Could a club collaboration with French DJ David Guetta be the key to Kelly Rowland finally realizing her frustratingly delayed destiny here in the U.S., helping her break out of Beyoncé’s long shadow at last?

Billboard recounts the story of how the DJ and the diva paired up, sparked by Rowland’s attendance at Guetta’s set last summer in Cannes. Back at his studio, he played her something he was working on. “I felt so much emotion from the track,” Rowland says. “Something happened the first time I heard it, and it was just beautiful.” She later added lyrics to match, and “When Love Takes Over” had its premiere at the Winter Music Conference in Miami this past March.

Released as a single in May, “When Love Takes Over” went to #1 in the UK (Rowland’s second visit to the top there), and hit #1 here on the Billboard Dance/Club Play chart a couple of weeks ago. I couldn’t escape the song during my visit to northern California last weekend, and while that’s no guarantee that Guetta and Rowland’s uplifting anthem will take over the U.S. pop chart next, I’m taking those spins as a sign that things are indeed looking up for Ms. Kelly.

Purchase David Guetta featuring Kelly Rowland – “When Love Takes Over” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.