Sam Fender and Olivia Dean have etched their names into music history as their collaboration, Rein Me In, officially became the longest-running number one single by a British artist. The song has now spent 16 weeks at the summit of the UK charts, surpassing the 1994 record set by Wet Wet Wet and matching the achievement of Bryan Adams.
Fender, who initially recorded the track as a solo piece for his third album, expressed his shock at the record-breaking success. He credited the song’s widespread appeal to the dual perspective introduced by Grammy-winning artist Olivia Dean. The track, which functions as a dialogue regarding the dissolution of a partnership, was released as a remix last June.
The duo showcased the song live at a London Stadium performance, which subsequently gained immense traction online. This achievement marks Fender’s inaugural number one, while serving as Dean’s second chart-topping hit. The pair also secured records for the longest consecutive time in the UK top 40 and the most weeks spent in the UK top 10 for a non-Christmas release.
Looking ahead, the artists have one final milestone to reach: the overall record for the longest-running number one, currently held by Frankie Laine’s 1953 hit, I Believe, which maintained the top spot for 18 weeks.
