"Motivation" is a song recorded by American recording artist

Kelly Rowland Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling gir ...

for her third studio album '' Here I Am'' (2011). The song was written by

Jim Jonsin James Gregory Scheffer (born June 8, 1970), known professionally as Jim Jonsin, is an American record producer and songwriter from South Florida. He has produced for numerous musical artists, including Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Usher, Lil Wayn ...

Rico Love Richard Preston Butler Jr. (born December 3, 1982), better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American record producer, singer, songwriter, and rapper. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, but split his childhood between Milwaukee, Wisco ...

, Daniel Morris and

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...

, with Jonsin producing the song and Lil Wayne having featured vocals. The R&B

slow jam A slow jam is music with rhythm and blues and soul influences. Slow jams are commonly R&B ballads or downtempo songs, and are mostly soft-sounding with heavily emotional or romantic lyrical content. The earliest known use of the term is from a ...

was released as the fourth single from ''Here I Am'' on March 2, 2011, by

Universal Motown Records Universal Motown Records was an American record label that operated as a division of Universal Motown Republic Group. It was the contemporary incarnation of the legendary Motown Records label, and the " urban" half of the Universal Records label, ...

. Upon release, "Motivation" received favorable reviews from critics generally praising the sexiness of the song. Official remixes were produced for the song, including a

dubstep Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken ...

-inspired

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic c ...

mix by

Diplo Thomas Wesley Pentz (born November 10, 1978), known professionally as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is a co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project Major Lazer; a member of the supergroup LSD (group), ...

and a rap remix by

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after National Football League, NFL and Canadian Football Lea ...

Trey Songz Tremaine Aldon Neverson (born November 28, 1984), known professionally as Trey Songz, is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer and songwriter. After being discovered by record producer Troy Taylor (record producer), Troy Taylor in 2003, Songz ...

and

Fabolous John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), known professionally as Fabolous, is an American rapper. Raised in Brooklyn, he first gained recognition for his ability upon performing live on DJ Clue's WQHT, Hot 97 radio show. Jackson then signed ...

. In the United States, the song has peaked at number one on the

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

chart where it stayed seven weeks in a row, and number seventeen on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming Rowland's second US top 20 hit (fourth top 30 overall) and her second highest performing single to date as a solo artist, behind "

Dilemma A dilemma () is a problem offering two possibilities, neither of which is unambiguously acceptable or preferable. The possibilities are termed the ''horns'' of the dilemma, a clichéd usage, but distinguishing the dilemma from other kinds of p ...

". It was certified

double platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music Sound recording and reproduction, recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video ...

by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

in May 2013. An accompanying music video was directed by Sarah Chatfield, the director behind Rowland's previous video " Forever and a Day" (2010). It follows a number of sultry scenes where Rowland dances seductively amongst partially dressed dancers in a dimly-lit warehouse, with the entire video tinged in blue light. "Motivation" was nominated for the

Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration The Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance (awarded as Best Rap/Sung Collaboration until 2017, and Best Rap/Sung Performance from 2018 to 2020) is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and original ...

at the

54th Grammy Awards The 54th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles being broadcast on CBS honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011. LL Cool J hosted t ...

. Rowland sang the song with Trey Songz at the 2011 BET Awards ceremony.

Background and release

''Here I Am'' was originally scheduled for release in 2010, but was pushed back numerous times. Initially the

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

-influenced "

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

" served as the album's

lead single A lead single (or first 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. A similar term, "debut ...

for international territories while two separate singles were serviced in the United States. " Rose Colored Glasses" for the

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

format and " Grown Woman" for the

urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...

format. Rowland decided in September 2010 to re-enter the recording studios to work on new material for the album. This, coupled with creative issues such as naming the album, led to multiple pushbacks. "Motivation" was announced as the title for the album's new lead single during

New York Fashion Week New York Fashion Week (NYFW), held in February and September of each year, is a semi-annual series of events in Manhattan typically spanning seven to nine days when international Fashion design, fashion collections are shown to buyers, the pres ...

. It debuted online via ''

Rap-Up ''Rap-Up'' is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the ...

'' magazine's website on March 2, 2011. Speaking of how the record came about, Rowland said "Motivation came about when I was in the studio with roducersJim Jonsin and Rico Love, and we kind of were just vibing. I told Rico I wanted something really sexy ... and he came up with 'Motivation' along with Jim. It turned into this amazing record... I played [ 'Motivation' for

] and he got on it, and it was just as simple as that." Along with the single announcement, ''Rap-Up'' said fans could expect the video and a remix produced by Diplo (DJ), Diplo to premiere in April 2011. However, the

remix, produced by Diplo, premiered via ''Rap-Up'' on March 8, 2011.

