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"Work" is a song recorded by American recording artist
Ciara Ciara Princess Wilson ( ; Harris; born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. She was discovered by record producer Jazze Pha in the early 2000s, and rose to prominence with her debut studio album, ''Goodies ...
for her third studio album ''
Fantasy Ride ''Fantasy Ride'' is the third studio album by American singer Ciara, first released on May 3, 2009, by Jive Records, LaFace Records and Sony Music Entertainment. The album was recorded between 2007 and 2009. Ciara was executive producer on the ...
'' (2009). It was released by
LaFace Records LaFace Records was an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, that operated as a unit of Sony Music Entertainment from 2008 to 2011 and was historically a part of Bertelsmann Music Group from 1989 to 2004. It was most active and achiev ...
on July 24, 2009, as the album's third and final single. Rapper
Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott (born July 1, 1971), also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She began her musical career as a member of the Contemporary R&B, R&B girl group 4 All the Sistas Arou ...
provides featured vocals on the song. Ciara and Elliott wrote it in collaboration with its producers Nate "Danja" Hills and
Marcella Araica Marcella Christina Araica is an American recording and mixing engineer, who has recorded and mixed tracks for artists including Britney Spears, Duran Duran, K. Michelle, Ciara, Keri Hilson, Madonna, P!nk and Timbaland. Biography Araica started h ...
. "Work" is a fast-paced
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 ...
and
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 ...
song with elements of
bounce music Bounce music is a genre of New Orleans hip-hop music that is said to have originated as early as the late 1980s in the city's housing projects. Popular bounce artists have included DJ Jubilee, Partners-N-Crime, Magnolia Shorty and Big Fr ...
and
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. Hip- ...
. Ciara described it as an energetic club track, and considered it initially as the lead single of ''Fantasy Ride''. "Work" received mixed opinions overall by critics, some of whom called it the album's strongest track and praised its
hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...
, while others regarded the song as unoriginal and disappointing. The single peaked at number 52 on the UK Singles Chart and number 46 in Sweden. In Ireland, it reached number 31, the single's highest peak position on any chart.
Melina Matsoukas Melina Matsoukas (born January 14, 1981) is an American music video, film, commercial and television director. She is a two-time Grammy Award winner and four-time MTV Video Music Awards winner for her "We Found Love" and " Formation" music video ...
directed the song's music video, in which Ciara performs with her dancers.


Background

Ciara and
Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott (born July 1, 1971), also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She began her musical career as a member of the Contemporary R&B, R&B girl group 4 All the Sistas Arou ...
wrote "Work" in collaboration with its primary producer Nate "Danja" Hills and additional producer
Marcella Araica Marcella Christina Araica is an American recording and mixing engineer, who has recorded and mixed tracks for artists including Britney Spears, Duran Duran, K. Michelle, Ciara, Keri Hilson, Madonna, P!nk and Timbaland. Biography Araica started h ...
. Araica recorded the track at Chalice Recording Studios in Los Angeles and Goldmind Studios in
Virginia Beach Virginia Beach (colloquially VB) is the List of cities in Virginia, most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in southeaster ...
. Jared Newcomb later assisted her for mixing, at Chalice Recording Studios. The song was announced in June 2008 and was revealed in October to be a duet with Elliott. "Work" was their third collaboration, following Ciara's "
1, 2 Step "1, 2 Step" is a song by American singer Ciara featuring American rapper Missy Elliott. Written alongside producer Jazze Pha, it was released on November 1, 2004, as the second single of Ciara's debut studio album, '' Goodies''. It peaked within ...
" (2004) and Elliott's " Lose Control" (2005). Ciara told
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 ...
on the set for the music video of " Go Girl" that "Work" is "crazy and out of this world. The energy is to the 10th power again." Ciara elaborated on her collaboration with Elliott in an interview for
Blogcritics Blogcritics is a blog network and online magazine of news and opinion. The site was founded in 2002 by Eric Olsen (writer), Eric Olsen and Phillip Winn. Blogcritics features more than 100 original articles every week, and maintains an archive of a ...
:
When Missy and I do a record, the energy is on a whole other level. I can't explain exactly what it is. It's just the energy, I think. She knows how to really make a party a party. That's what I want – to make this record to be the ultimate party record. That's pretty much how that all came about. ... I guess each time we work together, we give 100% of our energy to each other. It's crazy. Sometimes you can't explain what the chemistry is. It's just how you feel.
Ciara originally planned to release ''
Fantasy Ride ''Fantasy Ride'' is the third studio album by American singer Ciara, first released on May 3, 2009, by Jive Records, LaFace Records and Sony Music Entertainment. The album was recorded between 2007 and 2009. Ciara was executive producer on the ...
'' in the form of three discs, each representing a particular sound. The third disc "Kingdom of Dance", which featured dance-oriented music, was set to include "Work". In an August 2008 interview for ''
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 ...
'', Ciara regarded the song as energetic and great to listen to while exercising: "you're going to sweat up a storm in the club." "Work" and "High Price" were at one point in contention to serve as the album's lead single, but "Go Girl" was selected instead. "Work" was released worldwide on July 24, 2009, as the fifth and final single of ''Fantasy Ride''. On August 21, 2009,
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
track "Fit of Love" appeared on the German
CD single A CD single is a single (music), music single in the form of a compact disc (CD). Originally the ''CD single'' standard (as defined in the Rainbow Books, Red Book) was an 8 cm (3-inch) "mini CD" (''CD3''); later on the term referred to any si ...
release of "Work". The single was digitally released in the United States on December 8, 2009.


