Kelly Clarkson Shares How ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Inspired ‘Where Have You Been’

On May 1, Kelly Clarkson announced the release of her new song, “Where Have You Been,” and she revealed just what inspired the single.

During an appearance on “Today with Jenna & Friends,” on May 6, Clarkson shared that she had been watching “Only Murders in the Building” season 3 and was touched by a scene with Martin Short and Meryl Streep.

In the particular moment, Short’s character Oliver Putnman watches Streep’s Loretta Durkin auditioning for his play. Awestruck by her acting skills, he asks, “Where have you been?”

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“It’s the moment that’s so beautiful. You know, she’s waited so long for someone to actually see [her],” Clarkson said on “Today.”

“He is such a great actor,” the singer said of Short. “And like, everything that was in his face when he said, ‘Where have you been,’ killed me.”

Clarkson continued, “I kept rewatching it because it was so beautiful, and then I kind of took it to another place and wrote a song about it.”

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Clarkson Says ‘Where Have You Been’ is About ‘Hope’

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Clarkson’s “Where Have You Been” is a slow power ballad, but she says there’s nothing sad about her latest song.

“It is really about hope, and it’s about finding that finding that thing that you thought you’d never find, and you did,” Clarkson said on her May 3 show.

She added, “And it’s also like, ‘Where have you been? I’ve been waiting a minute. I didn’t even know you existed.'”

“It was really cathartic for me to write this and experience that, like watching it on someone’s face and being like, maybe the unicorn does exist still,” the “Since You’ve Been Gone” singer continued.

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Clarkson’s Kids Aren’t Ready For Her to Date

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Despite singing about love in “Where Have You Been,” Clarkson is remaining single for the time being after her divorce from Brandon Blackstock because of their two children, River and Remington.

“They constantly bring it up, ‘Please, we don’t want you with anybody else,’ They’re young, it’s hard to picture their mom with someone else other than their dad,” the former “Voice” coach told KOST 1035 in November 2024.

Clarkson continued, “I’ve got a lot on my plate. I’m a magnet for people who are really all-in right off the bat. It’s not that I’m the type to go and kiss a bunch of people.”

She told the radio show, “I love hanging with my littles ones. They’re so funny and they’re so cool and they’re only going to want me around for so long because they’re my kids and I know they’re going to be like me and be like, ‘Bye!’ Which I’m cool with, but I want to enjoy it for as long as I can.”