# Gotta Work

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"**Gotta Work**" is a song by American [R&B](/source/Contemporary_R%26B) singer-songwriter [Amerie](/source/Amerie), and is the second international [single](/source/Single_(music)) from her third studio album, *[Because I Love It](/source/Because_I_Love_It)* (2007). It [samples](/source/Sampling_(music)) [Sam & Dave](/source/Sam_%26_Dave)'s 1966 song "[Hold On, I'm Comin'](/source/Hold_On,_I'm_Comin'_(song))", written by [Isaac Hayes](/source/Isaac_Hayes) and [David Porter](/source/David_Porter_(musician)) and originally recorded by [Reuben Wilson](/source/Reuben_Wilson). The sample used is from a cover version by [Erma Franklin](/source/Erma_Franklin), from her album 'Soul Sister' (1969). Amerie called the sound of the song "'[go-go](/source/Go-go) [soul](/source/Soul_music)'", saying go-go "[is] like really strong black [coffee](/source/Coffee), some people can't ingest it in its purest form."[2]

This song is featured at the end of the 2009 action film *[Fighting](/source/Fighting_(2009_film))*.

The [music video](/source/Music_video) was premiered on June 30, 2007.[3] 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](/source/Beyonc%C3%A9)'s output ... '[Crazy in Love](/source/Crazy_in_Love)' meets '[One Thing](/source/1_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."[4] *[The Village Voice](/source/The_Village_Voice)* named it the sixth best single of summer 2007.[5] *[The Daily Mirror](/source/The_Daily_Mirror)* wrote, "An old superpowered [Stax](/source/Stax_Records) 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."[6]

"Gotta Work" was ranked number seventy-one on [MTV Asia](/source/MTV_Networks_Asia)'s list of Top 100 Hits of 2007.[7]

"Gotta Work was used as the closing credits for [ITV F1](/source/ITV_F1)'s 2007 [Formula One](/source/Formula_One) montage.

## Track listings and formats

**UK CD single**

1. "Gotta Work"
1. "Gotta Work" (Remix featuring [Collie Buddz](/source/Collie_Buddz))

**CD single (Premium)**

1. "Gotta Work"
1. "Gotta Work" (Remix featuring Collie Buddz)
1. "[1 Thing](/source/1_Thing)" (Remix featuring [Eve](/source/Eve_(entertainer)))
1. "Gotta Work" (Video)

**UK 12" single[8]**

1. "Gotta Work" (Album Version)
1. "Gotta Work" (Instrumental Version)

## Charts

Chart (2007) Peak position Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[9] 69 Germany (Deutsche Black Charts)[10] 6

## References

1. *[Because I Love It](/source/Because_I_Love_It)* (liner notes). Columbia Records. 2007. 88697 08522 2.

1. Chick, Stevie. ["Dancefloor dynamite"](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/may/11/urban). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. May 11, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2007.

1. ["Video: Amerie - Gotta Work"](http://concreteloop.com/2007/06/video-amerie-gotta-work) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20070825094355/http://concreteloop.com/2007/06/video-amerie-gotta-work) 2007-08-25 at the Wayback Machine. ConcreteLoop.com. June 30, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2007.

1. Devlin, Mark. ["Review - Amerie: Gotta Work"](http://www.bluesandsoulmagazine.co.uk/review/224/amerie_gotta_work/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20070928032124/http://www.bluesandsoulmagazine.co.uk/review/224/amerie_gotta_work/) 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine. *Blues and Soul Magazine*. Retrieved July 31, 2007.

1. Breihan, Tom. ["Status Ain't Hood's Quarterly Report: The Summer's Best Singles"](http://www.villagevoice.com/blogs/statusainthood/archives/2007/07/status_aint_hoo_27.php) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20070808082311/http://www.villagevoice.com/blogs/statusainthood/archives/2007/07/status_aint_hoo_27.php) 2007-08-08 at the Wayback Machine. *[The Village Voice](/source/The_Village_Voice)*. July 3, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2007.

1. ["This week's new singles"](https://archive.today/20070701212840/http://www.mirror.co.uk/showbiz/entertainment/music/2007/07/27/this-week-s-new-singles-89520-19525405/). *[Daily Mirror](/source/Daily_Mirror)*. July 27, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2007.

1. [MTV Asia](/source/MTV_Networks_Asia). ["Top 100 Hits List"](http://www.mtvasia.com/Funstuff/Contests/MTVTop100Hits2007/top100.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20071222125424/http://www.mtvasia.com/Funstuff/Contests/MTVTop100Hits2007/top100.html) 2007-12-22 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2007-12-27

1. ["AMERIE - Gotta Work"](https://archive.today/20120525130323/http://www.juno.co.uk/ppps/products/269745-01.htm&highlight=amerie). Juno Records. Retrieved July 31, 2007.

1. "European Hot 100 Singles". *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. Retrieved January 11, 2008.

1. ["Deutsche Black Charts – Die Jahrescharts 2007"](http://charts.trendcharts.de/jahrescharts2007/DBC/) (in German). Deutschen Trend Charts. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110719095745/http://charts.trendcharts.de/jahrescharts2007/DBC/) July 19, 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 29, 2021.

## External links

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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Gotta Work](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gotta_Work) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gotta_Work?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.