“Where Have You Been” is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her sixth studio album Talk That Talk (2011). It was released as the third international single from the album on April 17, 2012. The song was written by Ester Dean, Geoff Mack, Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald, Henry “Cirkut” Walter, and Calvin Harris, with production handled by the latter three. The track is a dance-pop song that draws influence from trance, R&B and hip hop. It is backed by “hard, chilly synths” and contains an electro-inspired breakdown sequence. The song’s lyrics interpolate Geoff Mack’s 1959 song “I’ve Been Everywhere” and speak of a woman who is searching for a lover who will sexually please her.
“Where Have You Been” was met with positive reviews from most music critics, who likened the song to Talk That Talk’s lead single, “We Found Love”. The track performed well on major international charts. In the United States, “Where Have You Been” reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Rihanna’s twenty-second top ten single on the chart. It also peaked at number one in Mexico, on both the US Dance Club Songs and UK Dance Chart, and at number three on the US Pop Songs chart. In addition, it attained top five positions in the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Israel and New Zealand, while peaking in the top ten of charts in twenty countries worldwide including Australia, Belgium, Norway and the United Kingdom. The song is certified Platinum or higher in eight countries.
The song’s accompanying music video, directed by Dave Meyers depicts the singer in an assortment of costumes and locations, referencing the song’s lyrics. Rihanna is seen as a semi-naked water reptilian, in an Egyptian desert, an African themed hut, and channeling Hindu god Shiva with multiple limbs. The video received a positive response from critics, who praised Rihanna’s new approach to deeper choreography. Rihanna has performed the song on both Saturday Night Live and the finale of the eleventh season of American Idol. Rihanna also performed the song at the Super Bowl LVII halftime show in a medley with Only Girl (In the World).
