Work From Home

## Singles chronology

"**Work from Home**" is a the lead single from Fifth Harmony's sophomore studio album, *7/27* featuring singer Ty Dolla Sign. It was written by Joshua Coleman, Jude Demorest, Tyrone Griffin, Jr., Alexander Izquierdo, and Brian Lee with production from Coleman and Dallas Koehlke. The song is primarily an R&B track that incorporates elements of trap music and tropical house beats with lyrics depicting "work" as a euphemism for sexual seduction. Many music publications included it in their lists of best songs of the year.

## Background

"Work from Home" was initially written by Joshua Coleman with Jude Demorest, Alexander Izquierdo, Dallas Koehlke and Brian Lee. Coleman and Koehlke also produced, performed all instruments and programming for the song. The group's vocals were produced & recorded by Victoria Monét and Andrew Bolooki at Windmark Recording Studios and The Northership, both located in California. The song was mixed by Phil Tan at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center with assistance from Daniela Rivera. The song came for the group after their A&R Joey Arbagey played it during a meeting to discuss their sophomore album's direction; each member immediately approved of the song. During an interview with Spin, Cabello explained that the group "fell in love" with the song after hearing it mostly for its "laid-back" and "chill" atmosphere that featured an "a kind of urban pocket". She explained that was the reason she and her groupmates loved the track because it "branched out in different ways" than anything they ever recorded. The song's title was announced on February 24, 2016. Originally titled "Work" and set to be released on January 26, 2016, the group had to re-title the song to "Work from Home" to avoid confusion with Rihanna's song of the same name, which was released a month prior.

While talking about how the collaboration with Ty Dolla Sign came together, Dinah Jane told Billboard that she was "happy he agreed" to be on the track as he was one of her "favorite artists". After hearing his song, "Paranoid", she told her groupmates, "Guys, we gotta get this dude on our song," as she saw him "as a perfect fit" for this track. Jane complimented the way he "rides" the song and "brings a different feel to it". Sharing similar sentiments, Cabello said that he "added" an "amazing flair" to the song. She praised the way he played the "melody and his dissonant notes" saying that he "made his own hooky part of the bridge." Featured rapper Ty Dolla Sign discussed his contribution in the song during an commentary to Billboard where he revealed that he was persuaded to join the song after his "11-year-old daughter" continuously played their tracks. He recalls a time where he was "on tour" and had a lot of girls "in the hotel room". According to Ty, they usually "put on Future or something more turnt" but all of them wanted to "hear Fifth Harmony". He said that was the "first time that ever happened." When discussing the album's single choice, Kordei told Entertainment Weekly that the song made sense after releasing "Worth It" because they had "similar styles, but still sounded "different". She elaborates by saying that the song is "chill" and "not too much" while referring to it as "sexy" but "cool" with "something electrifying about it". Nearly a month after the interview took place, the track premiered for the first time on radio on February 26, 2016 on the Elvis Duran and the Morning Show, and was released along with the pre-order of the album. It was then serviced to contemporary hit radio in the United States four days later on March 1, 2016.

## Composition

"Work from Home" is an midtempo song with elements of trap music. Katherine St. Asaph of Pitchfork noted elements of Rnbass in its production, while Meaghan Garvey from MTV found tropical house influences on its beats. Discussing the song musically, Chris Martins from Billboard classified it as a "a pop-R&B confection that siphons off the a tropically tinted EDM pool." According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, "Work from Home" is written in the time signature of common time, with a moderate tempo of 104-108 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of Ab major as quitent's voice spans the tonal nodes of G3 to F5. "Work from Home" follows a chord progression of Fm–D♭—A♭.

According with J.C Pan from The Fader, "Work from Home" uses work as a euphemism for sexual seduction, "rolling out one job-related double entendre after another". In review of the album 7/27, Peter Meister from Sputnikmusic describing the song, wrote, "In the sparkling, sexy "Work from Home", R&B crooner Ty Dolla Sign harmonizes perfectly with the girls amongst brimming, elegant synths that explode and rattle with booming, gritty bass over the demanding of their lover to not go to work but instead, put the "work" at home with her. Its instrumentation is complete with electro claps, strong bassline and backed-synth.