Composition

"Motivation" is an R&B

and

electropop Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a rev ...

song written by Richard Butler (Rico Love),

Dwayne Carter Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...

and Danny Morris. The racy lyrics center around Rowland asking her man to use his hands all over her body, and are accompanied by a "

synth A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...

-saturated beat" produced by Jonsin. In terms of instruments, "Motivation" uses sparse

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Mus ...

notes, programmed beats and pulsing synths in the

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song), the part of a song that is repeated several times, usually after each verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in whic ...

. The song has a medium tempo of 140 beats per minute. Wayne adds a rap verse complementing Rowland's seductive suggestions, using the kitchen and a car as metaphors for sex. According to Scott Shetler from AOL Music, Rowland uses the lyrics to promise "to be her lover's motivation." Rowland called the record a mixture between

and mash-up. When asked by

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

what Rowland thought of the song, she said,"It has that personality and characteristic to it that I don't think anybody can deny. That's why when Wayne dropped that insane verse on there ... I was like, 'You really brought that up even more.' He went into the studio and just did it. I don't think it takes much for Wayne to think. He just does it. He's so admirable."

Critical reception

Ryan Brockington, from the ''

New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...

,'' was amongst the first to review "Motivation." In his review, he said "The single is a big leap from the dance club synth pop that Kelly has been releasing the past year and it seems like she might be trying to shimmy her way back into the

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

world by teaming up with the Midas touch vocals of

." Both ''

'' and

AOL AOL (formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City, and a brand marketed by Yahoo! Inc. The service traces its history to an online ...

Music's Scott Shetler called the song "sexy." Becky Bain from Idolator disliked the song for not being memorable. The short review was summed up with the closing phrase, "she's going to need another hit to help promote her album when it finally is ready to drop." Mikey Fresh of ''

Vibe Vibe, alternatively '' vibes,'' is short for ''vibration''. A "vibe" is an emotional reaction to the aura or energy felt to belong to a person, place or thing. Vibe may also refer to: People * DJ Vibe (born 1968), Portuguese DJ * Lasse Vibe (b ...

'' said that Rowland readies the song with "just a touch of sensuality". Wesley Case from ''

The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news. Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publi ...

'' complimented the song's sexy quality. "If this isn't the year's hands-down sexiest song thus far, it has to be in the discussion. Rowland, whose sultry voice could get a priest hot, weaving in and out of the minimal beat, and setting the table for Lil Wayne's stuttering, after-hours guest-verse. Stack the pieces together and it's an understated knockout that gets sexier with each spin." Shahryar Rizvi of ''

Dallas Observer ''Dallas Observer'' is a free digital and print publication based in Dallas, Texas. The ''Observer'' publishes daily online coverage of local news, restaurants, music, and arts, as well as longform narrative journalism. A weekly print issue circ ...

'' felt that the song was a "female-fronted counterpart" to the smooth, slow-

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...

R&B vibe that R. Kelly and

usually proffer. Nathan Slavik of ''Billboard'' ranked it number five on their "Critics' Picks: 20 Best Songs of 2011". ''

'' ranked "Motivation" number 6 on their year-end best songs list for 2011. "Motivation" was nominated for two awards at the 2011 Soul Train Music Awards including Best Dance Performance and Song of the Year. It won the award for Song of the Year and was also nominated for the

at the

, which was held on February 12, 2012. In 2019, ''

The Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are distributed to its members, major ...

'' named the song number 2 out of 25 songs listed as a part of its "Top songs of the decade".

Accolades

Chart performance

Despite not being released for digital download until April 13, 2011, "Motivation" made its US chart debuted on April 2, debuting at number fifty-five on the

chart. In the weeks following it continued to rise thanks to urban airplay, eventually reaching number one in its tenth week on the chart, chart dated May 23, 2011. "Motivation" is Rowland's first solo number one as lead artist on a US ''

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 ...

'' composite chart (one combining airplay and sales), although she previously peaked at number one with

Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and embarked on his musical career in 1993 as a member of the Midwest hip hop g ...

on his 2002 single "

." It stayed at the top spot of the chart for six more weeks. In the same week that "Motivation" hit number one on the

chart,

, who is featured on the single, had a total of twelve songs on the chart. Following its release, "Motivation" debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number fifty-five, Rowland's highest Hot 100 debut as a solo artist. It reached number seventeen, Rowland's highest Hot 100 peak as a solo artist, and best chart position since "Dilemma" (by

featuring Kelly Rowland −2002), which reached number one. The song also peaked at number twenty-five on the

Digital Song Sales The Digital Song Sales (previously named Digital Songs and Hot Digital Songs) ranks the best-selling digital songs in the United States, as compiled by Luminate and published by ''Billboard'' magazine. Although it originally started tracking so ...

chart and spent twenty-six weeks on there. Additionally, it is the first single from Rowland to chart on the Hot 100 since her 2009 feature on

David Guetta Pierre David Guetta (; born 7 November 1967) is a French DJ and record producer. He has sold over 10 million albums and 65 million singles globally, with more than 30 billion streams on Spotify. Guetta was voted the number one DJ in the DJ Mag ...

