This week, From The Vault is back with another bang.

Birthday girl Rihanna’s bopalicious ‘Where Have You Been’ is today’s pick.

Released in 2012 as the fifth single from the singer’s sixth effort ‘Talk That Talk,’ it was helmed by what can only be described as a Pop dream team. With the ever-reliable Ester Dean on songwriting duties, it was produced by Dr. Luke, Cirkut, and Calvin Harris.

The release was met with glowing reviews and reached the Top 5 in many countries including the US, the UK, France, and Australia.

Dave Meyers was tasked with directing the song’s video resulting in a home run of a visual. The choreography-heavy affair was a true departure for Ms. Fenty who up to that point relied mostly on beauty shots, high-fashion, and edgy cinematography to bring her catalog to life. Inspired by African and Hindu cultures, it was compared to early 00’s videos by Janet Jackson, Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez.

The resulting clip was nominated for two MTV Video Music Awards, including Best Choreography.

Where had that Rihanna been all our lives, indeed?

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With a baby on the way, the Bajan belle’s next musical move probably won’t be coming up anytime soon. With that being said, we sincerely hope that when the time is ripe, THIS RiRi will be the one making a comeback. It’s been clear that when she commits to the cause, she can deliver something super exciting.

In the meantime, we can always fall back on this song, video, and accompanying performances.

Happy birthday, Ms. Robyn Rihanna Fenty!

Your thoughts?