{{Infobox song | name = Gotta Work | cover = GW UK cover.jpg | type = single | artist = Amerie | album = Because I Love It | released = April 14, 2007 | recorded = 2006 | studio = Wonderland Studios (New Jersey)<ref>{{cite AV media notes|type=liner notes |title=Because I Love It |others=Amerie |publisher=Columbia Records |year=2007 |id=88697 08522 2}}</ref> | genre = {{hlist|R&B|funk}} | length = 3:10 | label = Columbia | writer = Amerie Mi Marie, Rich Shelton, Loren Hill, Kevin Veney, Isaac Hayes, David Porter | producer = One Up | prev_title = Take Control | prev_year = 2006 | next_title = Fly Like Me | next_year = 2007 }}

"'''Gotta Work'''" is a song by American R&B singer-songwriter Amerie, and is the second international single from her third studio album, ''Because I Love It'' (2007). It samples Sam & Dave's 1966 song "Hold On, I'm Comin'", written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter and originally recorded by Reuben Wilson. The sample used is from a cover version by Erma Franklin, from her album 'Soul Sister' (1969). Amerie called the sound of the song "'go-go soul'", saying go-go "[is] like really strong black coffee, some people can't ingest it in its purest form."<ref>Chick, Stevie. [https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/may/11/urban "Dancefloor dynamite"]. ''The Guardian''. May 11, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2007.</ref>

This song is featured at the end of the 2009 action film ''Fighting''.

The music video was premiered on June 30, 2007.<ref>[http://concreteloop.com/2007/06/video-amerie-gotta-work "Video: Amerie - Gotta Work"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070825094355/http://concreteloop.com/2007/06/video-amerie-gotta-work |date=2007-08-25 }}. ConcreteLoop.com. June 30, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2007.</ref> The video was directed by Scott Franklin.

==Critical reception== ''Blues and Soul Magazine'' said the song "sounds like it's come from the same factory of hits as most of B's output ... 'Crazy in Love' meets 'One Thing'{{sic}}", but that it "treads that rare fine ground between club-friendly sing-a-long anthem and credible soulful territory; its bold and brassy orchestral instrumentation and clattering percussion pushing it along nicely. The first single from the new album, ''Because I Love It,'' and we're loving it."<ref>Devlin, Mark. [http://www.bluesandsoulmagazine.co.uk/review/224/amerie_gotta_work/ "Review - Amerie: Gotta Work"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928032124/http://www.bluesandsoulmagazine.co.uk/review/224/amerie_gotta_work/ |date=2007-09-28 }}. ''Blues and Soul Magazine''. Retrieved July 31, 2007.</ref> ''The Village Voice'' named it the sixth best single of summer 2007.<ref>Breihan, Tom. [http://www.villagevoice.com/blogs/statusainthood/archives/2007/07/status_aint_hoo_27.php "Status Ain't Hood's Quarterly Report: The Summer's Best Singles"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808082311/http://www.villagevoice.com/blogs/statusainthood/archives/2007/07/status_aint_hoo_27.php |date=2007-08-08 }}. ''The Village Voice''. July 3, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2007.</ref> ''The Daily Mirror'' wrote, "An old superpowered Stax riff will never let you down and there's a particularly supercharged one at the centre of ["Gotta Work"] ... Amerie sweats and grinds in the funk engine room, whipping up a lather and doing the song she has sampled a service. Get your back into it, just like she does, and the benefits can be instantly felt."<ref>[https://archive.today/20070701212840/http://www.mirror.co.uk/showbiz/entertainment/music/2007/07/27/this-week-s-new-singles-89520-19525405/ "This week's new singles"]. ''Daily Mirror''. July 27, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2007.</ref>

"Gotta Work" was ranked number seventy-one on MTV Asia's list of Top 100 Hits of 2007.<ref>MTV Asia. [http://www.mtvasia.com/Funstuff/Contests/MTVTop100Hits2007/top100.html "Top 100 Hits List"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071222125424/http://www.mtvasia.com/Funstuff/Contests/MTVTop100Hits2007/top100.html |date=2007-12-22 }}. Retrieved 2007-12-27</ref>

"Gotta Work was used as the closing credits for ITV F1's 2007 Formula One montage.

==Track listings and formats== ;UK CD single #"Gotta Work" #"Gotta Work" (Remix featuring Collie Buddz) ;CD single (Premium) #"Gotta Work" #"Gotta Work" (Remix featuring Collie Buddz) #"1 Thing" (Remix featuring Eve) #"Gotta Work" (Video) ;UK 12" single<ref>[https://archive.today/20120525130323/http://www.juno.co.uk/ppps/products/269745-01.htm&highlight=amerie "AMERIE - Gotta Work"]. Juno Records. Retrieved July 31, 2007.</ref> #"Gotta Work" (Album Version) #"Gotta Work" (Instrumental Version)

==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col"| Chart (2007) ! scope="col"| Peak<br>position |- ! scope="row"| Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)<ref>{{cite web |url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=amerie|chart=European Hot 100}} |title=European Hot 100 Singles |work=Billboard |access-date=January 11, 2008}}</ref> | 69 |- ! scope="row"| Germany (Deutsche Black Charts)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://charts.trendcharts.de/jahrescharts2007/DBC/ |title=Deutsche Black Charts – Die Jahrescharts 2007 |language=de |publisher=Deutschen Trend Charts |access-date=January 29, 2021 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719095745/http://charts.trendcharts.de/jahrescharts2007/DBC/ |archive-date=July 19, 2011}}</ref> | 6 |- {{single chart|Ireland3|30|artist=Amerie|rowheader=true|access-date=January 29, 2021}} |- {{single chart|Scotland|19|date=20070805|rowheader=true|access-date=January 29, 2021}} |- {{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|21|artist=Amerie|artistid=12533|rowheader=true|access-date=January 29, 2021}} |- {{single chart|UKrandb|6|date=20070805|rowheader=true|access-date=January 29, 2021}} |}

==References== {{reflist|2}}

==External links== *[http://www.stylusmagazine.com/jukebox/?p=374 The Singles Jukebox] - Stylus Magazine *[http://www.exclaim.ca/articles/generalarticlesynopsfullart.aspx?csid1=111&csid2=804&fid1=26411 Exclaim.ca]

{{Amerie}}

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Category:2007 singles Category:Amerie songs Category:Songs written by David Porter (musician) Category:Songs written by Isaac Hayes Category:Songs written by Amerie Category:2007 songs Category:Songs written by Kevin Veney Category:Columbia Records singles