Background and release[edit]

Previously, in 2012, Spears and will.i.am collaborated on the song "Scream & Shout"; will.i.am was
later announced in March 2013 as the executive producer for Spears' eighth studio album.[2] In
preparation for the single and album, Spears began working with a vocal coach and choreography
collaboratively.[3] "Work B**ch" was confirmed by Spears on September 7, 2013, during the video's
filming.[4][5][6] On August 20, 2013, Spears' official website launched a countdown titled "All Eyes on
Me" counting down to September 17, 2013 which lead fans to speculate that this was in fact the
single title. In response, Spears told fans that new music was coming "much sooner than you
think".[7][8][9]
On September 10, 2013; Spears confirmed "Work Bitch"'s worldwide radio premiere for September
16, 2013, at 6 pm ET on her official Twitter account, following up with a second tweet, "Work Bitch
will be available on @iTunesMusic that night at 12:01am ET, Sept 17th... are u ready?!
#YouBettaWorkB #1Week".[10] On September 11, Spears revealed the writers of the song. On
September 12, Spears revealed the official single cover. The artwork features Spears posing in front
of a vanity mirror, wearing a bedazzled leotard complete with feathered shoulders. A small sign can
be seen behind her reading "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas", referencing her Las
Vegas residency. The song leaked in full on September 15, 2013, one day before it was due for
release on iHeartRadio[11][12] and was therefore premiered a day earlier than scheduled. A clean
version of the song, titled "Work Work" has also been released.[13] A CD single of the song was
released in Germany on October 18, 2013.[14]

Composition[edit]
"Work B**ch"

MENU
0:00

A 24-second sample of the

song, where Spears sings
over an EDM-influenced
strong club
beat.[12][15] Critics noted that
it "features mostly spoken
lyrics, [and] serves as a

testament to the fine things

a strong work ethic can
bring about."[16]

Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Work Bitch" is an electronic dance music (EDM) song[17] written in common time in the key of E
minor, at a tempo of 128 beats per minute, wherein Spears repeatedly exhorts "bitches" to "get
to work."[15] It starts with a basic club beat, with a montonely taunting chorus, "You want a hot body? /
You want a Bugatti? / You want aMaserati? / You better work bitch!"[12][15] Spears continues to
lambast the listener of their supposedly insufficient lifestyle in comparison to the benefits that is
supposedly the result of her career, "You want a Lamborghini? / Sipmartinis? / Look hot in a bikini? /
You better work bitch!" And even flagrantly taunts American society over the fact that almost half of
American citizens do not have passports and with rampant foreclosures in the recession with the
following infamous line; "You wanna live fancy? / Live in a big mansion? / Party in France?" [15] The
song was written by Spears with will.i.am and Anthony Preston, and features a beat from DJ Otto
Knows.[15] Knows is managed by Swedish House Mafia member Sebastian Ingrosso, who also
received a songwriting credit; however, Ingrosso revealed he did not write the song.[18] According to
Miriam Coleman of Rolling Stone, it "features mostly spoken lyrics, [and] serves as a testament to
the fine things a strong work ethic can bring about."[16] Idolator contributor Christina Lee thought that
the song "sounds like the lights-out after-party" to RuPaul's 1993 debut single "Supermodel (You
Better Work)".[19] will.i.am commented that the song "is a reflection of Britney moreso than [Britney
Jean]. The album is what the album is, but we felt that song needed to come out to keep the
foundation on what Britney represents. But it shouldn't reflect the album -- an album is a body of
work as a collective. If we had to pick a song like, 'Oh, what song fits every color of the record,' you
shouldn't do that We felt that song represents 'Piece of Me,' that Britney oomph."[20]

Critical response[edit]
Upon its release, "Work Bitch" received mostly positive reviews from music critics. A writer
for Billboard described the track as a "full-on club banger with Spears giving fans the secret to her
success".[12] Writing for MuuMuse, Bradley Stern complimented the song as a "thrilling, thunderously
bold slice of forward-thinking dance-pop".[21] A reviewer for PopJustice called the track "amazing",
and suggested that the lyrical content "has the right attitude for a Blackout 2.0 sort of
album".[22] Michael Cragg from The Guardian felt that "Work Bitch" is a "pretty relentless onslaught
that reflects pop's current love for chucking in everything up to and including the kitchen sink", but
felt that Spears' personality "[made] sure she hasn't been fully obliterated by will.i.am's production
sledgehammer".[23] Chris Eggertsen from HitFix called that it was a "perfect club track", but
questioned how it would perform on mainstream radio.[24] However, Sal Cinquemani from Slant

