How Sam Fender & Olivia Dean’s ‘Rein Me In’ Became a Record-Breaking U.K. Chart Success

Sam Fender’s show at the London Stadium in June 2025 remains momentous for many reasons. It was the midway point of the rollout of his Mercury Prize-winning LP People Watching, and also his largest-ever headline show. But perhaps the most consequential moment from it came midway through the set, album deep cut “Rein Me In” got an airing, with the show’s support act Olivia Dean, then a rising star, joining on vocals for a new verse. Now their careers – and that song – appear unstoppable.

“Rein Me In” is into record-breaking territory on the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart. The track has earned 16 weeks at No. 1, and become the longest-running No. 1 single of the 2020s so far — surpassing Alex Warren’s “Ordinary,” which notched 13 weeks last year. It is now tied with Drake’s “One Dance” as the longest-running No. 1 in the 21st century, and surpassed Wet Wet Wet’s “Love is All Around,” written by Reg Presley, as the longest-running British No. 1 of all time. 

In February, it earned the BRIT Awards’ publicly-voted song of the year prize, with Dean and Fender on hand to collect the prize in Manchester. Amidst chart dominance in early May, Dean returned the favour by inviting Fender to give the song a rare live outing at her headline performances at London’s O2 Arena. Both are now leading the way for British acts on the global stage, capping off a remarkable turnaround for the scene.

This is the story of how a fan favorite became one of the biggest U.K. chart successes of all time.