Rachel Platten

“She wrote a part of the chorus and she brought it to me and we both acknowledged that the chorus was really strong but the verse and the bridge needed a lot of work,” her manager, SMG Entertainment’s Ben Singer, said. “So she wrote probably nine or 10 different versions of that song to get it right. She knew it was her story and she wanted it to be perfect. … After a lot of her hard work she kind of cracked the code and … we definitely looked at each other and were like, ‘OK, we’ve got something here.’”

“Fight Song,” which appears on the EP of the same name, is certified double platinum in the U.S. and has charted globally. The song was featured on “Pretty Little Liars” and in promos for “Revenge” in Australia, as well as in a TV commercial for Ford Edge. Platten’s major label full-length debut is due out by year-end.   

Singer said that one of the reasons he signed the pop singer/songwriter was that she had proven she wasn’t going to give up.

“I think Rachel’s a great story because she’s 34 years old and our industry has a habit of telling us that once you get to a certain age you can’t do certain things. When she and I started, our mantra was we were going to make a fire and people were going to come to us. And that’s what happened. [‘Fight Song’] started taking off and labels came to us. Every label had passed on her several times in her 20s so she had every reason to give up but she just wouldn’t. … To see her now becoming a big star is fun because she deserves it. She’s worked really hard to get there.”

Pollstar spoke with Singer hours after Platten had released her latest uplifting song, “Stand By You.” He noted that it was already quickly climbing the iTunes charts.

One fan is Taylor Swift, who Instagrammed the song artwork and wrote, “Rach killing it with her second single. Check out ‘Stand By You,’ I’ve had it on repeat all day.”

Platten appeared as Swift’s special guest in June at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, where they performed “Fight Song” together. 

After spending the summer supporting Colbie Caillat and Christina Perri, Platten’s upcoming plans include touring and promo in the U.K., where “Fight Song” hit No. 1. – Sarah Pittman