Magazine gave a negative review for the song, opining that it "follows the current EDM model of
painfully aggressive, treble-heavy beats, harsh synths, and tuneless hooks, but makes even
"Scream & Shout" sound like a melodic feast".[17] Caryb Ganz of Rolling Stone noted that "Will.i.am
draws up the perfect n-Britney blueprint: a squelchy thumper that's light on singing and heavy on
hilarious directives barked in an English accent... Blasts of clubby synths do most of the work, while
Britney winks at the world".[25] About.com writer Bill Lamb called the single forward thinking and gave
the single praise, stating, "This is a single that is pushing boundaries and will likely feel more
exhilarating each time you listen."[26]

Commercial performance[edit]
The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 12, marking Spears' 31st song on the chart
and the fifth highest debut of her career on the chart, and her seventh in the top 20. It also marked
Spears' 19th top 20 hit and overall her 23rd top 40 hit. It also entered the top 10 on the Hot Digital
Songs chart at number 6. "Work Bitch" has sold 174,000 copies in its first week,[27] marking Spears'
highest first-week sales since her 2011 number-one hit "Hold It Against Me".[28] With its debut on
the Pop Songs at number 25, the song marks Spears' 31st chart entry, pushing her past Mariah
Carey (30) for the second-most entries to the chart's October 3, 1992, launch.[29] In its second week,
the song fell to 41 on the Billboard Hot 100. The following week, it climbed back to 13 after the
release of the accompanying music video. It became her lowest peaking lead single since "Me
Against The Music" (2003).
In the United Kingdom, "Work Bitch" debuted and peaked at number seven on the UK Singles
Chart on November 10, 2013 for the week ending date November 16, 2013 falling to number
thirty seven the following week. The song also peaked at number two on the UK Dance Chart.[20]
The song also charted well in several other countries, peaking within the top ten of the charts in
Brazil, Canada, France, Italy, Mexico, Spain and South Korea.

Music video[edit]
Development[edit]
"A lot of sex goes into what I do. But sometimes I would like to bring it back to the old days when there was like one
outfit through the whole video, and you're dancing the whole video, and there's like not that much sex stuff going on.
It's about the dance and it's about being old school, it's like keeping it real and just making it about the dance. I'd love
to do a video like that"
Spears discussing her creative control over the music video. [30]

The music video for "Work Bitch" was shot by Ben Mor, who had previously worked on the video for
Spears and Adams' 2012 single, "Scream & Shout".[31] The visual effects for the music video were
provided by HOAX Films, who completed sky replacements shots, set extensions and cleanup.[32] It
is produced for Black Dog Films/Little Minx, executive producer Coleen Haynes and producer Tony
McGarry.[32] Spears revealed she was rehearsing for something "top secret next week", on August

29.[33] Filming took place in Malibu, California, on September 7, 8, 9, and 10.[34] On the first day,
Spears tweeted, "Hot day on set... ;) A little dirty, little flirty, danced my ASS off. Stoked for
tomorrow!" following the tweet up with a still of herself in a yellow and black bra with long, black
gloves.[5] Spears released a sneak peek of the video on September 26, 2013 through
her Instagram account.[35] The full version of the music video premiered on October 1 on The CW
Television Network, during the second day broadcast of the iHeartRadio Music Festival.[36] The
original airing of the premiere in the United States was viewed by 1.09 million viewers and received
a Nielsen rating of 0.4/1 in the key adults 1849 demographic, up 33 percent from the previous
night.[37]
Spears revealed that the video was supposed to have more sexual scenes; however, she edited
many scenes out "because I am a mother and because, you know, I have children, and it's just hard
to play sexy mom while you're being a pop star as well. I just have to be true to myself and you
know, feel it out when I do stuff."[30]Mor replied to the singer's comment, saying he never forced or
made her do anything she didn't want to during the shoot, and continued, "she's in complete control
the whole time. It was easy to make a racier cut only because of the extras and the cutaways, and
that's it".[38] Spears manager Larry Rudolph and father Jamie Spears also released a statement,
revealing that "Britney is never pressured into anything. She reviews all creative and for her 'Work
Bitch' video she discussed toning down some parts in finding a balance of sexy and being a mom."[39]

Synopsis[edit]

A scene of the video where Spears portrays a dominatrix, and channels the erotic romance novel Fifty Shades of
Grey.[40][41] Music channel television stations in the United Kingdom were prohibited from airing the video before 10
PM, for displaying bondage-esque scenes.[42]

