Takin' Back My Love

"Takin' Back My Love"
Cover for the Ciara version
Single by Enrique Iglesias featuring Ciara or Sarah Connor or Tyssem
from the album Greatest Hits
Released	12 January 2009
Format	CD single, maxi single, digital download
Recorded	2008
Genre	Europop, R&B
Length	3:51
Label	Interscope
Writer(s)	Enrique M Iglesias, Frankie Storm, Nadir Khayat[1]
Producer(s)	RedOne
Enrique Iglesias singles chronology
"Away" (2008) "Takin' Back My Love" (2009) "Gracias a Ti" (Remix) (2009)
Ciara singles chronology "Go Girl" (2008) "Takin' Back My Love" (2009) "Never Ever" (2009) Sarah Connor singles chronology "I'll Kiss It Away" (2008) "Takin' Back My Love" (2009) "Cold as Ice" (2010)

"Takin' Back My Love" is a song by singers Enrique Iglesias and Ciara. It is the second single from his English greatest hits album Greatest Hits.^[2] The song was produced by RedOne who was a co-writer of the song alongside Iglesias and Frankie Storm.

The original version of the song features R&B singer Ciara and is being released internationally. A second version which features pop singer Sarah Connor in place of Ciara was released in Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Russia, Austria, Poland and the Czech Republic. In France, the song was re-recorded with the French R&B singer Tyssem singing her portion of the song in French and re-titled "Takin' Back My Love (Sans l'ombre d'un remord)".^[3]

Release and promotion

Iglesias first performed the song in on the French TV show Star Academy as a duet with one of the contestants, Gaultier. The performance was enthusiastically received by the show's audience and the judges who gave the pair a standing ovation.^[4] This performance propelled the Ciara version of the song debut at #3 in France.

Iglesias and Ciara both performed the single for the first time at the 2009 Pro Bowl Half-time Show in Hawaii.

Due to studio commitments Ciara had to pull out of promotion for the single and Australian singer Gabriella Cilmi was asked to lend her vocals to most of the European promo. So far they have performed the song on Dutch TV show "Life & Cooking", the Paul O'Grady Show, Loose Women and The Alan Titchmarsh Show in the UK as well as the Meteor Music Awards in Ireland.

Iglesias has performed the song with Sarah Connor on the German show "Nur die Liebe zählt".

Ciara performed the single alone in London, as a part of her set during the European leg of Britney Spears' worldwide tour The Circus Starring Britney Spears.

Iglesias and Ciara both performed the single for the second time together in London, at the 2009 Capital FM Summertime Ball.^[5]

Critical reception

Digital Spy said that "Takin' Back My Love" finds Iglesias acting out a break-up with 'Goodies' singer Ciara. 'Go ahead just leave, can't hold you, you're free', he wails with typical passion. Not too keen on her impending single status, Ciara replies: 'What did I do but give love to you? I'm just confused as I stand here and look at you.' With its Europoppy beat and suitably dramatic chorus, this manages to pack an emotional punch while also remaining appealingly cheesy".

Billboard gave the song a positive review: "Thanks to a global fan base, Enrique Iglesias' dance duet "Takin' Back My Love" is already a hit on the European Hot 100 and a top 10 in Germany and France. RedOne, best known for his framework on Kat DeLuna's 'Whine Up' and Lady GaGa's two recent No. 1s, lends his party song production talents. Pop star Sarah Connor recorded a version with Iglesias, which has been popular in Europe, but Ciara is better paired with the Latin pop star, with their soft and sensual vocal styles. The synth sounds pinball off one another as Iglesias belts through the choruses and Ciara's panting rounds out the single, which is also riding the Hot Dance Club Play chart".

Music video

The video was shot in Los Angeles on 13 January 2009 and directed by the Norwegian director Ray Kay, who helmed Christina Milian's "Us Against the World" clip, amongst many other videos for R&B music artists.^[6] The video was released in February 2009.

The entire music video is shot under blue-screen to give off a radiant but monotone color set. The music video opens up viewing portraits of Iglesias and Ciara, then an ironic switch showing the two arguing and pushing back and forth outside of the house. The two part ways, and the song begins with Iglesias's first verse. He sings as the video randomly shoots back to a scene where Ciara is up against a wall. The chorus enters as Iglesias is shown throwing things off a counter and out of drawers.

The next verse enters Ciara walking in the room apparently angry at Iglesias. As she sings her verse, she proceeds to pick up a jacket that reads "From C, with Love" and heads to the pool and throws the jacket in the water. What ensues shortly after is a back and forth argument involving the two destroying the house, from Iglesias throwing dishes and glasses out of the refrigerator, to Ciara burning songbooks and pouring paint on top of his car. Then, two briefly meet in the dining room of the house, where they obviously still have feelings for one another. They then kiss and perform sexual dance-like moves against each other. Then, as Ciara comes back to reality and snatches his hand from her, the two immediately go right back to arguing and destroying what is left of the house. As the video closes, the two are seen in a destroyed dining room with lights flickering on and off, approaching each other once again. Iglesias then grabs Ciara, and the video ends with the two kissing and smiling.