's "

When Love Takes Over "When Love Takes Over" is a song by French DJ and record producer David Guetta featuring vocals by American singer Kelly Rowland, from Guetta's fourth studio album, '' One Love'' (2009). It was released as the lead single from the album on 21 Apr ...

", which reached number seventy-six. The previous two lead singles, " Grown Woman" (2010) and " Rose Colored Glasses" (2010), from '' Here I Am,'' failed to enter the Hot 100, though the latter peaked at number fifty-one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The producer of "Motivation",

, said he was proud and confident of the song's success. "I'm really happy that things are going well for her on this record. A real concern for us was to get that smash for her... She's a friend of ours as well, so to see her win is huge." Furthermore, "Motivation" reached the top ten in other

component charts, peaking at number three on the

Hot Ringtones The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...

chart, number ten on the Radio Songs chart and number one on the Hot 100 Recurrents chart.

Music video

The

music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

for "Motivation" was directed by Sarah Chatfield, at the end of March 2011. Frank Gatson served as the video's choreographer. Speaking during Roberto Cavalli's fashion show, Rowland said she was on the look out for "womanly, sexy designs" for a "feminine sexy video." She elaborated on the development of the video during an interview when

MTV News MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...

' Jocelyn Vena. She told Vena, "We came up with the energy, and with Frank atson— and I don't know how he sees something, but he got it... I'm so thankful I have a great team that's thinking 10 steps ahead of me. With Sarah she understood; she got the concept. It was great the way everything came together." The video made its world premiere on

BET Black Entertainment Television (BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting Black American audiences. It is the flagship channel of the BET Media Group, a subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. Originally launched ...

's ''

106 & Park ''106 & Park'' is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest- rated ...

'' on April 4, 2011. The video opens in a blue-colored hue lit warehouse, with Rowland standing in the passageway before it cuts to her walking through the building checking out the ladies and men mingling. Rowland can then be seen in a purple swimsuit & coat, doing different sexual choreography routines with her many half-dressed male backup dancers. The clip then shows Lil Wayne in his own scene rapping his verse to the song. He can then be seen leaning against a wall and standing on a bed with the lights flashing while Rowland is simultaneously being entertained by a male dancer as she sits upon a chair. The video then continues with the crowd entwining with each other; full make out sections between females and their male counterparts, as well as half-dressed males feeling on each other's bodies, while the females also interact with each other. After more dancing from Rowland and her dancers, the video then ends with Rowland singing her last lines, surrounded by the sexually charged crowd. Jocelyn Vena of MTV commented that the video "plays to the song's sexy themes."

Remixes

"Motivation" has been remixed several times, mainly by Rowland's fellow R&B contemporaries who have each put their own angle on the song. The first remix, the song's official remix, was helmed by

electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...

producer

. It replaces some of the song's original instruments with electronic ones, as well as adding "rapid

hi-hats A hi-hat (hihat, high-hat, etc.) is a combination of two cymbals and a pedal, all mounted on a metal stand. It is a part of the standard drum kit used by drummers in many styles of music including rock, pop, jazz, and blues. Hi-hats consist o ...

". Diplo also modifies Rowland's vocals, by "chopping and reconfiguring" them "over the

-inspired instrumental." A

So So Def So So Def Recordings is an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, founded by producer Jermaine Dupri in 1993. Specializing in Southern hip hop, R&B, and bass music, the label has signed musical acts such as Bow Wow, Kris Kross, Xsca ...

remix of the song features female American rapper

Da Brat Shawntae Harris-Dupart (née Harris; born April 14, 1974), better known by her stage name Da Brat, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, she began her career in 1992 and signed with Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings two years l ...

. The unofficial remix, features a new introduction from Da Brat, and was released online to ''

''. R&B singers

The-Dream Terius Adamu Ya Gesteelde-Diamant ('' né'' Youngdell Nash; born September 20, 1977), known professionally as The-Dream, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for having written or co-produced songs for artists in ...

and

Jeremih Jeremy Phillip Felton (born July 17, 1987), known professionally as Jeremih ( ), is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer. He embarked on a musical career after meeting record producer Mick Schultz in 2008, and signed a recording contract wi ...

also made remixes of the song, adding their own verses and "male perspective" to complement Rowland and

's verses.

