[4] EMI record executive Dick Williams noted Easton's concerns with being branded as a middle of the road artist, stating, "I think she felt, as did a lot of programmers, that her image was predominantly 'pop adult' and that limited her exposure to radio and television.

"[5]: SE11 After the success of the top-10 single "Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair)", Easton wanted to keep exploring that genre and move away from her image as a ballad singer.

"[8]: SE9  Finding such material proved difficult; Easton noted that songs with a harder edge would be first offered to artists like Pat Benatar.

[9] She eventually found a suitable single in "Strut", however, after being sent a demo of the song by her friend and former producer, Christopher Neil.

[10] Like its parent album overall, the "Strut" single and accompanying video signaled Easton's shift towards a more sexually suggestive image.