"Battle Scars" is a song performed by Australian recording artist Guy Sebastian featuring American rapper Lupe Fiasco.

[4] "Battle Scars" debuted at number one on the ARIA Singles Chart in its first week of release[5] and has been certified 14× platinum.

[19] It was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration, and won the R&B/Hip category in the 2013 International Songwriting Competition.

"[26] Speaking of what it meant to have Fiasco collaborate on "Battle Scars" Sebastian said, "Just to get someone like Lupe on the track I knew it was going to have heart and have depth.

[30] Music writer and radio announcer David Lim said, "unlike the majority of these rent-a-rapper verses, Lupe Fiasco's contribution here actually feels valid and in equal weighting to Guy's sung vocals.

He explained that he does not feel fully confident musically when collaborating with other artists, and he had been prepared to discard those lines if Sebastian didn't like them.

[23][28][37] He also had interviews with radio stations, and performed the song live on the Today Network's Fifi and Jules show on 13 August 2012.

[2] Fiasco came to Australia in mid September to promote the single and the release of his album, and he and Sebastian performed it live for the first time on The X Factor.

[42] Sebastian and Fiasco continued the US promotion of the song in early 2013, performing it on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon with The Roots, and on Conan.

David Lim wrote, "'Battle Scars' is a massive bruised ballad with a titan hook that just beats you down with no mercy.

The ominous piano-driven ballad, punctuated with crisp beats resembles something Ryan Tedder would pitch to A-list American chart toppers.[....

]This next step in Guy's career deserves to be an international affair and let's hope with top-notch singles like 'Battle Scars', he can begin to break new territories.

"[45] David Fredrick from music discovery site Gigity wrote, "Guy Sebastian, the Australian pop/R&B singer just released a brand new track 'Battle Scars' ft. Lupe Fiasco and it is an instant classic that will surely grab your attention.

"[46] Kate Winch from Mosca Media said, "In this effort, the combination of Lupe Fiasco's rap skills with Guy's strong vocals results in a catchy pop, hip hop track thats chorus will become firmly entrenched in your head after just one listen.

HipHop DX said, "The Guy Sebastian-assisted "Battle Scars" is another winner, oozing mass appeal without deteriorating into sloshy mainstream".

[48] Luciana Villalba from review site The Young Folk called Sebastian's voice "remarkable", and included Battle Scars in her list of "must-listen" tracks.

[49] A reviewer for Entertainment site Pop Culture Podcast wrote, "This one has chart topping single written all over it but due to its genuine lyrics and universal subject matter it doesn't feel like one that you have to 'sell out' to make.

"[50] XXL Magazine said "Battle Scars" moved "towards mainstream without completely deviating", sacrificing little "sonically or lyrically, instead relying on booming pop/sung choruses to denote any notable shift.

"[51] Colin McQuire from Pop Matters wrote that it showcased Fiasco's "knack for crafting a great pop hook" and the "piano-laden groove adds the texture it needs to be a bona fide Top 40 hit, and Fiasco's crisp broken-hearted rhymes illustrate the exact type of accessibility the track needs to gain commercial notoriety.

"[33] ARIA named "Battle Scars" as one of the top Australian music moments of 2012, saying, "We all knew Guy had serious talent, but this year he took his song writing to another level with the single 'Battle Scars'.[....]

[12][13] In the United States, "Battle Scars" spent 20 weeks in the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 71, Sebastian's first song to chart in North America.

Individuals filmed in a variety of cityscapes are shown periodically, expressing their sadness and personal scars by writing and holding up signs with words that show how they feel.