Work (Iggy Azalea song)

"Work"
Song

"Work" is the debut single recorded by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea. It was released on 17 March 2013 as the lead single from her debut studio album, The New Classic (2014). The song was co-written by Azalea, Trocon Markous Roberts, Natalie Sims and the Invisible Men, and produced by the latter in collaboration with 1st Down of FKi. Inspired by the chord progression in Outkast's "B.O.B" (2000), Azalea wrote the track with inspirational and motivational intentions to portray her life story. Musically, "Work" is a snap trap song that features Azalea employing a defiant staccato delivery in double-time, over a dark balladic beat. Its lyrical content is autobiographical, and discusses Azalea's work ethic and re-location from Mullumbimby, New South Wales to Miami.

Upon release, "Work" was met with universal acclaim from music critics, who commended the song's lyrical content and Azalea's vocal delivery. Commercially, the song was a sleeper hit and became Azalea's breakthrough into mainstream success. It reached number 17 on the UK Singles Chart and number 54 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and attained top ten peaks on the UK R&B Chart and US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts.

The song's accompanying music video was directed by Jonas & Francois and premiered on 13 March 2013. Inspired by several films, the video depicted Azalea's biographical journey from life on the streets to Hollywood, and featured Azalea engaging in twerking and lap dancing sequences. Critics praised the clip's storyline and fashion, along with Azalea's dancing abilities. The video was recognised with a MTV Video Music Award nomination and three UK Music Video Award nominations. Azalea performed "Work" live throughout 2013 at various festivals and on tour as a supporting act for Rita Ora, Nas and Beyoncé. In 2014, Azalea reprised the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and during The New Classic Tour. "Work" has been covered by recording artists Selena Gomez and Jon Lilygreen, and a remix for the song was commissioned by Island Records, featuring American rapper Wale.

Background

['Work' is] definitely my most personal. But I've purposely never made my songs personal because it was mixtape stuff, and I was experimenting with my music and seeing how I wanted it to sound. I wasn't going to put all the juicy good stuff on mixtape. I was waiting for the right time. Like with 'Work', it is biographical about my life, but parts of 'Work' are relatable to anybody. I tried to make the rest of my album a bit broader in terms of subject matter. I might talk about being hurt about something, but not explain who, or why, or what the hell happened, so it's not as deep as 'Work'.

—Iggy Azalea, Idol Magazine

During December 2012 and January 2013, "Work" was developed by Azalea as one of the first three songs for her debut studio album, The New Classic (2014). The song was written in Wales during a period of heavy rain which inspired her to create a track that was "sad, but in a weird way, like happy or calming or sort of peaceful". In an interview with radio station WZMX, Azalea mentioned, "I have never really written a song about my life because I think sometimes when you do something so major, you don't know how to exactly put it in a song". The song's lyrical content drew inspiration from a period when Azalea suffered from depression, and dropped out of high school to become a domestic worker with her mother. Azalea saved money for a flight ticket to Miami and left Mullumbimby, New South Wales before she turned 16—an event referenced in the song's lyric "No money / No family / 16 in the middle of Miami". After her arrival as an illegal immigrant, Azalea endured financial struggles and harsh initial public feedback. "Work", in turn, became one of Azalea's most personal songs.

The song was co-written by Azalea, Trocon Markous Roberts, Natalie Sims and the Invisible Men, and produced by the latter in collaboration with 1st Down of FKi. Azalea stated that 1st Down was responsible for the track's "cool alternative sound", while the Invisible Men created its "more commercialised, cleaner [and] sleeker sound". She said that 1st Down and the Invisible Men "found a middle ground" on "Work", and deemed the pairing "a great team to collaborate with". Musically, Azalea honed inspiration for the song's composition from the chord progression featured in American duo Outkast's "B.O.B" (2000). She recorded her vocals for "Work" at Rockfield Studios and Monnow Valley Studios in Wales. Drums and programming were provided by 1st Down, George Astasio, and Jon Shave. Jason Pebworth played the track's keyboard instruments with 1st Down, Astasio and Shave. Anthony Kilhoffer completed the mixing process, with the assistance of Kyle Ross, at The Mix Spot in Los Angeles. Upon the album's conception, Azalea stated that one of her main aspirations for it was to use it as a springboard for sharing her life story and revealing more about herself. Following the completion of "Work", Azalea felt that the song achieved the goal she set for its parent album, and denoted it as one of the record's most important and vulnerable moments. Furthermore, Azalea recognised it as the song she is most proud of and stated that many of her friends cried when they first heard it because it accurately told her life story. In an interview with Zak Stemer from the Chicago Sun-Times, Azalea described "Work" and "Rolex" as the two most personal songs featured on The New Classic.

Release

"Work" served as Azalea's debut single and the lead single from The New Classic. On 28 January 2013, Azalea performed the song for the first time in Manchester during the opening act of British recording artist Rita Ora's Radioactive Tour. The track was premiered by British disc jockey MistaJam, during his BBC Radio 1Xtra show on 11 February 2013. Upon the premiere, Azalea tweeted, "Thanks for supporting me and I'm happy to have a first single about my story and not something meaningless i hope it inspires and motivates". On 21 February 2013, Mercury Records announced that Azalea had signed to their label and that an extended play (EP) for "Work" would be released on 8 April 2013. Azalea posted a timed preview of "Work" on SoundCloud on 24 February 2013. On 25 February 2013, Azalea announced on Twitter that the single would receive an iTunes Store release within the first week of March 2013. "Work" was released worldwide as a digital download on 17 March 2013, through Island Records distributors Virgin EMI Records and the Universal Music Group. In April 2013, the single was A-listed by BBC Radio 1 in the United Kingdom. A digital EP featuring the song accompanied by its clean radio edit, instrumental version and remixes by disc jockeys Jacob Plant and Burns was made available worldwide on 7 April 2013, with the exclusion of Canada and the United States.

On 25 June 2013, "Work" was solicited by the Island Def Jam Music Group to rhythmic contemporary radio in the United States. A 13-track remix bundle was made available on 16 July 2013, exclusively in Canada and the United States. The bundle featured remixes from disc jockeys Gregor Salto, Reid Stefan, Tom Stephan and DJ Reflex. The single's official remix, featuring American rapper Wale, was released a week later on 23 July 2013 in Canada and the United States.

Composition

"Work" is a snap trap song which incorporates elements of EDM. Its instrumentation is mainly string-laden and drum-heavy, with the Invisible Men's production casting Azalea's vocal against a combination of 808-heavy trap music, EDM clapping and plaintive melodies. The song opens with Azalea challenging "Walk a mile in these Louboutins", upon a sweeping keyboard introduction which leads into its sad-stringed verse segment. According to Exclaim! journalist Gregory Adams, the track "starts off smooth and ballady, with Azalea running through lines about her background, but soon drops into club-minded claps and screeching synths". It features the repeated hook "I been work work work work, workin' on my shit"—described as a hook that "quickly digs deep" by Robert Copsey of Digital Spy. Azalea employs a defiant, staccato delivery in double-time, over the track's dark, balladic beat. Using a divisive Southern American English accent, Azalea's rapping pace on "Work" varies from fast intricate rhymes to slow, stretched-out singular words. MTV Buzzworthy's Rachel Brodsky denoted that the track consists of no-nonsense, expletive-riddled verses, and Mark Blankenship of the NewNowNext Awards considered "Work" to solicit occasional keyboard loops and synthesizer bleeps in a minimal beat reminiscent in songs by American rapper Lil Wayne. Idolator's Robbie Daw felt Azalea used a rattling technique over a trap beat.

