"Fighting" () is a song recorded by BSS featuring

Lee Young-ji Lee Young-ji (born September 10, 2002) is a South Korean rapper. She is the winner of '' High School Rapper 3'' and '' Show Me the Money 11''. Philanthropy On August 11, 2022, Lee donated million to help those affected by the 2022 South Korea ...

. It was released on February 6, 2023, as the

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release ...

of their first

single album ''Single Album'' is the fourteenth studio album by the American punk rock band NOFX, released on February 26, 2021. It is the band's first studio album in nearly five years, since 2016’s ''First Ditch Effort'', marking the longest gap between ...

, ''Second Wind'', which marked the group's first release in five years after their debut single "Just Do It". "Fighting" was written by

Woozi Lee Ji-hoon (; born November 22, 1996), better known by his stage name Woozi (), is a South Korean singer, songwriter and record producer. He is a member of the boy band Seventeen. Aside from his work as a soloist and with Seventeen, Woozi has ...

Bumzu Kye Beom-ju (Hangul: 계범주, born November 8, 1991), better known by the stage name Bumzu (Hangul: 범주), is a South Korean singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was a contestant on ''Superstar K4'' and released his debut album, ''So ...

, Hoshi, DK,

Seungkwan Boo Seung-kwan (; born January 16, 1998), better known mononymously as Seungkwan, is a South Korean singer and entertainer under Pledis Entertainment. He is a member of the South Korean boy group Seventeen and is a member of the Vocal team subu ...

, S.Coups and Park Gi-tae. The song topped the ''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100 and debuted at number five on South Korea's

Circle Digital Chart The Circle Digital Chart, previously known as the Gaon Digital Chart, is the music industry standard record chart ranking the 200 most popular singles in South Korea. It provides rankings on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, which is based ...

. In the United States, it entered the top 10 of the

World Digital Song Sales The World Digital Song Sales chart (formerly World Digital Songs) is a weekly record chart compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by ''Billboard'' magazine. Established in 2010—with the issue dated January 23—as one of 21 genre-specific so ...

chart. BSS performed the track at the

12th Circle Chart Music Awards The 12th Circle Chart Music Awards ceremony will be held at KSPO Dome in Seoul on February 18, 2023, to recognise the best artists and recordings, primarily based on Circle Music Chart of the year from December 1, 2021, to November 30, 2022. On ...

and on various

South Korean music programs Music programs of South Korea are broadcast weekly, with different artists performing on the shows to promote their music. South Korea's largest broadcasting companies each have their own show, which are broadcast on different channels. SBS has ...

, winning eight music program awards.

Background and release

The nickname BooSeokSoon (BSS) was coined for the trio formed by

, DK, and Hoshi of the South Korean boy group Seventeen in 2013. BSS officially debuted as a sub-unit of the group in 2018 with their first single, "Just Do It". The song's "witty" lyrics were praised, alongside the group's lively performances. The unit was supposed to be a one-time project for Seventeen's fan meeting Caratland. After many requests from fans, BSS started planning a new album in 2022. On February 1, 2023, BSS announced that they would release their first

, ''Second Wind'', with "Fighting" as its

. The song would feature South Korean rapper

. A snippet of "Fighting" was previewed in a

medley Medley or Medleys may refer to: Sports *Medley swimming, races requiring multiple swimming styles * Medley relay races at track meets Music *Medley (music), multiple pieces strung together People *Medley (surname), list of people with this nam ...

video ahead of its release. Two video teasers were posted on February 3 and 4. "Fighting" was released alongside an accompanying music video on February 6. A video of BSS dancing to the song in a gym wearing

sportswear Sportswear or activewear is clothing, including footwear, worn for sport or physical exercise. Sport-specific clothing is worn for most sports and physical exercise, for practical, comfort or safety reasons. Typical sport-specific garments ...

was posted on February 15.

Composition

"Fighting" was composed by

, Hoshi, S.Coups, Park Gi-tae, while the lyrics were written by Woozi, Bumzu, Hoshi, DK, Seungkwan, and Lee Young-ji. The

anthem An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to short ...

was described as an "

up-tempo A variety of musical terms are likely to be encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special mus ...

song with a cool drum sound on top of an exciting funk rhythm".

Commercial performance

"Fighting" debuted at number five on South Korea's

in the issue dated February 5–11, 2023. That same week, it topped its component Download Chart. The song debuted at number one on the ''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100 in the chart issue dated February 15, 2023. In the United States, it debuted at number eight on the

in the chart issue dated February 18, 2023.

Critical reception

Reviewers commended BSS for their positive and contagious energy, which also characterizes their work as Seventeen. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' Jeff Benjamin said the song is "a perfect fit for three of Seventeen's most animated and energetic members". Yoon Sang-geun of ''Star News'' praised Lee's fast and energetic rap. ''Newsen'' Lee Ha-na compared BSS' "charms and delightful concept" to After School's sub-unit

Orange Caramel Orange Caramel () is the first subgroup of South Korean girl group After School. The subgroup was formed in 2010 with the third generation After School members Nana, Raina, and Lizzy. As of December 2019, Orange Caramel only has one member u ...

and

WJSN WJSN (; ), also known as Cosmic Girls, is a South Korean girl group formed by Starship Entertainment. The group debuted on February 25, 2016, with the extended play '' Would You Like?'' and with twelve members: Seola, Xuanyi, Bona, Exy, Soo ...

's various sub-units. Lee also noted that the lyrics, though one-dimensional, resonated with the public thanks to their "cry of determination". ''Art Insight'' Kim Yo-bin said "Fighting" aims to inspire the entire nation and recommended the song in particular to workers, likening the feeling of listening to it to a "cheerleader cheering for a

cheerleading Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants (called cheerleaders) cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to ent ...

team".

Live performances

The group first performed "Fighting" on the South Korean music program ''

M Countdown ''M Countdown'' () is a South Korean music program broadcast by Mnet. The show features appearances by popular music artists who also perform live on stage. It is broadcast from CJ E&M Center Studio in Sangam-dong, Mapo District, Seoul. ...

'' with Lee Young-ji on February 9, 2023. They also performed the song on '' Music Bank'' and ''

Inkigayo ''Inkigayo'' ( ko, 인기가요; English title: ''The Music Trend'', previously ''Popular Song'') is a South Korean music program broadcast by SBS. It airs live every Sunday. The show features some of the latest and most popular artists who p ...

'' on February 10 and 12, 2023. BSS sang "Fighting" alongside "Just Do It" on February 18, 2023, at the

, where they accepted the Male Group of the Year award and the Artist of the Year – Physical Album (4th Quarter) award on behalf of Seventeen.

Accolades

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Release history

References

{{Seventeen (band) 2023 singles 2023 songs Hybe Corporation singles Billboard Japan Hot 100 number-one singles Korean-language songs