Mor said the video is not story-based as Spears' previous videos, but it has "more of a theme ...
rather than a narrative. This one is basically [saying] 'The queen is back and she's about to show all
these bitches how it's done.' It's her being really fierce and taking back her throne in a way."[31] The
video opens with several intercalated shots of the singer, who portrays a dominatrix,[40] and her
dancers in front of a pool, and a car, and in the middle of the desert.[43] After singing "Party in
France? You better work bitch," we see Spears at the top of Planet Hollywood Resort and
Casino dancing.[44]According to Bruna Nessif of E! Online, we also see Spears channeling the erotic

romance novel Fifty Shades of Greythroughout the video, with the singer "whipping some woman ...
and using a riding crop".[41] Product placement for Spears' fragrance Fantasy and Beats Pill wireless
speakers (being used as a bit gag) can also be seen.[44]

Reception[edit]
Upon its release, the video received acclaim from critics and fans alike, with some describing it as
Spears' best video in nearly a decade.[45] Bruna Nessif of E! Online praised the singer's figure, saying
the video is "everything Britney Spears fans could want and more," adding, "There is just so much
going on, we don't even know where to start! But how about Brit's bangin' body? Yes, let's start
there."[41] Mike Wass of Idolator compared the desert scenes to the ones of Ciara's "Got Me Good"
(2012), and wrote, "not only does [Spears] look absolutely gorgeous in an array of skimpy outfits,
there's some life in her eyes and, dare I say it, a spring in her step."[46] The Hollywood
Reporter contributor Sophie Schillaci thought the video was a return to Spears' early 2000s,
comparing it to "I'm a Slave 4 U" (2001) and "My Prerogative" (2004).[44] A reviewer for Fuse called
the video a "sleek and sexy" return to form, while Ryan Roschke of Popsugar commented that "even
though the premise of the video is a little unclear, we're going to go ahead and give Brit an 'A' for
'Abs.'"[45] Similarly, Sharnaz Shahid of Entertainment Wise thought "the pop princess oozes sex
appeal" and "is back to her old provocative ways."[45]
Jocelyn Vena of MTV felt Mor "wasn't lying" when he said the video would show a more adult side of
Spears, and argued the clip proves the singer is "ready for her next era to launch."[40] Samantha
Highfill from Entertainment Weekly described the video as a prequel to Beyonc Knowles' "Run the
World (Girls)", saying that it had similar desert setting, "sexy" clothes, wavy hair, wild animals and
both are all-female dance numbers. He further viewed Spears' video as "as offensive to women" but
concluded that "However, the more I thought about the songs and watched the videos, the more I
realized that even though Beyonc's song is all about the power of women, Britney's is too. Sure,
Britney is a little more blunt in finding a way to, er, 'encourage' women to work hard, but the song is
about the fact that women can and should work hard and find success."[47] A mixed review came
from HitFix's Melinda Newman, who wasn't too impressed with the production, noting, however, that
Spears' "dancing has certainly improved" and that "it's clear that she's definitely doing so much
better than she was just a few years ago."[48] In theUnited Kingdom, the music video was banned
from airing on music video television channels before 10 PM, for displaying "a number of risqu
scenes featuring bondage gear and Spears whipping her dancers."[42] The country's MTV and The
Box networks requested a clean edit of the video to air through the day, as a heavily censored
version of the song titled 'Work' is also available.[42] This music video was VEVO Certified on 16
March 2014 and it is Spears' fourth VEVO Certified music video.

Live performance and usage in media[edit]

Spears performed "Work Bitch" as the opening act of her Las Vegas residency Britney: Piece of
Me (2013).[49] The performance begins with the singer "descending from the sky in a globe-like
cage."[50] After exiting the cage, she performs the choreography from the music video, accompanied
by 16 alien-masked dancers.[50][51]Spears sports a "skin-tight, sequined bodysuit" for the performance,
similar to the diamond outfit she wore during the "Toxic" (2003) music video.[50] Keith Caulfield
of Billboard said "Spears was particularly energetic in the number, which seemed to delight the
crowd."[50] Caryn Ganz of Rolling Stone considered it the best moment of the concert, noting that
"Spears stomped around the stage with authority and nailed her choreography, setting a hopeful
tone for the night."[52]
On October 14, 2013, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and her dance partner Sasha Farber performed "Work
Bitch" on the season seventeen of Dancing with the Stars. Polizzi explained that the performance
was "a celebration of me being a mother, a woman, a new person, and working seven days a week
to provide a great life for my family."[53] A week later, Polizzi and Farber also performed the track
on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.[54] The song was parodied on the American animated series, South
Park. Seen in the episode, "The Hobbit", the song was used during a gym montage where most of
the 4th grade girls and Timmy were "working out" by manipulating photos of themselves
in Photoshop and using Instagram filters.[55] "Work Bitch" was also featured on TV series New Girl, in
the episode "Menus", during a scene where Coach (Damon Wayans, Jr.) tries to get Nick (Jake
Johnson) in shape.[56]

