Kelly Clarkson just kicked off her next musical chapter with a new song—and this one comes with a surprising twist. Her latest single, “Where Have You Been,” isn’t just a catchy, emotionally resonant track—it’s also inspired by a moment on the hit series Only Murders in the Building.
Speaking on her SiriusXM station, The Kelly Clarkson Connection, Kelly shared how a line delivered by Martin Short to Meryl Streep sparked the entire idea for the song.
“I’ve rarely done something like this,” Kelly said. “But I was watching Only Murders in the Building—it’s Martin Short’s face. He says to Meryl Streep’s character in the show, ‘Where have you been?’ He’s like in awe and I was like, ‘Has there been a—has anyone written a song?’ Because the song is happy. It’s like you found something that you thought was almost basically a unicorn and did not exist.”
Yes, we’re talking about that scene from the third season of the hit Hulu series, where the chemistry between Martin and Meryl had fans buzzing—and apparently, it moved Kelly too.
The track itself is upbeat and warm, reflecting that feeling of stumbling upon love (or maybe just something really, really good) when you’ve almost given up hope. It opens with the lyric, “I like my freedom but I’d trade some for a kiss,” and builds into a chorus that captures the relief and disbelief of finding what you thought didn’t exist:
“Where have you been? / What took so long? / I thought I’d found you / Found out I was wrong / I almost gave up / My light was so dim / And out here you are / Where have you been?”
Kelly’s voice glides across verses filled with vulnerability, nostalgia, and optimism. Whether a longtime fan or just catching up on her latest chapter, this song feels both fresh and classic Clarkson.
You can listen to “Where Have You Been” on all streaming platforms now—or download it on iTunes.
Check out the full lyrics:
[Verse 1]
I like my freedom but I’d trade some for a kiss
Little do you know how long I’ve been waitin’ for this
When it came to my hopes, well, they left, skies I won’t miss
I was getting so lonely I didn’t count on, count on this
[Chorus]
Where have you been?
What took so long?
I thought I’d found you
Found out I was wrong
I almost gave up
My light was so dim
And now, here you are
Where have you been?
[Verse 2]
I felt it from the moment you walked in the room (Ah-ah)
Nothing could keep my eyes from driftin’ over to you (Ah-ah)
When it came to the wild love, I wondered what it meant
And then you show up making me believe again
[Chorus]
Where have you been? (Where have you been?)
What took so long? (What took so long?)
I thought I’d found you (I thought I’d found you)
Found out I was wrong (Found out I was wrong)
I almost gave up (I almost gave up)
My light was so dim (My light was so dim)
And now, here you are (Out here you are)
Oh, where have you been? (Where have you been?)
Where have you been?
[Bridge]
Ah-ah
Ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah
[Chorus]
Where have you been?
What took so long?
I thought I’d found you
But I found out I was wrong
Oh, yeah, yeah
[Outro]
Ah-ah
Ah-ah
Found out I was wrong, yeah
Ah-ah
Ah-ah
Where have you been?
Where have you been?
Ah-ah
Where have you been?