Composition

"Work" is an
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 ...
and
dance-pop Dance-pop is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit ra ...
song hinted with elements of
bounce music Bounce music is a genre of New Orleans hip-hop music that is said to have originated as early as the late 1980s in the city's housing projects. Popular bounce artists have included DJ Jubilee, Partners-N-Crime, Magnolia Shorty and Big Fr ...
in its production. Characterized by its club appeal, the song exhibits its stimulating fashion with Ciara's club-natured lyrics that evoke the enticing allure of nightlife and cater to the classic ambiance of a nightclub setting, complemented by a spirited and fast-paced tempo infused with tinged elements of
dance-pop Dance-pop is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit ra ...
and
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. Hip- ...
. Apart from Ciara's provocative allusions that sensually reflects her affinity towards the club scene in her lyricism, the song also incorporates crisp electronic dance claps, minimalistic dance snares, and intricately multilayered synth bleeps as fundamental elements within the backdrop of the song's rhythmic framework. Andrew Rennie of Canadian magazine ''
Now Now most commonly refers to the present time. Now, NOW, or The Now may also refer to: Organizations * Natal Organisation of Women, a South African women's organization * National Organization for Women, an American feminist organization * Na ...
'' described the instrumentation as "
kick drum The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter usually greater than its depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. The hea ...
-heavy", and Joey Guerra of the ''
Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. ...
'' called it a "frenetic club track". Sarah Rodman of ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
'' wrote that Ciara "nimbly navigates synth bleats and burps and a shake-and-shimmy beat". The song opens with lines by Elliott as she raps "When the song come on in the club, turn it up, turn it up, turn it up." Ciara then opens the first verse, singing "The dance train is coming back again. Extravaganza, you should run and tell a friend." The
hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...
consists of the repeated remarks "Work! Work!"
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
's David Balls regarded the line "You better shake that thang like a donkey!" as "thought-provoking".


Critical reception

Sarah Rodman of ''The Boston Globe'' named "Work" the album's best track and praised Elliott's addition. Rodman wrote that Ciara "takes her own advice to 'put some snap into it'."
About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly The Mining Company, About.com and Dotdash) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, hom ...
writer Bill Lamb named it one of the album's best, and wrote that it "lands somewhere between Ciara's contemporary classic '1, 2 Step' and Missy Elliott's own 'Lose Control'." Andrew Rennie of ''Now'' considered it the album's strongest track and noted Ciara and Elliott's "trademark chemistry".
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
's Finn White wrote that the song "will make all the bad girls sweat on the dance floor". In his review of ''Fantasy Ride'', Marrio Tarradell of ''
The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation in 2022 of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885, by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ' ...
'' wrote that "
Love Sex Magic "Love Sex Magic" is a song by American singer Ciara from her third studio album, ''Fantasy Ride'' (2009). Featuring fellow American recording artist Justin Timberlake, the song was written by Timberlake and his production team The Y's and Mike E ...
" is a "dance-floor corker", and noted that "Work" is "similarly club-ready", referring both songs to as "ultra-catchy". Regarding "Work", Tarradell wrote, "The rapid-fire 'work, work, work' refrain will bond to your head as if with Krazy Glue." Writing for ''
Metro Weekly ''Metro Weekly'' is a free weekly magazine for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) community in Washington, D.C., United States. It was first published on May 5, 1994. ''Metro Weekly'' includes national and local news, intervi ...
'', Doug Rule called the song an "instant classic" and referred it to as a "sequel of sorts to Elliott's marvelous 2002 hit ' Work It'." A writer from ''
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 ...
'' named the song one of the album's top tracks. David Balls of
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
rated "Work" three stars out of five, writing that it "bears all the ingredients of a smash, but lacks the killer blow to leave you gasping for air." Balls also noted that Ciara tends to rely on guest artists to guarantee a hit. ''The Houston Chronicle'' critic Joey Guerra called the song a "blast of energy", but observed that it is "too reminiscent of past Ciara/Elliott hits". Guerra said that "A little variation would have made for a more dynamic tune." Andy Kellman of
Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
was more critical and called the song an "over-stuffed dancefloor mess that does not benefit from Missy Elliott's hoarse hectorin". Jordan Sargent of ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
'' considered the song a letdown due to Ciara's "lifeless" vocal delivery. Dan Gennoe of Yahoo! UK & Ireland referred to the song as "an underwhelming twitch which Missy surely wouldn't have had anywhere near one of her own albums."


