Sam Fender and Olivia Dean Secure Historic Number One with ‘Rein Me In’

Sam Fender has officially secured his first-ever Number One single as his soul-stirring collaboration with Olivia Dean, ‘Rein Me In’, finally summits the UK Singles Chart.

A Record-Breaking Ascent

In a testament to the track’s enduring "slow-burn" appeal, ‘Rein Me In’ has shattered the record for the longest climb to the top spot in chart history. Since its release last June, the single spent 35 consecutive weeks in the Top 40 before hitting Number One today (February 20). This eclipses the previous record of 19 weeks set by Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’ back in 2014.

The achievement marks a career-high for Fender, surpassing the Number Three peak of his 2021 anthem ‘Seventeen Going Under’.

Olivia Dean's Chart Dominance' 

While Fender celebrates his first chart-topper, Olivia Dean is currently enjoying a rare moment of total market saturation. The London singer-songwriter currently occupies three of the top four spots in the country:

• No. 1: ‘Rein Me In’ (with Sam Fender)
• No. 2: ‘So Easy (To Fall In Love)’
• No. 4: ‘Man I Need’

This extraordinary three song presence in the Top 5 is a feat rarely seen, there have only been a handful of artists who've ever achieved this. She's arguably British finest musical export at the minute.

Brit Awards Fever

The chart success of ‘Rein Me In’ serves as a massive boost ahead of the Brit Awards, where both stars are heavily nominated. The single itself is up for Song of the Year, where it will ironically compete against Dean’s other hit, ‘Man I Need’.

The duo's broader impact on the industry is reflected in several major categories:

• Album of the Year: Both Fender’s ‘People Watching’ and Dean’s ‘The Art of Loving’ are shortlisted for the night’s biggest prize.
• British Artist of the Year: Both stars are nominated for the prestigious flagship award.
• Genre Categories: Fender is in the running for Best Alternative/Rock Act, while Dean is nominated for Best Pop Ac

"The Music Doing the Talking"

Reflecting on the track's marathon journey to the summit, Fender told BBC Radio 1:
"I guess it's the internet; it travelled online and people came to it later. It’s wonderful, really, because it’s the music doing the talking."

The track is a reimagined duet of a standout from Fender’s Mercury Prize-winning third album, ‘People Watching’. By adding a new verse written from a female perspective, the song transformed into a poignant lyrical dialogue. Fender noted the new version was "all the better" for the Grammy winner’s input, stating, "Olivia made the song her own, and it took on a life of its own after we did it together."

From the London Stadium to St James’ Park

The collaboration was solidified by two iconic live performances that fans have dubbed the "home and away legs." The pair gave the ballad its live debut at the London Stadium, home to Dean’s beloved West Ham United.

In a poetic reciprocal gesture, Dean joined Fender onstage a week later at St James’ Park to perform for his hometown Newcastle United crowd. It was a fitting celebration for a song, and a partnership, that has now officially conquered the nation.

A Cultural Shift

The success of ‘Rein Me In’ feels like a significant "moment" for the UK music scene. For years, the Singles Chart has been largely dominated by formulaic, high-gloss pop and viral samples engineered by committee. While we’ve seen brilliant, uncompromising artists like Dave break through to the top, the "guitar act" has often felt like an endangered species at Number One.

In fact, it is a rare feat for a track rooted in indie-rock sensibilities to reach the summit. While solo artists with guitars have seen success, Ed Sheeran, and Lewis Capaldi the band driven sound, built on raw emotion and live instrumentation, has struggled to compete with the streaming-optimized pop machine. The last significant guitar act from Britain I can remember topping the charts are the Arctic Monkeys with 'I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor' (2005) and 'When the Sun Goes Down' (2006)

Sam Fender’s ascent, alongside Olivia Dean’s profound impact on the Top 5, suggests a palpable "change in the air."

Dean’s presence is particularly significant; holding three of the top four spots is a "monopoly" usually reserved for global juggernauts like Taylor Swift.  By achieving this with music that feels organic and deeply personal, Dean and Fender are proving that the British public might be craving more than just "generic pop."

As Fender noted, it’s about "the music doing the talking." In an era of 15-second TikTok hooks, a 35-week slow-burn to Number One for a melancholic ballad is more than just a chart statistic, it’s a victory for artistic patience and genuine songwriting.