The song has a typical verse-pre-chorus-chorus structure with a rap bridge done by Ty Dolla Sign before the third chorus and the outro. The song begins with bubbling beat and finger snaps. The first verse is sung by Cabello, the first pre-chorus is sung by Kordei. "I know you're on the night shift/but I can't stand these nights alone", she sings. Following is the chorus sung by Jauregui, with the word "work" repeated seven times after each line. The second verse is sung by Hernandez who sings: "Let's put it into motion / Imma give you a promotion / I'll make it feel like a vacay / Turn the bed into an ocean". Hansen sings the second pre-chorus. Ty Dolla Sign sings after the second chorus, and on the third and final chorus Cabello closes the song with an ad-libbed outro.

## Critical reception

Matt Collar from AllMusic described "Work from Home" as one of the "most playful tracks" from 7/27 writing that said song along with "Not That Kinda Girl" "build upon Fifth Harmony's knack for mixing juicy R&B hooks with just enough hip-hop muscle to keep things from getting too polite." Maeve McDemortt from USA Today agreed, citing it as a highlight and praising its production. The Boston Globe's writer Maura Johnston called it an "Afternoon Delight", similarly, Brittany Spanks from Rolling Stone described it as "an "Afternoon Delight" for the smartphone generation that fluttered by on minimalist synths." Carolyn Menyes of Music Times gave it a positive review, noting the "chilled out vibe" and the "chorus that cools down the song's momentum rather than pumping it up".

In a positive review, "Isabella Biedenhan" of Entertainment Weekly "infectious" and said, "with slinking beats and playfully sexy lyrics about convincing your partner to skip the boardroom for the bedroom." The sexual nature and double entendres present in its lyrics, was another point discussed by critics. Spencer Kornhaber from The Atlantic journal noted that "Work from Home" "is typical in portraying freaky bedroom fun as glorious mostly in the bounds of a relationship." Katherine St. Asaph from online magazine Pitchfork, expressed an unsatisfied critic about its recording writing that "Fifth Harmony trades in the kind of pop-cultural press-quote feminism where the group can say they are out squash gender roles and “gender-institutionalized thinking” while recording a fantasy of a stay-at-home sexter reassuring the household breadwinner that he’s the boss at home."

Several critics noted the song's style is comparable with the musical style of the hip hop producer DJ Mustard. In a review published by the staff of Idolator, Robbie Daw called the track worthy based on previous singles with the titular name a called it the group's "most solid single to date." In a mixed-positive review, Carl Williott initially called the track a "DJ Mustard ripoff" but complimented the group for managing to make the song "their own" with their "subtle harmonizations adding some texture", he adds. Mike Wass shared similar sentiments and called it a "sleek and sexy bop with on-trend production" and an "insidiously catchy chorus" while praising the group's musical evolution. Several publications thought it was a strong contender for song of the summer. However, other critics were not so positive. Christopher Bohlsen of Renowned for Sound gave a negative review, saying that while vocal melodies in the verses were "satisfying", the chorus just "doesn’t sound interesting enough", calling it an "utterly standard pop song". Bohlsen gave the song a two-and-a-half out of five rating.

## Music video

The music video, directed by Director X, was released on February 26, 2016. The video features the group in a construction site surrounded by shirtless men and wearing outfits inspired by construction equipment. The members are seen participating in choreographed dance routines during the choruses and different construction activities during their individual solos. Speaking on the video's concept, Director X said that he wanted to incorporate the theme of "work" but "with a different approach." Initially, the setting was going to be in a "corporate office" but the idea was not executed as the group previously released "Worth It" in that same setting. Other ideas included a condominium construction set. He noted the reverse gender roles where the men are "the objects" as "opposed to the other way around" and the many interpretations of work, which he says aided in the song's success.