A music video for the version featuring Sarah Connor was released in March 2009, it is intercut with scenes from the music video that was made for the version featuring Ciara.

The Connor version shows the same story (including Ciara) but instead of the scenes where Ciara sings in front of a wall, Connor is shown singing and dancing in a room that seems to be in the same house that Iglesias and Ciara are destroying. The video also randomly shoots to a scene where Iglesias confesses his actions to Connor, implying that Connor sings the emotions and thoughts of Ciara. Pictures of Ciara can be seen in the video with Connor.

The Ciara version music video has been viewed over 80 million times on YouTube.

Formats and track listings

UK digital single (Released: 23 March 2009)

1. "Takin' Back My Love" (feat. Ciara) - 3:51
2. "Takin' Back My Love" (feat. Ciara) (Moto Blanco Radio Mix) - 3:51
3. "Takin' Back My Love" (Video) - 3:57

France CD single (Released: 9 March 2009)

1. "Takin' Back My Love" (feat. Tyssem) (Sans L'Ombre D'Un Remord) - 3:51
2. "Takin' Back My Love" (feat. Ciara) (Main Version) - 3:51
3. "Takin' Back My Love" (feat. Ciara) (Junior Caldera Club Remix) - 5:20
4. "Takin' Back My Love" (feat. Ciara) (Glam As You Club Mix) - 7:59

German CD single (Released: 23 March 2009)

1. "Takin' Back My Love" (feat. Sarah Connor) (Radio Mix) – 3:50
2. "Takin' Back My Love" (feat. Sarah Connor) (Alternate Mix) – 3:50
3. "Takin' Back My Love" (feat. Sarah Connor) (Video) - 3:57

Chart performance

"Takin' Back My Love" became an international hit debuting at #3 on French Singles Chart on 17 January 2009, with 3,137 copies sold, being ex aequo with the number two.^[7] The single debuted at #14 on the Eurochart Hot 100 chart after its first week of release where it peaked for two weeks and then jumped 10 spots to #4.

In the United Kingdom the song debuted at #88. Since then it has so far peaked at #12. In Ireland, the song managed a peak of #7. The single went gold in Russia with 100,000 copies sold.

Chart (2009) Peak position Austrian Singles Chart 19 Belgium Singles Chart (Flanders) 7 Belgium Singles Chart (Wallonia) 9 Danish Singles Chart 8 Dutch Top 40 5 Eurochart Hot 100 3 Finnish Singles Chart 9 French SNEP Singles Chart 2 German Singles Chart 9 Greek Singles Chart 6 Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[8] 6 Irish Singles Chart 7 Israeli Singles Chart[9] 1 Romanian Singles Chart[10] 1 Swedish Singles Chart 40 Swiss Singles Chart 23 Turkey Top 20 Chart[11] 5 UK Singles Chart 12 UK R&B Chart[12] 5 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs[13] 4 ^1 Version featuring Sarah Connor

End-of-year charts Chart (2009) Position Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart[14] 43 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart[15] 35 Eurochart Hot 100[16] 13 French Singles Chart[17] 5 Hungarian Airplay Chart[18] 17 UK Singles Chart[19] 88 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[20] 39

Certifications and sales

Country	Certification	Date	Sales certified	Physical sales	Digital downloads
Russia[21]	gold	27 December 2009	100,000
United Kingdom[22]	silver	27 December 2009	200,000

See also

• List of number-one hits of 2009 (Romania)

References

2. "Enrique Iglesias official website" Enrique Iglesias. Accessed 26 October 2008.
3. VirginMega.fr Accessed 3 February 2009.
5. Enrique & Ciara Performing in London
6. Rap-Up. Accessed 13 January 2009.
7. Antoine Masson, "Disques : la comédie musicale Mozart déjà numéro un" (21 January 2009). Ozap.com. Retrieved 25 January 2009
8. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
9. "Media Forest: Airplay chart". mediaforest.biz.
10. Romanian Top 100
11. Turkey Top 20 Chart Retrieved on 30 March 2009
13. Billboard
14. "2009 Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
15. "2009 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
16. "2009 Eurochart Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 15 January 2009.
17. "Classement des 100 premiers Singles par GfK Music" (pdf) (in French). disqueenfrance. p. 20. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
18. "Éves összesített listák - MAHASZ Rádiós TOP 100 (súlyozott)". Mahasz. Mahasz.
19. "Charts Plus Year end 2009" (PDF). Charts Plus. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
20. "Dance Club Songs". Retrieved 14 August 2012.
21. "Ring-back Tone" (in Russian). 2m-online.ru. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
22. "Ring-back Tone" (in Russian). 2m-online.ru. Retrieved 9 July 2010.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics