"Work It Out" is the debut solo

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

by American singer

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

. It was released on June 11, 2002, by

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

as the lead single from the

soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' ...

to the film '' Austin Powers in Goldmember'', in which Beyoncé stars as Foxxy Cleopatra. It was later included on international editions of Beyoncé's debut studio album, ''

Dangerously in Love ''Dangerously in Love'' is the debut solo studio album by American singer Beyoncé. It was released on June 20, 2003, by Columbia Records and Music World Entertainment. During the recording of Destiny's Child's third studio album '' Survivor'' ( ...

'' (2003). Beyoncé co-wrote the song with its producers,

Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he ...

and Chad Hugo. "Work It Out" is an R&B song which incorporates elements of 1960s and 1970s

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

and

post-disco Post-disco (also called boogie, synth-funk, or electro-funk) is a term to describe an aftermath in popular music history circa 1979–1985, imprecisely beginning with an unprecedented backlash against disco music in the United States, leading to c ...

. The song was generally well received by music critics, many of whom complimented its retro style and various influences. It has been credited as the beginning of Beyoncé's career as a successful solo artist, after finding success as the lead singer of

Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...

. "Work It Out" was nominated in the category of Best Original or Adapted Song at the 2003 Black Reel Awards. Commercially, the song failed to make an impact on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 but managed to find success on a few ''Billboard'' component charts, topping the ''

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 advertise ...

''s Hot Dance Club Play chart. "Work It Out" also reached the top ten in Norway and the UK. The song's accompanying music video was shot and directed by Matthew Rolston. The video features Beyoncé playing Foxxy Cleopatra, and draws inspiration from several 1960s and 1970s motifs. The video was nominated at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan in the category Best Video from a Film. "Work It Out" has been parodied and covered on several live television programs, including '' American Idol'' and ''

America's Best Dance Crew ''America's Best Dance Crew'', often abbreviated as ''ABDC'', was an American competitive dance reality television series that features both national and international dance crews. The show was produced by singer, record producer, and former ''Am ...

''. Since its release, the song has been regularly included on several of Beyoncé's tours and concerts.

Background and release

In the 2002 film '' Austin Powers in Goldmember'', Beyoncé portrays Foxxy Cleopatra, the female protagonist alongside the film's lead character, Austin Powers, portrayed by Canadian film actor and comedian Mike Myers. Cleopatra is a parody of the characters in

blaxploitation Blaxploitation is an ethnic subgenre of the exploitation film that emerged in the United States during the early 1970s. The term, a portmanteau of the words "black" and "exploitation", was coined in August 1972 by Junius Griffin, the president o ...

films such as '' Foxy Brown'' and '' Cleopatra Jones'', both of which are used in her name. Her clothing style is reminiscent of the

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

era and her hair is in the afro style of the time. Taking inspiration from her portrayal, Beyoncé adopted in the song a persona similar to that of Cleopatra. Cleopatra and police officer Get Christie Love! use the slang term "sugar", which Beyoncé ad-libs and incorporates into the song. Many similarities are seen as she performs under her Cleopatra persona in the music video of "Work It Out". Due to the characters' sassy nature, Beyoncé performs the song very confidently and assertively. Powers meets Cleopatra at the villain's discothèque in 1975, which attributes to Cleopatra's disco-type fashion and the heavily inspired disco-era music video for "Work It Out". "Work It Out" was written by Beyoncé,

, and Chad Hugo, and produced by the latter two. Critically, the song was credited with marking Beyoncé's transition into the music scene as a solo artist, after fulfilling a career as the lead female vocalist of

. Beyoncé premiered the song on May 23, 2002, via

AOL AOL (stylized as 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. It is a brand marketed by the current incarnation of Yahoo (2017� ...

. The song served as the first single from the soundtrack album, ''Austin Powers: Goldmember'', with

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...

' " Boys" following as the soundtrack's second single. Additionally, it serves as the album's opening track, and was released on June 11, 2002. "Work It Out" was also intended to serve as the lead single from Beyoncé's debut album, ''

''. However, it was eventually replaced by " Crazy in Love", while it was used as a bonus song on the album's international versions.

Composition

According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Hal Leonard Corporation, "Work It Out" is a moderately paced R&B, soul, and

song. Written in the

key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

of G major, it has a moderately slow tempo of 84 beats per minute and incorporates elements of

. The song has been viewed as reminiscent of 1960s and 1970s funk and soul music, with Craig Seymour of '' Entertainment Weekly'' describing the tune as a " retro-thumper". Rob Fitzpatrick of '' NME'' commented that the song features "super-heavy funk", and is "an absolutely faultless attempt to re-create on classics by

The J.B.'s The J.B.'s (sometimes punctuated The JB's or The J.B.s) was the name of James Brown's band from 1970 through the early 1980s. On records the band was sometimes billed under alternate names such as Fred Wesley and the JBs, The James Brown Soul T ...

and

Lynn Anderson Lynn Renée Anderson (September 26, 1947 – July 30, 2015) was an American country singer and television personality. Her crossover signature recording, "Rose Garden," was a number one hit in the United States and internationally. She charte ...

",Fitzpatrick, Rob. (July 2, 2003
Review: ''Dangerously in Love''
'' NME''. Retrieved on February 20, 2011. while Nick Duerden of ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'' magazine described the song as a "stunning ' 90s soul vamp." Duerden and John Mulvey of ''New Musical Express'' recognized that The Neptunes paid tribute to

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...

within the song. While making a reference to the fact that the song contains various elements of 1960s and 1970s musical styles, Sal Cinquemani of

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...

stated that "Work It Out" positioned Beyoncé as "an

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

generation Tina Turner". ''

'' echoed Cinquemani's sentiments by describing Beyoncé as "gritty and sultry", referencing Tina Turner. Beyoncé has additionally been described as "a ' Rock Steady'-era

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

" because of the way she "ambitiously grunts, wails, and moans" on "Work It Out".

Critical reception

"Work It Out" garnered generally positive reviews from critics, most of whom complemented the 1960s and 1970s

tone featured on the song. While reviewing the '' Austin Powers in Goldmember''s

, Josh Tyrangiel, writing for ''Entertainment Weekly'', gave the song a negative review stating that it was "all shimmy and innuendo". However, while reviewing the single, Craig Seymour of the same publication awarded the song a grade of an A−, calling the track a "funky debut solo tune" and further stating that the song also proves that Beyoncé, best known "for riding poppy staccato beats, can get deep into a groove". Mark Anthony Neal of '' PopMatters'' recognized the success of

and credited it to Beyoncé, stating, " eyoncé first stepped out on the solo trip in support of her role as Foxxy Cleopatra in ''Austin Powers: Gold Member.''" "Work It Out" indicated to Neal that Beyoncé was "ready to shed the 'but I'm still not yet a woman' vibe that's earned Destiny's Child multi-platinum status." The song was considered a "good moment" on the film's soundtrack album by AllMusics writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine. Erlewine called it "excellent" and favored it over the tracks of ''

Survivor Survivor(s) may refer to: Actual survivors * *Last survivors of historical events Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Survivors, characters in the 1997 ''KKnD'' video-game series * ''The Survivors'', or the ''New Survivors Found ...

'' (2001), Destiny's Child's previous album. Although considered a great transition for Beyoncé, ''Vibe'' disagreed, stating that the song debuted a tepid beginning for Beyoncé, who had high anticipations for a solo-career. Contactmusic.com named the contributions by Beyoncé on the movie's soundtrack as a highlight of the album. Rob Boss of Walmart called Beyoncé "alluring" while reviewing her performance on the soundtrack and comparing it to her performance in the movie itself. Dismissing Beyoncé's acting by stating "she should stick to singing and leave the acting to the actors," Boss called her performance on the song intense and stated that the opening track "Work It Out" was a reason enough to include Beyoncé in the film. Rob Fitzpatrick of ''New Musical Express'' gave the song a mixed to positive review, writing that it sounds not only like a perfect imitation or replication of classic funk, but also like a derivation of various other sources and motifs. John Mulvey, writing for the same magazine, considered "Work It Out" to be the best tune Beyoncé had recorded since " Say My Name" (2000), and he further commented, "it's Beyoncé yowling, testifying and wigging out in only slightly-studied retro fashion that's most striking."John Mulvey. (July 12, 2002
Beyoncé : Work It Out
'' NME'' Retrieved on February 20, 2011. ''Spin'' magazine included the song on two separate lists of admiration. The first was a playlist of songs that "you need to know", and "Work It Out" was placed at number five for songs to download. The other list included the song on a list of "must-have Beyoncé songs". In addition to being included on lists, '' Vibe'' magazine included the song on a "Vibraters" list which named a number of songs that were on ''Vibe''-staff's current playlists and stated the song was "her true destiny". Yancey Strickler of '' Flak Magazine'' wrote that in "Work It Out", Beyoncé sounds like Pam Grier "taking five from the revolution to let her afro down. Loose and funky (apologies for the overused terminology there, but 'Work It Out' practically defines it), the tune was Beyoncé declaring, 'I am woman, hear you drool.' Self-assured and immune to any of that tired old guff, she's out-of- Huey-Newton's-league untouchable." Following the song's 2002 release, it was included during many post-2003 award ceremonies. During the 2003 Black Reel Awards, the song was nominated in the category Best Original or Adapted Song. However, the song lost to Erykah Badu and

Common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally com ...

's "Love of My Life (Ode to Hip-Hop)" from the film '' Brown Sugar''.

Commercial performance

"Work It Out" failed to make the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Although it did not appear on the main US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, it peaked at number four on the US Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart. "Work It Out" peaked atop the US

Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...

, and enjoyed moderate commercial success throughout Europe. It debuted and peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart on July 27, 2002, charting for a total of 11 weeks. The song managed to peak within the top 20 of several European charts, peaking at number three in Norway, number 12 in Ireland and number 14 in Denmark. In Oceania, the single peaked at number 36 in New Zealand on September 8, 2002, while reaching number 23 for two consecutive weeks in late September 2002 in Australia.

Music video

The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Matthew Rolston. Shot in New York City in early June 2002, behind-the-scenes footage of the shooting of the music video was released on June 7, and the main video officially posted on

on June 17. In the video, Jeremiah Alexis takes on the role of the

bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a Bass (instrument), bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboar ...

in the background and Beyoncé singing up-front, with the overall feel inspired by 1970s glamor and the introduction of pop and funk. On the concept of the video, Beyoncé said, "I wanted it to look different from what we've done. I wanted it to be raw. The look of it is like an old 1970's show." Rolston stated that the video was inspired by shows like '' Sonny & Cher'' and '' The Midnight Special with James Brown'', which took place around the beginning of the disco era and the end of the hippy era. The video begins with Beyoncé (as Cleopatra) sitting with Powers in a movie theater, a credit to the ending of ''Austin Powers in Goldmember''. As the "movie" starts, Beyoncé is seen on stage performing with a band playing instruments to the song. After performing a simple choreography, Beyoncé begins her verse by singing into a microphone that has her name written on it with sparkles, with the scenery of the shot being a stage with a colorful background, and scenes from ''Goldmember'' pieced throughout the video. Beyoncé performs in a cube with disco-scenery shown on the walls, ceiling, and projected onto Beyoncé, who plays with hula hoops while wearing "Virgo" bedazzled jeans throughout the video. As the video ends, Beyoncé is seen back on the beginning stage performing a dance-routine with three backup dancers; the video ending with the movie theater cheering for the video, while Cleopatra and Powers smile at each other. Cynthia Fuchs of ''PopMatters'' reviewed the music video, stating: "The video offers up a standard-seeming series of body parts—eye, navel, huge hair—but at the same time emphasizes Beyoncé's frankly awesome power, recalling Aretha and especially Tina Turner as she snuggles up to the mic stand, her ferocious thighs revealed beneath a sequined miniskirt. In her first solo effort, Beyoncé declares herself a singular personality, a body, and a performer. Not to mention a sensation with a hula-hoop." Fuchs added to her comment about Beyoncé's hoola-hooping skills, referring to them as "sensational" and stated that it gave the video "a giddy, gorgeous turn". Tamar Anitai of

MTV News MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...

negatively reviewed Beyoncé's choice in hair-style as "two-tone, too-tight curls". In 2003, the music video was nominated at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan in the category Best Video from a Film. It eventually lost to

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...

's " Lose Yourself" from the film '' 8 Mile''.

Live performances

Beyoncé performed the song on multiple occasions, including the song as part of her set list on the

Dangerously in Love Tour The Dangerously in Love Tour was the debut concert tour by American recording artist Beyoncé. Although the tour was intended to showcase songs from her debut solo album, '' Dangerously in Love'', (2003) the set list also contained a special se ...

, where the performance of the song was recorded and distributed at the Wembley Arena in London for her '' Live at Wembley'' live and video album. The song was also performed live at the Wynn Theatre in Las Vegas on August 2, 2009, at the I Am... Yours concert, the performance was later recorded as well as distributed in a DVD/CD package entitled '' I Am... Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas'' on November 23, 2009. During the I Am... Tour, the song was performed in a medley with " Crazy in Love", " I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)", " Let Me Clear My Throat", and "

Pass the Peas "Pass the Peas" is a 1972 funk instrumental by The J.B.'s. Released as a single on People Records, it charted #29 R&B and #95 Pop. It was included on the 1972 album ''Food for Thought''. Personnel Credits per liner notes by Alan Leeds. *Jeron ...

". Beyoncé additionally performed the song on many televised appearances. The first televised performance of the song was on

New Year's Eve In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...

at Nikki Beach,

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. Other televised performances included ''

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'', 2003's Party in the Park, and '' Top of the Pops''. Reviewing concert performances of the song, Mimi Valdés of '' Vibe'' called Beyoncé possessed, stating: "Tossing her head around, jerking her body, twirling the microphone stand, she's a new-millennium version of Tina Turner. As human and humble as she is off stage, watching her perform is a quick reminder of why she's a star. She's magnetic."