Tyga Micheal Ray StevensonMicheal Ray Stevenson

also released a remix for his Mixtape "Well Done 2" entitled "Pussy Talkin'. In May 2011, R. Kelly joined the list of singers to create their own remix for "Motivation". In his version, R. Kelly adds additional verses and references his own songs such as "Pregnant". R. Kelly's remix of the song was praised by Rowland. Using her official

Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...

account, Rowland said, "R. Kelly Motivation Remix is CRAAAZZZZZY!!!" R&B singer

Mario Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...

also added his vocals to a remix of the song. On June 6, 2011, a second official remix for the song was uploaded. It replaces

with new verses from rappers

and

. Rhymes has a rapid-fire "bedroom"-themed verse, while Songz sings in his

falsetto Falsetto ( , ; Italian language, Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ...

and Fabolous' verse is cut short by the re-introduction of Rowland's vocals. A third officially produced remix, the "Rebel Rock Remix", features on the deluxe edition of '' Here I Am''.

Live performances

On June 26, 2011, Rowland took to the stage of the 2011 BET Awards to perform "Motivation" for the first time in public. The performance was part of the evening's entertainment; the song was not nominated for an award. Hollywood News reported that Rowland was among the most anticipated performers of the evening. Appearing in the middle of

performance of " Love Faces," Rowland ascended on stage where she was joined by several shirtless male dancers. The performance was met with a positive reception from industry critics and fellow music entertainers, most of whom noted it as a highlight of the ceremony. Ed Masley from ''

The Arizona Republic ''The Arizona Republic'' is an American daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. History Early years The newspap ...

'' said that Rowland's performance was "the night's most soulful vocal erformance" Roger Catlin said that Rowland offered "a live performance with Trey Songz trumping that of her more famous 'sister' from

Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final lineup comprised Beyoncé, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams (singer), Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Hou ...

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...

." The ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' Gerrick D. Kennedy praised Rowland's sex appeal, noting that her "steamy performance sent tongues wagging" and was widely anticipated thanks to the serial delays with her album '' Here I Am'' (2011).

Rob Markman pointed out that following her performance, the hashtag "#kelly" began trending on

. Additionally Markman said Rowland "received one of the loudest ovations of the night." Rowland performed the song on

Jimmy Kimmel Live! ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', sometimes shortened to ''JKL'', is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, and broadcast on ABC. The nightly hour-long show tapes and is based out of the Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywo ...

on September 27, 2011. ''

'' described Rowland's performance on the show as a "sizzling performance". Robbie Daw of ''

Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolator or Idolater may also refer to: * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), a 2005 album by Blood Stain Child * ''Idolator'', a 1986 album by Ole Evenrud * "Idolater", a ...

'' praised Rowland's performance and said that the "black-clad diva rocked out two sexy jams from Here I Am" and later described her performance as "sultry". Rowland performed the song during her guest appearance on ''

The Wendy Williams Show ''The Wendy Williams Show'' (often shortened to ''Wendy'') is an American Broadcast syndication, syndicated talk show created and hosted by Wendy Williams, and produced by Wendy Williams Productions, along with Perler Productions. The show was d ...

'' on June 24, 2013 along with " Kisses Down Low" and " Street Life".

Track listings and formats

*Digital download #"Motivation" (featuring

) – 3:51 *Digital download (remix) #"Motivation" (

Remix) – 3:56 *Streaming (rap remix) #"Motivation" (featuring

and

) – 4:34 *Rebel Rock Remix (album only) :13. "Motivation" (Rebel Rock Remix) (featuring Lil Wayne) – 3:41 *Digital EP #"Motivation" (featuring Lil Wayne) – 3:51 #"Motivation" (Diplo Remix) – 3:57 #"Motivation" (music video) – 4:22

Credits and personnel

Recording *Recorded and mixed at Circle House Recording Studios in

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

*Mastered at Sterling Sound in

New York City, New York New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...

Personnel *

– songwriter, producer, programming, keyboards *

– songwriter *Daniel Morris – songwriter, keyboards *

– songwriter, featured rap vocals *Thurston McCrea – recording *Sean McCoy – recording assistant, mixing assistant *Robert Marks – additional recording, mixing *Matt Huber – mixing assistant *Chris Gehringer – mastering

Awards and nominations

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

Certifications and sales

Release history

References

{{authority control 2011 songs 2011 singles Kelly Rowland songs Lil Wayne songs Songs written by Rico Love Songs written by Jim Jonsin Song recordings produced by Jim Jonsin Songs written by Lil Wayne Songs written by Danny Morris (music producer) Universal Motown Records singles