The song's lyrics are autobiographical and portray Azalea's fame-seeking relocation from Australia to Miami at the age of 16. It deals with subjects of work ethic and dedication to craft. "Work" accounts for the events of Azalea growing up in Mullumbimby, juggling multiple occupations to earn and save an income to independently start anew in the United States. Jessie Schiewe from Respect. deduced that the track's lyrics teach its listener that Azalea "was swindled and taken advantage of in her first record deal", and that it conveyed insight into the events that have toughened Azalea up. "Work" was interpreted as a celebration of Azalea's far progression as a struggling rapper by Justin Monroe of Complex, and a "rags-to-riches" story by The Guardian journalist Tshepo Mokoena. Simon Vozick-Levinson of the Rolling Stone deemed the track an "underdog anthem", and Nick Aveling of Time Out felt the song depicted Azalea as a "hustler" and a "woman with immense ambition". The lyric "Who don't know shit 'bout where I was made / Or how many floors that I had to scrub," was described by Digital Spy's Emily Mackay as an attempt to open the eyes of Azalea's "haters". According to Charlotte Richardson Andrews from NME, the couplet "Two feet in the red dirt, school skirt, sugar cane, back lanes" is eloquent for Azalea's origin story depicted in the song. The lyrical content of "Work" was compared to Canadian rapper Drake's "Started from the Bottom" (2013), and the American film 8 Mile (2002). The song was described by Nina Long of Respect. as the "polar opposite" of previous material Azalea had released. The lyric "Valley girls giving blow jobs for Louboutins" was deemed "Azalea's trademark indulgent raunchiness and brazen commentary" by Veronica Little of Tufts Daily. Azalea, however, has said the lyric is not directly referenced to herself.

Critical reception

"'Work' is anthemic, pure and simple; encroaching upon the Top 40 it's clear that [Azalea] has mainstream chops. Her flow is impeccable, and instead of just opting for the done-to-death spiels of braggadocio capitalist bluster, she has woven a tale of her humble beginnings where she found herself alone in Miami aged 16 after pretending to go on holiday with a friend. It's all very 8 Mile, and her rags to-riches background only serves to enlarge her appeal – she's not some poor little rich girl from the suburbs, she's genuinely clawed her way up from near homelessness [...]."

—Larry Day, Sabotage Times

"Work" was met with universal acclaim from music critics. Bradley Stern of MuuMuse lauded it as one of the best songs released in 2013. Triple J presenter Matt Orkine listed it as the year's ninth best single, deeming it a "straight-up banger" and his "guiltiest music pleasure of 2013". Robert Copsey from Digital Spy awarded "Work" a four (out of five)-star rating, and wrote that the song had the qualities of breakthrough commercial success. Continuing his review, Copsey deemed Azalea's vocal performance on the song a "very exciting" combination of her contemporaries, and compared it to Lana Del Rey for its "swagger", Kesha for "brattiness" and Lady Gaga for its "sheer ballsiness". Emily Mackay from the same publication felt that the track conveyed a "ballsy power to [Azalea's] self-made self-belief." Kellan Miller from XXL honed "Work" as "the song that made the world fall in love with Iggy all over again". The track was lauded a "string-laden rap banger", by Dan Stubbs of NME, who considered "Work" part of a potentially female MC-dominated 2013. A writer for MuchMusic called the song "definitely impressive". Alex Scordelis from Paper complimented the number for its "insanely catchy chorus" and deemed the song the cornerstone of The New Classic. Scordelis felt "Work" marked a heightened evolution in Azalea's growth as an artist, stating, "['Work' is] a song you can easily imagine Azalea performing for years to come." Writing for the music website Idolator, Robbie Daw said that "nothing gets hotter under the collar" than the song's "Workin' on my shit" lyric. Justin Monroe of Complex called it the album's "infectious and decidedly less weird first single", and complimented its ability to provide listeners with a sense of Azalea's background. Sam Weiss of the same publication deemed the track "as wild and eccentric as anything she's done so far." "Work" garnered a positive response from Artemis Thomas-Hansard of LA Weekly, who wrote, "Her story is inspiring, but the song is no tear-jerker, full of fury and fire." MTV Buzzworthy's Rachel Brodsky described "Work" as a "club-ready, one-word anthem", and Monica Herrera of the Rolling Stone called the song "a bombshell-next-door move that demands attention."