Track listings[edit]

CD single[14]

1. "Work Bitch" 4:07

2. "Work Bitch" (Instrumental) 4:07
Digital download[57]

1. "Work Bitch" 4:07

Credits and personnel[edit]

Recording

Recorded and engineered at KBK Studios, Stockholm, Sweden

Mixed at Record Plant, Los Angeles, California

Vocals recorded and engineered at Glenwood Studio, Burbank, California

Personnel

will.i.am songwriter, executive producer, producer, vocal producer, guest vocals

Clean digital download[13]

1. "Work Work" 4:07

Otto Knows songwriter, producer, instrumentation, programming, recording, engineer

Sebastian Ingrosso songwriter, producer, instrumentation, programming, recording, engineer

Anthony Preston songwriter, vocal producer, backing vocals

Ruth-Anne Cunningham songwriter

Britney Spears lead vocals and backing vocals, songwriter

Myah Marie backing vocals

Joe Peluso mixer

Julian Prindle vocal recording, vocal engineer

Jacob Dennis assistant vocal engineer

Chris Kahn assistant vocal engineer

Credits adapted from the liner notes of "Work Bitch" CD single.[14]

Charts[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]

Year-end charts[edit]
Peak
position

Chart (2013)

Chart (2013)

Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[96]

[58]

Australia (ARIA)

22

Austria (3 Austria Top 40)[59]

37

Belgium Dance (Ultratop 50 Wallo

Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[98]

[60]

Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)

14
Hungary (Dance Top 40)[99]
[60]

Belgium Dance (Ultratop Flanders)

10

Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[61]

11

Belgium Dance (Ultratop Wallonia)[61]

Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[62]

Czech Republic (Rdio Top 100)[63]

17

US Dance/Electronic Songs (Billbo

US Dance/Electronic Digital Songs

US Dance/Electronic Streaming So

Denmark (Tracklisten)[64]

17

Finland (The Official Finnish Download Chart)[65]

France (SNEP)[66]

Germany (Media Control Charts)[67]

36

Greece Digital Songs (Billboard)[68]

Hungary (Dance Top 40)[69]

12

Hungary (Single Top 20)[70]

12

Ireland (IRMA)[71]

13

Italy (FIMI)[72]

Japan (Billboard Japan Hot 100)[73]

26

Lebanon (Lebanese Top 20)[74]

Mexico Ingles Airplay (Billboard)[75]

Mexican Anglo Chart (Monitor Latino)[76]

Netherlands (Single Top 100)[77]

45

New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[78]

28

Poland (Dance Top 50)[79]

34

Portugal Digital Songs (Billboard)[80]

35

Russia (Tophit Weekly General Airplay)[81]

16

Scotland (Official Charts Company)[82]

Slovakia (Rdio Top 100)[83]

26

South Korea (International Chart) (GAON)[84]

Spain (PROMUSICAE)[85]

Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[86]

30

Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[87]

25

Turkey (Turkish Singles Chart)[88]

UK Dance (Official Charts Company)[89]

UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[90]

US Billboard Hot 100[91]

12

US Hot Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[92]

US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[93]

US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[94]

14

Venezuela Pop Rock General (Record Report)[95]

Certifications[edit]
Region

Australia (ARIA)[103]

Certification

Sales/shipments

Gold

35,000^

Canada (Music Canada)[104] Platinum

80,000^

Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[105] Gold

15,000^

Italy (FIMI)[106]

Gold

15,000*

Mexico (AMPROFON)[107]

Gold

30,000^

Sweden (GLF)[108]

Platinum

40,000x

United States (RIAA)[109]

Gold

500,000^

Venezuela (APFV)[110]

Platinum

10,000^

sales figures based on certification alone

shipments figures based on certification alone

Release history[edit]

Country

Date

Format

United States[57]

Label

RCA Records

France[111]

Germany[112]

September 17, 2013 Digital download

Sony Music Entertainment

Italy[113]

Spain[114]

Contemporary hit radio

United States[115]

September 24, 2013

RCA Records
Rhythmic crossover radio

Germany[14]

October 18, 2013

United Kingdom[116] November 3, 2013

CD single

Sony Music Entertainment

Digital download

RCA Records