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.

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.

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.

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).

"Where Have You Been" was written by Ester Dean, Geoff Mack, Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, Calvin Harris, and Henry "Cirkut" Walter, with production, instrumentation, and programming also handled by the latter three.

[5] As noted by Mark Graham for VH1, the song features a "sweeping, trance-ish transition that will bowl over dancefloor denizens in clubs all over the world.

"[5] Randell Roberts for Los Angeles Times noted that "Rihanna wants her music to bang, and she does so by continuing to mine the connection between R&B, hip-hop and house.

"[6] It also features a "monstrous bass", which will according to Graham "will make you want to trade in your factory-installed car speakers for a top-of-the-line sound system.

[8] According to Robert Copsey for Digital Spy, it is when Rihanna performs this line that the instrumental changes into a "strobing trance section that ends in a synth-squelching breakdown.

[2] Caramanica likened the tone of Rihanna's vocals to that of English singer Siouxsie Sioux as she performs the lines "I been everywhere, man/ looking for someone/ someone who can please me,/ Are you hiding from me yeah/ somewhere in the crowd?

[4] Julianne Escobedo Shepherd for Spin also wrote that the song was a perfect play for a festival, writing "'Where Have You Been' is tailor-made for a Coachella pool rave.

"[5] Robert Copsey for Digital Spy shared the same opinion as Graham, writing "We labelled 'Where Have You Been' the record's 'Don't Stop The Music'.

[14] In the United States, "Where Have You Been" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 on December 10, 2011, at number 65 upon the release of the album, with digital download sales of 39,000 copies sold.

[41] On July 1, 2015, "Where Have You Been" was certified four times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments of over 4,000,000 copies.

[54] "Where Have You Been" has also charted in other European countries including in the top ten in Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, and Norway.

The video features choreography by Nadine "Hi-Hat" Ruffin, who has worked with Rihanna previously on her Grammy and Brit Awards performances.

Choreography then begins as the singer is shown with a group of male dancers behind her, wearing tribal costumes in what appears to be an Egyptian desert.

Rihanna dons a zebra-print outfit with oversized red trousers as she puts on a fast-paced routine against the backdrop of pyramids.

Scenes of a nude Rihanna are intercut, holding a whip made of hair, while simultaneously covering her breasts.

The penultimate scene shows Rihanna in a long dress which lights up neon red, while the singer has sequins across her face.

[citation needed] The video received 4.93 million hits in its first 24 hours, breaking the record at the time for the most views within that duration.

Kia Makarechi from The Huffington Post commented, "Rihanna doesn't normally do extended dance scenes, so it's interesting to see the singer go the path of the Britneys and Christinas before her and delve into some deeper choreography.

"[66] Amanda Dobbins from New York Magazine echoed the review stating, "Even though Rihanna is maybe not on a Beyoncé or Britney-circa-2000 level when it comes to the super-involved choreography, she at least leaves it all out on the floor.

[71] On April 15, 2012, Rihanna performed the song at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, again with "We Found Love".

[73] The performance featured an aesthetic similar to that of the music video; the SNL set was decorated in a One Thousand and One Nights fashion.

Rihanna and her backup dancers performed a highly choreographed dance routine, the same as the music video, and wore Arabian inspired outfits.

[78] "Where Have You Been" was also included in the set list of Rihanna's performance at the Super Bowl LVII halftime show, mashed up with Only Girl (In the World).