In a review of The New Classic, Slant Magazine writer Joe Sweeney felt that "Work" was the album's standout track. He opined that the song portrayed a real sense of Azalea's potential as a storyteller. Sweeney commended Azalea's delivery on the track, writing, "You can hear every inch of how far she's come". Andy Gill from The Independent echoed Sweeney's view, and honed "Work" as the highlight on The New Classic. He mentioned that Azalea's double-time delivery is best-employed on the song. Entertainment Weekly's Kyle Anderson described the track as "swaggering" and "a thoroughbred entry in the song of summer race." Devone Jones of PopMatters stated that "Work" demonstrated Azalea's improved effort in her lyrics and instrumental choices, and recognised the song as an album highlight. Jones described Azalea's "sombre thought-processing" on the track as "well-executed", and appreciated her for "picking gritty gangsta-pop [sic] beats over EDM and dance music as well as deciding to rap about her life before her new-found fame as opposed to her fame."

Commercial performance

Azalea performing "Work" during Arena Wien's Converse Dirty event, in Vienna, Austria.

Commercially, "Work" was a sleeper hit and Azalea's breakthrough into mainstream success. In Australia, the song bowed at number 88 on the Australian Singles Chart issued for 23 April 2013. It then re-entered, more than a year later, at a new peak of number 79 on 9 June 2014. In July 2014, the song was certified Gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association, becoming one of the lowest charting singles in Australian music chart history to ever receive a sales certification. "Work" debuted at number 98 on the Irish Singles Chart for the week ending 4 April 2013. It peaked at number 42 on 2 May 2013, and accumulated a total of eight weeks on the chart. In Scotland, the track spent two non-consecutive weeks at number 18 on the Scottish Singles Charts issued for 27 April 2013, and 11 May 2013.

On the UK Singles Chart, the song entered at number 55 and peaked at number 17 in its sixth week. "Work" spent 13 weeks within the chart's top 75 and marked Azalea's second chart entry, following her feature on "Beat Down" with Steve Aoki and Angger Dimas which reached number 44 in September 2012. On the UK R&B Chart, the song debuted at number 11 on 30 March 2013. It peaked at number three in its fourth week, and accumulated 59 weeks on the chart in total. As of 1 August 2013, "Work" had sold close to 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom. On 22 August 2014, it was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry.

In the United States, "Work" initially bowed on the Bubbling Under Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart on 20 July 2013. Nielsen Soundscan reported on 29 August 2013 that the song had received a sales resurgence of 156%, following Azalea's presentation and nomination at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. On 30 August 2013, Billboard stated that "Work" was percolating below the Rhythmic chart. A week later, the song debuted at number four on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. On 14 September 2013, it entered the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at number 35, before dropping out the following week. "Work" was more successful on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart, where it peaked at number five on 5 October 2013. In May 2014, the song received a second sales resurgence following the release of The New Classic and Azalea's success with her 2014 singles, "Fancy" and "Problem". It has since reached new peaks of number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100, accumulating a total of twenty weeks on the chart, and number 14 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It had sold 478,253 units in the US, as of 20 July 2014. On 23 September 2014, it was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. In January 2015, Billboard named it one of the biggest Hot 100 hits to peak at number fifty-four. On 23 December 2014, "Work" was also certified Gold in Canada after peaking at number eighty-seven on the Canadian Hot 100.

Music video

Background and development

The music video for "Work" was filmed in Los Angeles on 25 February 2013. The video was directed by French directing team Jonas & Francois, executively produced by Caviar L.A., edited by Luke Lynch, commissioned by Natalie Arnett and featured Loic Andrieu on Steadicam. Initially, Azalea wanted to provide a literal representation of the song and planned to shoot the clip in Australia, but time constraints prevented her from travelling to the country. Accordingly, a desert location was chosen to emulate Azalea's hometown, Mullumbimby. Prior to the video's filming, Azalea felt she grasped the concept of what made a good music video and what viewers wanted to see in the clip for "Work". In turn, she combined several different ideas into the visual because she feared that a music video budget of the same calibre would not arise in future.

