song's usual instruments are replaced with hand claps whilst some of the media reported that Cole's voice had aWhitney Houston-like tone to it.[8]NME magazine reported that some people noticed similarities between the song and the 2007 song "Lil Star" by American singerKelis, though Cole's representatives denied any similarities.[9] A reviewer also noted the similarity of the melody toKC and JoJo'sAll My Life.[10] "Fight for This Love" was later covered by British boybandThe Wanted, who released it as the B-side to their number-one single, "All Time Low".[11]
Critical reception towards "Fight for This Love" has been mixed. Ruth Harrison from 'Female First' was impressed by the song after initially being worried that Cole would not be able to cope going solo. She said "Whilst it does sound just a little bit Girls Aloud-y, we still love it, and can see it being a huge hit on the club circuit up and down the country ... we think this is going to send her well on her way to global superstardom."[12]Popjustice also liked the song saying "'Fight for This Love' is very definitely not just a Girls Aloud single with one person singing it... its one of those songs you can have on repeat for an hour and a half without getting bored. One thing that hits you is – well, is this really what Cheryl sounds like? Vocally it's a big surprise... As it turns out, she sounds really great – strong, confident, direct. Like a proper pop singer. It's a sleek, powerful production..."[8] Matthew Chisling ofAllmusic picked the song as one of the best from the album, praising it for being "a terrific midtempo number with a heck of a chorus."[13]
Meanwhile, David Balls ofDigital Spy was only moderately impressed and argued that "Cole's vocals aren't terribly strong" but that she had "understated charm and lots of 'X Factor' exposure". Of the song itself he said "Cole has taken the subtle approach on her first solo single. 'Fight for This Love' is a midtempo pop-R&B track with subdued,synthy production and an infectious hook that gnaws into the consciousness – albeit after a few listens."[5] Whilst Fraser McAlpine partially agreed "In Cheryl's favour, she's obviously made an effort to record something that sounds different from the stuff she'd be making with Girls Aloud, and as a result this solo effort is an interesting pop/dance/R&B hybrid, which actually suits her rather well, style-wise." However he too had issues with the voice "It's just a shame it's not stronger," pointing out some weaknesses, "the best thing about the song is the bridge, which is sassy but vulnerable at the same time, and underpinned by a sweet melody, but the rest of the song can't match up: the verses are sluggish...".[6]
In the United Kingdom, "Fight for This Love" debuted at number one on theUK Singles Chart.[14] The placement marked Cole's fifth number one song in the United Kingdom, followingGirls Aloud's "Sound of the Underground" (2002), "I'll Stand by You" (2004), "Walk This Way" (2007), and "The Promise" (2008). It sold 134,000 copies in one day beating the previous record held by Cole'sX Factor protégéAlexandra Burke with the song "Bad Boys" which sold 187,100 over a seven-day span.[15] The final first week sales totalled 292,000 copies[16] beating the 213,000 thatGirls Aloud's debut single, "Sound of the Underground" sold back in 2002.[17] The single remained at number one for two weeks[18] and consequently went on to become the best selling single of the year up to that point.[16] By the end of 2009 it was declared the fourth best-selling single of the year,[19] and 29th best selling of the decade (2000s).[20] On 14 May 2010, just over six months after release, the single was certified platinum by theBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI)[21] and earned Cole a nomination for Best British Single at the2010 BRIT Awards,[22] which she had previously won at the2009 BRIT Awards with Girls Aloud for their single, "The Promise".[23] However, she lost out to "Beat Again" by formerX Factor runners-upJLS[22] in what was deemed a "controversial win," as the announcer claimed Cole was the front-runner.[24]
"Fight for This Love" entered theIrish Singles Chart at number thirteen[25] and the following week on the chart dated 22 October 2009 the song rose to number one, giving Cole her first chart topper in Ireland since "Sound of the Underground" with Girls Aloud.[26] In Denmark the song peaked at number one on 12 March 2010[27] as well as topping the charts in Hungary[28] and Norway.[29] TheInternational Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) certified the single platinum in Denmark[30] and gold in Switzerland.[31] As of December 2012, "Fight for This Love" has sold over 1 million copies in the United Kingdom,[1] making it the best selling single of Cheryl's career both solo and withGirls Aloud.
