R&B BOP QUEENS RATE | I'm Out

Whew when the part 2 playlist goes full on dance bangers with Acapella-Brave-Bounce

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#38

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Gotta Work
Amerie 4/9
7.881

10 @berserkboi @Verandi | 9.5 @Phonetics Boy @Music Is Life @Conan @Robsolete
5 @Daniel_O | 5.5 @CasuallyCrazed | 6 @Sprockrooster @Riiiiiiiii @tylerc904
My score: 7

Trajectory:
5: #29 (8.1)
10: #39 (8.225)
15: #29 (8.089)
20: #39 (7.838)
25: #33 (7.79)
30: #36 (7.842)
35: #37 (7.924)
All: #38 (7.881)

Gotta Work was released in April 2007 as the second single from her third album Because I Love It. The song was written by Amerie, David Porter, Isaac Hayes, Kevin Veney, Loren Hill and Rich Shelton and produced by One Up (a fairly obscure producer, I can't really find any information about them). Gotta Work samples Soul/R&B duo's Sam & Dave 1966 song Hold On, I'm Comin'. Amerie described the song's sound as "Go-go Soul". The song was only released in Europe, and was a moderate success, charting at #21 in the UK and #30 in Ireland.

Gotta Work is another cute girl that, if you ask me, really outstayed its welcome. It's nice, but it's a bit... Amerie doing her song again. There were definitely plenty of more interesting choices in the album. It received only two 10s, the least out of any song in the top 50, but to balance it out, it got the highest lowest score so far, and is one of the only twelve songs in the rate not to have received a negative score, not everyone has that.

Work:
@godspeed (7) "I don't know when this is gonna leave the rate, I think before "Take Control," so I'm gonna repeat the commentary I wrote for the latter: Because I Love It is a very strong R&B album but it was let down by its single choices. "Take Control" worked as a single, and I see why Amerie's label thought "Gotta Work" would be a good choice as well. But it really isn't to me. It's not bad at all but it's just one of the least interesting, memorable and inspired songs on the entire album which had much more to offer. It's very reductive of Amerie's talent and of the versatility she demonstrated on the rest of Because I Love It." (I absolutely agree, there are so many better songs and more single-worthy songs in the album)

@livefrommelbs (7.5) This song sounds tailormade for an uplifting 'against all odds' kinda movie. And lo and behold, a quick Wikipedia search tells me at played at the end of Channing Tatum's 2009 film 'Fighting'. Kween of hustle!

@slaybellz (7.5) Was this in a movie? Sounds like it would be perfect for a mid 2000s movie soundtrack. (Look above)

@londonrain (8) By this point Amerie was beginning to wear the formula to death, but this is probably her best effort since 1 Thing and Touch.

Work work work work work:
@Rei Ayanami (9) Not as good as 1 Thing, but it still knocks. It’s my alarm (a position formally held by Nicola’s ‘Lucky Day.’) (I imagine setting a song as my alarm would probably just end up making me hate it)

@Remorque (9) This probably is her most original single next to 1 Thing. It was the first time she gave us something like this, which wasn't as slick as her other singles tried to be. It's not too reliant on the sample either and she sounds like fire throughout.

@Music Is Life (9.5) Wigless at that intro.

@berserkboi (10) Another monster!

@Verandi (10) One of my faves as a teen. It's still such a rush good lordt.

The video:


Gay icons only:
 
I'm one of the few people apparently who thinks that Gotta Work and Take Control are by far the best songs on the album. Add Losing U to those and you get my holy trinity.

Also I... don't really get the criticism that she's recycling 1 Thing endlessly. The Touch album had no other songs like that, Talking About at a push. Take Control was a complete U turn and then Gotta Work happened so... yeah. Why R U is more similar to 1 Thing and yet it happened after Gotta Work.
 
Also I... don't really get the criticism that she's recycling 1 Thing endlessly. The Touch album had no other songs like that, Talking About at a push. Take Control was a complete U turn and then Gotta Work happened so... yeah. Why R U is more similar to 1 Thing and yet it happened after Gotta Work.

Well, it's not she did it that many times, but she did do it more than would be necessary, and it's especially apparent in the songs featured in the rate, and it did get a bit tiring. I don't have anything negative to say about her 3 remaining songs though!

@soratami - are we allowed to give an 11 to the songs in part 2? Doing my scores now!

Yes, of course, and you can write down commentary as well!
 
Gotta Work's elimination concludes the set of six eliminations from six different acts, with Amerie, Ashanti, Christina, Kelis, Keri and Tweet losing one each. Up next is... another set of six eliminations from six different acts, not the same six though. What do you think/hope will be cut?

Not a spoiler, but my two lowest scores remaining are Good Stuff and Jerk Ribs, so those two could vacate whenever.
 
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