One of Azalea's ideas was to pay homage to the Australian film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) as its theme of discrimination was one she identified with as a rejected and struggling rapper. Two scenes in the music video drew reference from the film: the fire swing segment emulated the film's bonfire scene, and the convertible segment represented the film's bus. Washed colour elements were also implemented into the convertible scene which was inspired by the American film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998). Another idea Azalea incorporated into the clip was the large-scale neon qualities featured in Outkast's music video for "B.O.B". In an interview with Nadeska Alexis of MTV News, Azalea stated that the featured lap dancing originated from an "infamous" scene of the same action in the American film Death Proof (2007). She was inspired by Vanessa Ferlito's lap dance interpretation in the film. Speaking to Sowmya Krishnamurthy of MTV Hive, Azalea stated, "I just liked when [Ferlito] gave that lap dance, she was a lot dirtier than I was. She was out all day in her shorts and flip-flops, but she was so sexy." She noticed Ferlito's lap dance popularity through remakes of it on YouTube, which convincined her to make use of the dance for "Work". Azalea, however, stated that she performed the lap dance with discomfort because she had never practised one prior to the video's filming. Controversy arose during the music video's development when Azalea intended to wear a red, high-waisted leotard encrusted in rhinestone flames, to emulate the showgirl fashion featured in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. The leotard, however, was deemed "too-vaginary" by one of Azalea's co-workers at Mercury Records, ultimately leading to the co-worker being dismissed from the project and the leotard being scrapped altogether. Azalea's final wardrobe consisted of creations by Christian Louboutin, Jeremy Scott and the 2013 Spring/Summer Collection by Dolce & Gabanna. Her stylist, Alejandra Hernandez incorporated several pairs of Louboutins into the music video because of their significance to Azalea when she was a struggling rapper who achieved her first sense of accomplishment after buying her first pair.

On 4 March 2013, Azalea posted a set of images from the clip on Instagram. The music video was initially scheduled for release on 11 March 2013, though it premiered two days later on Vevo on 13 March 2013. A behind-the-scenes segment was released on 3 April 2013.

Synopsis

Azalea in a scene from the clip which pays homage to The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

The music video's storyline depicts Azalea's biographical journey from life on the streets to Hollywood. According to Natasha Stagg of American magazine V, the plot involves Azalea rising from "trailer park standby to high-class Hollywood-ite in a matter of minutes". Julie Mitchell of Portable TV felt the music video showcased Azalea's origin story, struggle and determination. Mitchell denoted the video's showcase as a substantiation behind the actions involved, and mentioned, "[Azalea's story] colors all the other actions in the video, so that later when we see her giving a lap dance to some man in a bar it seems to be a small glimpse into some of the hardship she faced in the beginning of her career."

The music video opens with Azalea confidently walking on a deserted highway situated in a desert environment. Azalea's costume includes dark red lipstick, red-soled vertiginous Louboutins, a powder blue Givenchy bag, a tropical print brassiere and shorts. The scene is intercepted with visuals of burning shoes and wheels. Azalea then walks through a trailer park community where several locals stare at her as she passes by. Upon the beginning of the song's chorus, the video transcends into a playground scene where Azalea dances in an evening setting, with a fire-lit swing as her backdrop. In this segment, she wears a grey crop top and red slim-fit pants, with her hair styled in a bun. The next scene involves Azalea performing in a dance-off with her two female friends in front of a Freightliner Truck. In the segment, the three engage in twerking and hair flicking actions.

The visual then returns to the trailer park setting, where Azalea rides a lowrider bicycle through the area. She wears a yellow cap, black brassiere, spiked yellow Louboutins and ethnic slim-fit pants. The video then enters a new scene where Azalea arrives at a dive bar and switches a jukebox on. At the bar, Azalea's two friends from the Freightliner Truck scene are seated at a table, and a long-haired man wearing dark sunglasses awaits her on a chair in the centre of building. Azalea, dressed in a palm tree bikini and yellow neon shorts, performs a lap dance for the man as she wears. She then steals his car keys and runs off with her friends, who drive the man's convertible out into the desert. Azalea is seen standing in the car, waving a thin piece of material in the wind. They drive through a day and night period before arriving in Hollywood in the morning. Azalea's friends then drop her off at a sidewalk, where the video ends with her walking in the city. She wears dark sunglasses, striped black-and-white shorts and a custom-made leopard-print jacket in the final scene.