A scene from "Fight for This Love" where Cole appears against a textbook backdrop with doodles.[32]
The music video was directed byRay Kay and was filmed in early September 2009.[33] Kay commented on the filming of the clip saying "The recordings went very well, and Cheryl was fantastic to work with. I drove her very hard at the shoot, and it was very difficult on her part. My job was relaxing in comparison. We made the video in London, with a lot of focus on fashion and dance, with very tough choreography, before putting it all together in Los Angeles afterwards. I have a strong feeling that this will be a #1 for Cheryl in England!"[34]
The video starts off with Cole in a simple white vest, and biker gloves, accompanied with an entourage of female dancers dressed in black.[35] Various scenes throughout the video include Cole in silk leopard print bottoms, an all black outfit with silver sparks coming out from both sides of her top,[35] standing in what would appear to be her maths workbook, in which she has been doodling and writing poems rather than doing her maths while wearing what appears to be a corset with two miniature beds of nails strapped to the side and [later] a soldier themed outfit with the famous redBalmain jacket in which she salutes a full eight times during the video.[32][35]
Jennifer Adeeko of theMOBOs praised the video saying "the songstress [is] looking sensational ... make-up done to perfection ... giving her that edge. Her performance comes across as effortless. ... The HD quality video comes across as pure artwork."[35]Grazia considered Cole's military outfit "second rateJanet Jackson."[36]
Anna Pickard ofThe Guardian took a different opinion choosing to focus on how Cole appeared to be "making up for the lack of having Girls Aloud around her by pretending to be all of them at once" and anguish of her own marriage issues.[32] She noted that Cole's various outfits appear to distract people from the lyrics of the song which "seem to be, a thinly veiled reflection on her own marriage compounded by the sad mooning face she keeps pulling. [It is not surprising when one is] singing a solo song about one's troubled (though reconciled and apparently happy) marriage. Although sometimes she looks cross instead. And quite a lot of the time, she looks like she's her own evil sexy twin."[32]
The single premiered onChris Moyles's breakfast show on 7 September onBBC Radio 1.[12] On Sunday 18 October 2009 the song was released for digital download in the UK.[37] Cole took to the stage ofThe X Factor Live Results Show later that evening to perform the song for the first time.[38] She adorned a military-themed outfit by Welsh fashion designerJulien MacDonald. It consisted of a sheer bodysuit, a red military jacket with blackepaulettes as well as other details, black harem trousers[39] andAlexander Wang boots.[40] The outfit itself was subject to media attention, with some reporting that online debates had drawn comparisons to the outfit worn by 1992 video game antagonistM. Bison from theStreet Fighter series.[41][42] Media also considered Cole's outfit and performance inspired byJanet Jackson.[36] Cole denied miming, though she admitted to having some pre-recorded vocals to help the live performance.[43] The show, which also featured the first UK performance byWhitney Houston in six years, drew a record audience of 14.8 million, making it the most watched episode in the show's history at that time.[44]
She also taped a performance for UK teen channelT4, which aired 15 November 2009.[45]Rufus Hound would later go on to perform a parody of Cole'sX Factor Stint onBBC'sLet's Dance for Sport Relief.[46] Cole appeared at 'Children in Need Rocks theRoyal Albert Hall' on 12 November 2009] to perform "Fight for This Love" in a white version of her 'X Factor' performance outfit[47] and later returning to performSnow Patrol's single "Set the Fire to the Third Bar" withGary Lightbody.[48] The performances were later televised as a part of theChildren in Need 2009 telethon on 20 November. UK paper,The Daily Telegraph wrote that Cole "nailed the harmony vocal with a fragile empathy that should silence those who dare to suggest she can't sing."[49] In DecemberITV1 aired a one-off television special titledCheryl Cole's Night In, presented byHolly Willoughby. She performed "Fight for This Love" with her hair in a tight bun and aninja-inspired outfit, another variation on the military theme which had become synonymous with the song. The song also incorporated a dance break where Cole included a dance routine withsamurai swords.[50]
Then on 16 February Cole appeared at the2010 BRIT Awards for a performance which began with Cole being "catapulted" on stage with her dancers.[51] Cole and her dancers initially wore gold-trimmed whitetrench coats[52] before revealing a hooded black bodysuit.[53] The performance included a bridge sampled from song "Be" which features vocals from formerX Factor contestantRowetta Satchell.[54] Satchell initially refused to allow Cole to use the sample and was disappointed that they had not asked her to sing it despitePolydor Records stating they would not use the sample, reports later surfaced surrounding an alleged legal battle.[55] Cole also received media attention for performing without her wedding ring, following reports that husband Ashley had cheated,[51] as well as for allegedly miming the song.[54]
"Fight for This Love" was recorded at 'SubZero Studios' inSanta Monica, California whilst "Didn't I" was recorded at Klausound Studio,Studio City; The Red Room, Hollywood and Artquake StudiosBurbank all in California.[60]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
^Stokland, Gisle G. (20 September 2009)."I drove her very hard".730.no (in Norwegian). 730. Archived fromthe original on 26 February 2010. Retrieved5 June 2010.
^"Fight for This Love – EP".iTunes Store United Kingdom. Apple Inc. 18 October 2009.Archived from the original on 25 January 2010. Retrieved9 April 2010.
^ab"Fight for This Love – EP".iTunes Store Denmark. Apple Inc. 8 February 2010.Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved12 February 2010.
^"Fight for This Love – EP".iTunes Store Luxembourg. Apple Inc. 8 February 2010.Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved8 April 2010.
^"Fight for This Love – EP".iTunes Store Spain. iTunes. 8 February 2010.Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved8 April 2010.
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