What was Beyoncé's first solo single, released in 2002?

“Work It Out” was Beyoncé's first solo single, released in 2002. The song was recorded for the Austin Powers in Goldmember soundtrack, in which Beyoncé played the character Foxxy Cleopatra.

The track was written and produced by Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who worked together as The Neptunes, with Beyoncé also receiving a writing credit. Its arrangement draws on 1960s and 1970s funk and soul influences, matching the retro style of the Austin Powers film.

At the time of release, Beyoncé was still best known as a member of Destiny's Child. The single gave audiences an early preview of her solo performance style before Dangerously in Love arrived in 2003. Its accompanying video also used the film's period-inspired visual world.

“Work It Out” is often confused with “Crazy in Love,” because the latter became Beyoncé's major solo breakthrough. Chronologically, however, “Work It Out” came first. Later singles such as “Check on It,” “Deja Vu,” and “Run the World (Girls)” belonged to subsequent album campaigns.