Reception

Upon release, the music video for "Work" was tagged with the warning "not suitable for work". It drew in more than 19 million YouTube views over a time space of five months, and received positive reviews from music critics. The music video for "Work" earned Azalea a nomination in the Artist to Watch category at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, but lost to Austin Mahone's "What About Love". The visual also received three nominations at the 2013 UK Music Video Awards, in the categories for Best Styling in a Video, VEVO Best New Artist and Best Urban Video.

A lot of people were like 'were you a stripper or something?' and no, it's just saying it's somebody that comes from nothing, and they do a lot of bullshit things and they get where they want to go, which in my case was Hollywood and I have the walk of fame and the stars, just trying to be metaphoric of that, not saying I'm a star now, that's why I didn't want a big lavish thing, but just saying I got to the walk of fame, I'm not on the walk of fame, I'm at the destination, the starting point, to start the race, that's what I was trying to say."

—Azalea on the music video's reception.

The clip received positive reviews from music critics. Radio station WZMX opined that the video would turn the heads of its audience. Shardae Jobson of The Source deemed Azalea's fashion "stylish" and "rustic". A writer for MuchMusic described the clip as "a total and complete visual trip jam-packed with Iggy's rad dance moves." Natasha Stagg of V deemed the video a "desert dream" and appreciated Azalea's "killer outfit options". A journalist from Fact Magazine called the visual "flashy" and "trailer park elegance", and compared it to British-Sri Lankan rapper M.I.A.'s music video for "Bad Girls" (2012). Writing for Australian magazine Oyster, Julian Rifkin deemed the video "a high class production" and felt it emulated the song's lyric "Valley girls giving blow jobs for Louboutins". He compared the clip's dancing to that of American recording artist Beyoncé and Canadian recording artist Grimes' music video for "Genesis" (2012). Thematically, Rifkin considered the production's Mid West inspiration to recall Lana Del Rey's visual for "Born to Die" (2011). Topman's Rachel Krishna echoed Rifkin's comparison with Beyoncé, commenting, "['Work'] has some of the most impressive high heeled twerking butt popping antics since Beyoncé coined the booty shake." Krishna complimented the video's dancing sequences, and opined that it "wouldn't look out of place in the crowd of Kanye gig". British webzine Contactmusic.com felt the production told an inspiring story of Azalea working her way up from the bottom. Eric Diep of XXL stated that the clip was worth the wait, and described Azalea's "sexy poses and lap dances" as "just the tip of the iceberg". Diep praised Azalea's story interpretation, and mentioned, "Pledge allegiance to the struggle, this girl knows how to work it."

Jessie Schiewe of Respect. complimented the visual's lap dance scene, and commended the video for revolving around Azalea and paying homage to the song's lyrical story. Portable TV's Julie Mitchell listed the video as an example of when "power in self-assertion is simply an air of confidence that doesn't necessarily translate into a sexual arena." She felt Azalea captivated her own merits, and commended the way she comported herself and her general attitude. Mitchell compared the music video to American rapper Azealia Banks' "212" (2011), and deemed it "a triumph of will and actions within interpreted as such". NewNextNow's Mark Blankenship, however, criticised Azalea for spending "half the video doing a lap dance for some anonymous dude", and dismissed Azalea as "a generic sex object". Blankenship disliked Azalea's "stripper" imagery in the video, and felt that it was attention-seeking, and a tactic repeated in past music videos by female rappers. As of 24 September 2014, the video had accumulated over 100 million views making it VEVO Certified.

Live performances

Azalea performing at the Irving Plaza in New York City on The New Classic Tour (2014).

