Where Have You Been

This clubby tune has a lyric by Ester Dean, who contributed to eight tracks on Rihanna's Talk That Talk album. She wrote it along with the song's producers: hitmaker Dr. Luke, who produced many singles for Katy Perry and Britney Spears, and Calvin Harris, the Scottish DJ behind the album's first single, "We Found Love." The song finds Rihanna asking the question that's on her mind: how to find someone to love her all night long.

"Where Have You Been" borrows elements from Australian songwriter Geoff Mack's 1959 song "I've Been Everywhere," which three years later became a country hit for Hank Snow with revised Americanized lyrics.

This is a song that is solidly grounded in pop songwriting while borrowing heavily from dance music. Similar to music by Lady Gaga and Ellie Goulding, it fuses superstar appeal with danceable upbeat music, all tied together by anthemic lyrics that revolve around love. The song establishes its presence immediately by foregoing a traditional intro, opting instead to launch directly into the verse. Coupled with several other traditional elements slightly rearranged, such as a pair of back to back pre-choruses, this creates music that feels both excitingly new and comfortably familiar at the same time. Rihanna's vocals create a tense, emotional atmosphere, while the progression of the song builds up and releases tension over and over, creating a series of strong hooks for the listener. The synthesized production and heavy bass are both restlessly arranged, with some new element entering the mix every 15 seconds. This makes sure we never get bored with the tune and keeps the energy level up. The core melody is both simple and catchy, inviting listeners to sing along, working toward creating a more memorable piece of music. The extremely smooth production and smart dance music elements make this a powerful, fresh slice of Pop that lodges itself deeply into your head even on a first listen.