Cover versions

The Los Angeles-based band Vitamin String Quartet, paid tribute to Beyoncé by doing their own version of "Work It Out" and adding it to their 2003 album, ''The String Quartet Tribute to Beyoncé''. According to Tim Sendra of AllMusic, their version has more than four instruments on it as do most of the tracks, making it "more of a symphonic tribute to Beyoncé". The song has been performed by many reality television shows, which later led to the group or person winning that current challenge. On the fifth season of ''American Idol'', contestant Paris Ana'is Bennett performed the song on March 28, 2006, in which the theme was to perform songs from the past six years. The song later allowed Bennett to pass through to the next round, with judge

Randy Jackson Randall Darius Jackson (born June 23, 1956) is an American record executive and television presenter, perhaps best known as a judge on ''American Idol'' from 2002 to 2013. Jackson began his career in the 1980s as a session musician playing bas ...

stating it was the best of the night,

Paula Abdul Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18 and later became the head choreograph ...

calling the performance "awesome", and Cowell naming the performance "overly precocious". During the second week of the fourth season of ''America's Best Dance Crew'', the Massive Monkees were asked to perform the song with the challenge to "dance with hula hoops without accidentally dropping them". The performance later allowed the group to move on to the next round, with judges Lil Mama stating that the group performed with a lot of "charisma"; however, JC Chasez negatively reviewed the performance as "elementary". While searching for an all-female band to accompany her on '' The Beyoncé Experience'', Beyoncé had the candidates perform the single "Work It Out" as a test. An author called Skyy additionally referenced the song in a book of collected short-stories titled "''Choices''".

Track listings

*Japanese CD single #"Work It Out" (Album Version) – 4:07 #"Work It Out" ( Maurice's Nu Soul Mix) – 7:11 *UK CD single #"Work It Out" (Radio Edit) – 3:43 #"Work It Out" (Victor Calderone's Blow Your Horn Dub) – 9:57 #"Work It Out" (Azza's Nu Soul Mix) *US CD single EP #"Work It Out" (Call Out Hook) #"Work It Out" (Radio Edit) – 3:22 #"Work It Out" (Album Version) – 4:07 #"Work It Out" (Instrumental) #"Work It Out" (A Capella) *UK 12" maxi single #"Work It Out" (Album Version) – 4:07 #"Work It Out" (Radio Edit) – 3:22 #"Work It Out" (Instrumental) – 4:07 *UK 12" single #"Work It Out" (Maurice's Nu Soul Mix) – 7:11 #"Work It Out" (RC Groove Nu Electric Mix) – 5;23 #"Work It Out" (Azza's Nu Soul Mix) – 4:50 *US 12" single #"Work It Out" (Maurice's Nu Soul Mix) – 7:11 #"Work It Out" (Charlie's Nu NRG Mix) – 7:43 #"Work It Out" (Victor Calderone's Blow Your Horn Dub) – 9:57 #"Work It Out" (Bonus Beats) – 6:06 *Australia and New Zealand CD single #"Work It Out" (Radio Edit) – 3:22 #"Work It Out" (Maurice's Nu Soul Mix) – 7:11 #"Work It Out" (Charlie's Nu NRG Mix) – 7:43 #"Work It Out" (H&D Nu Rock Mix) *UK 12" maxi single #"Work It Out" (Album Version) – 4:07 #"Work It Out" (Azza's Nu Soul Mix) – 4:50 #"Work It Out" (Maurice's Nu Soul Mix) – 7:11 *US 12" single EP #"Work It Out" (Album Version) – 4:07 #"Work It Out" (Rockwilder Remix) – 4:39 #"Work It Out" (Rockwilder Remix Instrumental) – 4:00 #"Work It Out" (The D. Elliot Remix) #"Work It Out" (The D. Elliot Remix Instrumental) #"Work It Out" (T. Gray Remix) *Europe and German CD single #"Work It Out" (New Radio Edit) – 3:43 #"Work It Out" (Blow Your Horn Dub) – 9:57 #"Work It Out" (Azza's Nu Soul Mix) – 4:50 #"Work It Out" (Maurice's Nu Soul Mix) – 7:11 *UK cassette single #"Work It Out" (Album Version) - 4:07 #"Work It Out" (RC Groove Nu Electric Mix) - 5:23

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the CD single. * Beyoncé Knowles – additional vocal production, songwriting, vocals * Cédric Courtois – engineering * Brian Garten – engineering * Serban Ghenea – mixing * Chad Hugo – production * Ramon Morales – engineering * Pat Viala – mixing *

– production, songwriting

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Work It Out (Beyoncé Song) 2002 songs 2002 debut singles Beyoncé songs Columbia Records singles Funk songs Music videos directed by Matthew Rolston Song recordings produced by the Neptunes Songs written by Beyoncé Songs written by Chad Hugo Songs written by Pharrell Williams Songs written for films