The video earned the group their third Vevo certification, reaching over 100 million views on March 31, 2016 and becoming one of the fastest videos to reach this milestone. It became the most viewed music video of 2016, and the site's 24th most-watched video. As of June 2017, the video has surpassed 1.6 billion views. It won Best Collaboration on the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, and also won in the "Song of the Year" category at the 2017 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.

## Live performances

The group performed the song for the first time on television on February 29, 2016, on a special after-Oscars episode on Live! with Kelly and Michael. Recreating the set of the music video, they performed the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on March 24, 2016 and on Alan Carr: Chatty Man approximately two weeks later. The group performed the song on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on May 10, dancing in and around a car prop and at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards on May 22 alongside Ty Dolla Sign. Other performances include the 2016 Much Music Video Awards and the 2016 CMT Music Awards, where the group performed the song with country singer Cam, as a mashup with Cam's single, Mayday.

An edited version of the single was performed at the 2017 People's Choice Awards, where the group made their first appearance as a quartet following Camila Cabello's departure in late 2016. The version was altered to with bandmate Lauren Jauregui singing what was formerly Camila's verse, followed by the other three girls singing their verses as normal in black bondage-style outfits. They then ended their performance with a new dance break.

## Lyrics

**[Verse 1: Camila]**

I ain't worried 'bout nothin', I ain't wearin' na-nada

I'm sittin' pretty, impatient, but I know you gotta

Put in them hours, I'ma make it harder

I'm sending pic after picture, I'ma get you fired

**[Pre-Chorus: Normani]**

I know you're always on the night shift

But I can't stand these nights alone

And I don't need no explanation

Cause baby, you're the boss at home

**[Chorus: Lauren]**

You don't gotta go to work, work, work, work

Work, work, work

But you gotta put in work, work, work, work

Work, work, work

You don't gotta go to work, work, work, work

Work, work, work

Let my body do the work, work, work, work

Work, work, work

We can work from home, oh, oh, oh-oh

We can work from home, oh, oh, oh-oh

**[Verse 2: Ally]**

Let's put it into motion, I'ma give you a promotion

I'll make it feel like a vacay, turn the bed into an ocean

We don't need nobody, I just need your body

Nothin' but sheets in between us, ain't no getting off early

**[Pre-Chorus: Dinah + Camila]**

And I know you're always on the night shift

But I can't stand these nights alone

And I don't need no explanation

Cause baby, you're the boss at home

**[Chorus: Lauren]**

You don't gotta go to work, work, work, work

Work, work, work

But you gotta put in work, work, work, work

Work, work, work

You don't gotta go to work, work, work, work

Work, work, work

Let my body do the work, work, work, work

Work, work, work

We can work from home, oh, oh, oh-oh

We can work from home, oh, oh, oh-oh

**[Verse 3: Ty Dolla $ign]**

Oh yeah, girl go to work for me (Work for me)

Can you make it clap, no hands for me?

Take it to the ground, pick it up for me

Look back at it all over me (Oh yeah)

Put in work like my timesheet

She ride it like a '63

I'ma buy her new Céline

Let her ride in a foreign with me

Oh, she the bae, I'm her boo

And she down to break the rules

Ride or die, she gon' go

I'm gon' jugg, she finessin'

I pipe her, she take that

Put in overtime on your body

**[Chorus: Lauren & (Camila) & {Dinah}]**

You don't gotta go to work, work, work, work

Work, work, work (You ain't gotta go to work, no oh oh)

But you gotta put in work, work, work, work

Work, work, work (No....) {Ooh yeah}

You don't gotta go to work, work, work, work

Work, work, work

Let my body do the work, work, work, work

Work, work, work (No, no, no, no, no, no!)

We can work from home, oh, oh, oh-oh

We can work from home, oh, oh, oh-oh

**[Outro: Camila]**

Yeah, we can work from home

Yeah, we can work from home

Yeah