Songfacts®:

• The original R&B version of this song was intended to be Rowland's first single release from her Ms. Kelly album, but instead "Like This" was released.
• This was given a dance makeover by the Brighton production team Freemasons. Kelly told the Daily Mail January 4, 2008: "I heard how great Freemasons were because they also worked with Beyoncé. They gave 'Work' a new lease of life." The re-mixed version was released as a single in some territories in 2008.
• Her album Ms. Kelly, originally intended as a collection of ballads, was released in 2007, but due to it's poor chart performance a re-worked version with some new songs added was released the following year. In the same Daily Mail interview Kelly Rowland explained: "This album has taken so long because I needed everything to be right, from the songs to the packaging. I knew what I wanted-and the original version was too mid-tempo. I got letters from fans saying they wanted more up-tempo songs, so I went back and made sure there were more upbeat tracks. I want my record to be played in clubs."
• Pop Justice asked Rowland if this song is about sex. She replied: "Oh no, it's actually very innocent. All I'm saying is don't come around if you're not going to live up to all your talk and as you know, some guys are just full of talk." The ex-Destiny's Child singer then admitted that maybe the words are a little aggressive before adding, "It's just a woman saying you can't catch me easy and you have to put in the work. It's about putting in work - that's it, of course."
• Rowland recalled in an interview with ilikemusic.com laying down this track: "I had a good time. I was in the studio with Scott Storch and we wanted to have a party record, a record that'd make you get up and dance. So we literally went out and we went to a club and partied and we got a little inspiration, then went back into the studio and wrote the song in an hour, then we left and came back the next day and recorded the song."