Azalea first performed "Work" during the Manchester-stop of Rita Ora's Radioactive Tour on 29 January 2013. She reprised the song until the tour's final date in mid-February, before performing it again during the European leg of the Life Is Good Tour with American rapper Nas. Azalea went on to perform "Work" live at The Great Escape Festival on 21 May 2013, Radio 1's Big Weekend on 26 May 2013 and at Gucci's Chime for Change Concert on 1 June 2013. She garnered media attention at the Chime for Change Concert after having a wardrobe malfunction during her performance. In an interview with Rob Gillet of ITN, Azalea stated, "I tried to wear actual clothing for once, it serves me right. It looked like it fit but it didn't feel like it. I felt like I was going to die!" The song was then performed at the Bowery Ballroom on 16 June 2013, and at the Wireless Festival, and London nightclubs G-A-Y and Fabric in July 2013. As part of the single's promotion in the United States, Azalea performed "Work" on Nikki & Sara Live on 28 August 2013, and for KIIS FM on 14 September 2013. The song was also included in Azalea's set list at the 2013 iTunes Festival, where she was a supporting act for American recording artist Katy Perry. In October 2013, Azalea performed the track as part of her set list on the Australian leg of Beyoncé's The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour.

In 2014, "Work" featured as the encore song in the set list for Azalea's first headlining tour, The New Classic Tour. The tour's renditions of the track featured an interpolation of American recording artist RuPaul's "Supermodel (You Better Work)" (1992). On 15 May 2014, Azalea reprised the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live! wearing a white jumpsuit airbrushed with an image of Al Pacino from the American film Scarface (1983). The rendition was praised by reviewers from Exclaim!, Vibe and Idolator. At Power 106's PowerHouse Festival, Azalea performed the song live on 17 May 2014. On 8 August 2014, Azalea performed "Work" on The Today Show as part of the Toyota concert series in Rockefeller Center, New York City

VEVO Lift UK stripped performance

I've never performed it in a way like that. I thought it was beautiful, I really liked it. I felt when I heard it live, with the string section, it made me feel like, 'Yes, I captured the feelings of happiness and sadness together perfectly, because I'm very happy out this, but it also makes me feel like I want to cry and I don't know why'. That's what I like about strings that can emote something."|-

—Azalea on her view of the performance.

On 15 April 2013, Azalea performed a stripped rendition of "Work" for VEVO Lift UK in one take at a secluded theatre in London. The rendition was backed by a small orchestra and featured a minimal instrumentation combination of strings, a drum kit and a keyboard. During the performance, Azalea teamed a gown outfit, a ponytail and orange high heels. The performance was lauded by music critics and garnered over two million YouTube views. A writer for Flavour Magazine opined that the version depicted a side to Azalea that her audience had previously never seen. Music website SoulCulture called the rendition "elegant" and "impressive". Christopher Lowery of Vibe felt that with performance, Azalea brought new meaning to the word 'work', and commended her "glamorous" appearance during the visual. A writer for Rap-Up echoed Lowery's view, also deeming her outfit "glamorous", and complimenting Azalea's "empowering" delivery. MOBO Awards journalist David Asante wrote that the stripped rendition was equally as "fiery" as the original version. The performance later featured on a CD single release for Azalea's third single, "Change Your Life" on 14 October 2013.

Remixes and cover versions

A remix by disc jockey Jacob Plant was released on 13 March 2013. In a review of the track, a journalist for Billboard stated, "By recruiting Jacob Plant to add a hard-hitting, dubstep-meets-trap backbone to the track, Azalea chose wisely: her rhymes have even more weight when paired with the heavy beat and screeching synths." The journalist described the remix as "an eminently danceable tune that will have ladies flocking to the dance floor to imitate Azealia's famed ponytail flip." Peter Guy from the Liverpool Echo preferred Plant's remix to the original version. Remixes by disc jockeys Burns, Gregor Salto, Reid Stefan, Tom Stephan and DJ Reflex were solicited on various dates for the release of "Work". American rapper Wale performed a 16 bar verse for the official remix of "Work", which was premiered by Samsung on 28 June 2013. Emmanuel C.M. of XXL felt the remix lifted "Work" into a new level, and called Wale's feature "a dope assist that should become a fan favorite". C.M. called the version "a certified banger that just makes you to get up and dance." MOBO Awards journalist Adenike Gboyega wrote, "The beat and chorus remain the same, the only difference being the smooth verse from Wale over the tracks big production."

