It may be an exaggeration to suggest Keith Urban had to fight to get Carrie Underwood on his Ripcord album, but "The Fighter" certainly faced a hurdle.

Both singers wanted to work together for Urban's ninth studio album (May 6), but finding the time and place was a challenge. By the time Urban asked, Underwood was already busy with the Storyteller Tour and days off were few and far between. He says he thought of the fellow American Idol alum quickly after writing "The Fighter" with busbee. It's a disco-influenced, jazzy country love song that finds two lovers in conversation.

"She said, 'I have a day off in St. Louis, it's the only day off between now and when you need to finish your record'," Urban tells Taste of Country Nights radio host Sam Alex, recalling his conversation with Underwood. He was shooting the video to his single "Wasted Time" on that day, however, so he called in help.

"Busbee flew to St. Louis, got a studio and was in there with Carrie," Urban says. "And then I would take a break from filming and Facetime then and check in with them."

Five or 10 years ago Urban may have had to put his full trust in someone else to secure an important song for his album, or choose another singer for the duet. But the uptempo love song — Track No. 9 on Ripcord — defeated a familiar opponent to great art: logistics.

Lyrically, Urban admits he was inspired by "Marvin Gaye" by Charlie Puth and Meghan Trainor and "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" by Meatloaf. "The Fighter" is one of two collaborations on the album, the other being "Sun Don't Let Me Down" with Pitbull.

 Details on Urban's Song With Pitbull

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