Work

Work
Single by Iggy Azalea
Released	March 17, 2013
Recorded	2012
Genre	Alternative hip hop,Electonic
Label	Mercury Records
Length	3:43

"Work" is a song recorded by Australian hip hop recording artist Iggy Azalea, from her upcoming debut studio album The New Classic. The song was released as her debut single, and the lead single on March 17, 2013 through Mercury Records. It was written by Iggy Azalea, Natalie Sims and produced by 1st Down and The Invisible Men.Musically, "Work" is an up-tempo alternative hip hop song with an electronic sound, and also shows elements of trap.

"Work" received positive reviews from critics who praised the "bouncy hip-hop" production and the piano intro further more critics compared the song to that of Lana Del Rey, Kesha and Lady Gaga. Commercially the song performed well charting with in the twenty of the UK charts and with in the top three of the UK R&B charts, the song also charted in Australia, Ireland and Scotland.

The song's accompanying music video, shot by American director Jonas & François, tells a story of Iggy Azalea growing up in a trailer park. The inspiration for the video came for "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Tarantino's Death Proof and the music video for Outkast's "B.O.B."".

Background

In late January 2013, Azalea performed "Work" live for the first time while opening Rita Ora's Radioactive Tour in the United Kingdom. Since then, she has continued performing the song at all her live shows. Produced by The Invisible Men and 1st Down from Mad Decent affiliates FKi, it’s a subdued trap-meets-snap tune about Azalea’s peculiar coming-of-age as a model who came to America in her teens before trying her hand at rap (“no money / no family / 16 in the middle of Miami”).

Critical reception

Digital Spy gave the song four out of five stars praising the "sweeping piano intro" and its "bouncy hip-hop chorus" as well as comparing the single to the music of Lana Del Rey, Kesha and Lady Gaga saying that the song has the "swagger of Lana, the brattiness of Ke$ha, the sheer ballsiness of GaGa".

Music video

The music video for the song was shot in the last week of February 2013 and premiered March 13, 2013, on VEVO. Directed by Jonas & François, the video is all trailer park elegance, dive bar lap dances, and a bit of ‘Bad Girls’-inspired ridin’ around and/or gettin’ it. Azalea revealed the inspirations for the visuals included Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Tarantino's Death Proof and the music video for Outkast's "B.O.B.".

On April 3, 2013, a behind-the-scenes video for "Work" was uploaded on Azalea's VEVO channel.

Remixes

Mercury Records announced in February that a remixes EP "Work" would be released on April 7, 2013, in the United Kingdom. On March 2013, the first official remix by Jacob Plant was posted online.

Digital download

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Work (Explicit)"	3:43

Remix EP

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Work"	3:43
2.	"Work (Radio Edit)"	3:42
3.	"Work (Jacob Plant Remix)"	3:17
4.	"Work (BURNS Purple Rain Version)"	5:21
5.	"Work (Instrumental)"	3:40

Charts

Chart (2013)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)	88
Australian Urban (ARIA)	10
Ireland (IRMA)	42
Scotland (Official Charts Company)	18
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)	17
UK R&B (Official Charts Company)	3

Release history

Country	Date	Format
United Kingdom	March 17, 2013	Digital download
Europe	March 18, 2013
United States	March 19, 2013

Lyrics

[Intro]
Walk a mile in these Louboutins
But they don't wear these shits where I'm from
I'm not hating, I'm just telling you
I'm tryna let you know what the fuck that I've been through
[Verse 1]
Two feet in the red dirt, school skirt
Sugar cane, back lanes
Three jobs, took years to save
But I got a ticket on that plane
People got a lot to say
But don't know a thing about where I was made
Or how many floors that I had to scrub
Just to make it past where I am from
[Bridge x3]
No money, no family
Sixteen in the middle of Miami
[Hook]
I've been up all night, tryna get that rich
I've been work work work work working on my shit
Milked the whole game twice, gotta get it how I live
I've been work work work work working on my shit
Now get this work (x4)
Working on my shit...

[Verse 2]
You can hate it or love it
Hustle and the struggle is the only thing I'm trusting
Thorough bread in a mud brick before the budget
White chick on that Pac shit
My passion was ironic
And my dreams were uncommon
Guess I gone crazy, first deal changed me
Robbed blind, basically raped me
Ran through the bullshit like a Matador
Just made me madder and adamant to go at em
And even the score
So, I went harder
Studied the Carters till a deal was offered
Slept cold on the floor recording
At 4 in the morning
And now I'm passin' the bar like a lawyer
Immigrant, art ignorant
Ya ill intent was insurance for my benefit
Hate be inconsiderate
But the Industry took my innocence
Too late, now I'm in this bitch!
You don't know the half
This shit get real
Valley girls giving blowjobs for Louboutins
What you call that?
Head over heels

[Bridge x3/Hook]

[Verse 3]
Pledge allegiance to the struggle
Ain't been easy
But cheers to Peezy for the weeks we lived out of duffle
Bags is all we had
Do anything for my Mama, I love you
One day I'll pay you back for the sacrifice
That ya managed to muscle
Sixteen, you sent me through customs so
All aboard my spaceship to Mercury
Turn First at the light that's in front me
Cause every night I'mma do it like it's my last
This dream is all that I need
Cause its all that I ever had
[Outro x2]
Now get this work (x4)
Working on my shit...