Songfacts®:

• David Guetta is a French dance producer who is recognised as one of the world's top DJs. This song was the lead single from Guetta's fourth studio album One Love.
• This features vocals by former Destiny's Child member Kelly Rowland. She first came across Guetta at one of the DJs techno shows in Cannes. Rowland later met up with the Frenchman and during their conversation he played her a vocal version of this track. The American singer told Billboard magazine that it moved her to tears. She explained: "I felt so much emotion from the track; something happened the first time I heard it, and it was just beautiful." Rowland agreed to take the song to London where she wrote and recorded some vocals.
• Guetta said to Billboard of this ode to the excitement of being in love: "The track with Kelly has made me experiment with a more American urban influence. Musically, it's opened a new world for me. It's pure pop with a lot of detail, and Kelly had this Whitney Houston vibe and nailed it."
• Guetta commented in the video's teaser, that its plot is similar to the song's He explained: "You see Kelly walking her path, her story and me on the other side."
• A number of reviewers have commented on the piano riff's similarity to Coldplay's "Clocks."
• A note-by-note remake of this song by Airi L appeared simultaneously in the UK Top 40 singles chart. The appearance of Airi L's version on the iTunes chart caused Guetta's original to be rush released in the UK four days earlier than originally intended.
• When this reached #1 in the UK, Guetta became the first Frenchman to top the charts since Romain Tranchart and Yann Destagnol of Modjo did with "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" in September 2000.
• Guetta recalled to Billboard magazine: "I met Kelly in a club and after I played the instrumental version of 'When Love Takes Over,' she came to me with tears in her eyes. She told me she wanted to sing on it, and I decided to go for it. I was worried at that point because I thought a project with all these collaborators would be a nightmare to organize with the labels and lawyers, but it all came together very easily."
• The song topped the charts in a number of countries, including the UK, Ireland, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Slovakia, and Turkey, and on the European Hot 100 Singles. In North America it became Guetta's second Hot 100 hit, following "Love Is Gone."
• This won the Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical prize at the 52nd Grammy Awards. It was the first time Guetta had won a Grammy.