Chart performance

On July 11, 2009, "Work" entered the UK Singles Chart at number 71 and rose to number 56 the following week. In its third week, it rose by four positions to reach number 52 and was present on the chart for seven weeks. "Work" reached number 31 on the
Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are ...
. On July 13, 2009, the song entered the
Australian Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian record chart, music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA beca ...
at number 98. After ascending for several weeks, it peaked at number 66 in its fifth week on the chart. In Sweden, "Work" debuted on the
Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan (, lit. "the Sweden top list") is the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from IFPI Sverige. It was formerly known as Topplistan (1975–1997) and Hitlistan (1998–2007) and has been known by its current name si ...
chart at number 50 on July 17, 2009. The following week, the song ascended to its peak position at number 46.


Music video

The music video for "Work" was directed by
Melina Matsoukas Melina Matsoukas (born January 14, 1981) is an American music video, film, commercial and television director. She is a two-time Grammy Award winner and four-time MTV Video Music Awards winner for her "We Found Love" and " Formation" music video ...
, who previously directed the clip for Ciara's single "Go Girl" (2008). A preview premiered in early June 2009 and promotional photos were later released. The full video premiered in the United Kingdom on June 23, 2009 at 7 pm on
4Music 4Music was a British music television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. Launched on 15 August 2008, the original incarnation, replacing The Hits television channel, showed a mix of music and entertainment pr ...
, and was later broadcast on
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
, at midnight. The following day, the video was added to Ciara's official profile on
Bebo Bebo ( ) was an American social networking website that originally operated from 2005 until its bankruptcy in 2013. The site relaunched several times after its bankruptcy with a number of short-lived offerings, including instant messaging and ...
. The video commences with shots of a construction site, where Ciara arrives in a large construction vehicle. Elliott raps her opening verse from the top of a pile of large tires while Ciara makes her debut in a gray jumpsuit with square aviator sunglasses. She soon appears in a slender black
leotard A leotard () is a unisex skin-tight one-piece garment that covers the torso from the crotch to the shoulder. The garment was made famous by the French acrobatic performer Jules Léotard (1838–1870). There are sleeveless, short-sleeved, and l ...
and walks seductively along a construction walkway. Ciara and her dancers move to a
dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...
in front of the site, where they perform a group choreography. The dancers wear white tops, torn blue jeans, construction belts and goggles. The second verse features an intense dance and switches halfway through to Ciara in a turquoise
PVC Polyvinyl chloride (alternatively: poly(vinyl chloride), colloquial: vinyl or polyvinyl; abbreviated: PVC) is the world's third-most widely produced synthetic polymer of plastic (after polyethylene and polypropylene). About 40 million tons o ...
dress and black strap stilettos, dancing in front of a pile of tires. She and her dancers return to the dune and dance to Elliott's words. The video ends in the sand dune as Ciara and her dancers slowly drop to the ground and then get back up.


Formats and track listings

*CD single / digital download #"Work" – 4:05 #"Fit of Love" – 3:18 *US digital download #"Work" – 4:05


Credits and personnel

*Songwriting – Ciara Harris, Nate Hills, Marcella Araica, Missy Elliott *Production – Danja *Additional production – The Incredible Lago *Vocal arrangement – Ciara * Mixing – Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica Credits are adapted from the liner notes of ''Fantasy Ride''.


Charts


Release history


References


External links

* {{Missy Elliott singles 2009 singles 2009 songs Ciara songs Dance-pop songs Electropop songs LaFace Records singles Missy Elliott songs Music videos directed by Melina Matsoukas Songs about dancing Songs about nightclubs Song recordings produced by Danja (record producer) Songs written by Danja (record producer) Songs written by Ciara Songs written by Missy Elliott Songs written by Marcella Araica