Triple J presenter Matt Orkine incorporated "Work" in the pre-show music for his tour across Australia and the United Kingdom in 2013. American recording artist Selena Gomez covered "Work" during her Stars Dance Tour in 2013, in a mash-up with her song "B.E.A.T.". A writer for MuchMusic deemed it "a badass rendition", and a journalist from the Washington Examiner felt the version showed Gomez' audience "a whole new side of herself". Chris Kim of MTV News opined that Gomez' cover showed off her versatility and musical tastes.

Credits and personnel

The credits for "Work" are adapted from the liner notes of The New Classic.

Locations

• Recorded at: Rockfield Studios and Monnow Valley Studios, Wales
• Mixed at: The Mix Spot, Los Angeles

Personnel

• Songwriting – Iggy Azalea, The Invisible Men, Trocon Markous Roberts, Natalie Sims
• Production – The Invisible Men, 1st Down of FKi
• Vocals – Iggy Azalea
• Drums – 1st Down, George Astasio, Jon Shave

• Programming – 1st Down, George Astasio, Jon Shave
• Keyboards – 1st Down, Jason Pebworth, George Astasio, Jon Shave
• Mixing – Anthony Kilhoffer
• Mixing assistance – Kyle Ross

Formats and track listings

• Digital download – remix bundle

1. "Work" (Gregor Salto Radio Edit) – 2:48
2. "Work" (Gregor Salto Remix) – 5:14
3. "Work" (Gregor Salto Instrumental) – 5:14
4. "Work" (Reid Stefan Radio) – 3:56
5. "Work" (Reid Stefan Radio)^[a] – 3:53
6. "Work" (Reid Stefan Trap Remix) – 4:50
7. "Work" (Reid Stefan Radio Instrumental) – 3:53
8. "Work" (Reid Stefan Trap Instrumental) – 4:50
9. "Work" (Tom Stephan Radio Mix) – 3:47
10. "Work" (Tom Stephan Mix) – 6:32
11. "Work" (DJ Reflex Remix)^[a] – 3:45
12. "Work" (DJ Reflex Remix) – 3:45
13. "Work" (DJ Reflex Remix Instrumental) – 3:45

• Digital download

1. "Work" – 3:43

• Digital extended play (EP)

1. "Work" – 3:43
2. "Work" (Radio Edit)^[a] – 3:42
3. "Work" (Jacob Plant Remix) – 3:16
4. "Work" (Burns Purple Rain Version) – 5:20
5. "Work" (Instrumental) – 3:40

• Digital download – remix single

1. "Work" (feat. Wale) – 4:10

• ^{^a} signifies a clean version.

Charts

Weekly charts

Charts (2013–14)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)	79
Australia Urban (ARIA)	8
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)	11
Belgium Urban (Ultratop Flanders)	26
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)	87
Ireland (IRMA)	42
Lebanon (The Official Lebanese Top 20)	10
Scotland (OCC)	18
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)	3
UK Singles (OCC)	17
US Billboard Hot 100	54
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)	14
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)	5

Year-end charts

Chart (2013)	Position
Belgium Urban (Ultratop Flanders)	89
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)	128
Chart (2014)	Position
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)	45

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)	Gold	35,000^
Canada (Music Canada)	Gold	40,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)	Silver	200,000‡
United States (RIAA)	Platinum	1,000,000‡
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format
Worldwide	17 March 2013	Digital download
Australia	7 April 2013	Digital EP
Ireland
New Zealand
United Kingdom
United States	25 June 2013	Rhythmic contemporary radio
Canada	16 July 2013	Digital remix package
United States
Canada	23 July 2013	Digital remix single
United States

External links

• Official music video on YouTube
• Template:MetroLyrics song