Sam Fender has broken a decade-long chart record on the way to scoring his first U.K. No. 1 single on Friday (Feb. 20).
“Rein Me In,” which features guest vocals from Olivia Dean, has racked up the longest consecutive run in the top 40 before hitting the No. 1 spot in U.K. chart history. The track has seen a 35-week ascent on the Official Singles Chart (18 of which have been in the top 10) and surpasses Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud,” which finally hit No. 1 after a 19-week rise in 2014.
The track first featured on Fender’s third LP, People Watching, which hit No. 1 on the U.K’s Official Albums Chart and was the fastest selling album by a British artist in 2025. Following a duet between Fender and Dean in June at his 80,000-capacity London Stadium show, “Rein Me In” was reissued with Dean’s vocals and featured on a deluxe version of the LP.
“The slow-burn rise of ‘Rein Me In’ has been deeply satisfying to watch. From the moment the song had its live debut at London Stadium last summer, it was clear it had real magic about it,” Ben Mortimer, president of Polydor Label Group, said in a statement. “But it’s simply taken a life of its own in the last few weeks. Its success is testament to the quality of the song and the wonderful performances by both Sam and Olivia. At Polydor Label Group, we count ourselves incredibly lucky to be working with two of the most important artists of their generation. And to have them united on one song together, reaching the milestone of a No. 1 single together, is a phenomenal accomplishment.”
It makes for Dean’s second U.K. No. 1 single after “Man I Need” hit the top spot in 2025. Fender’s previous high on the Official Singles Chart came in 2021 with “Seventeen Going Under” (No. 3), while People Watching’s title track peaked at No. 4. The tune will compete in the song of the year category at the Feb. 28 BRIT Awards, with Dean up for five awards in total and Fender up for four.
Dean appears twice more inside the top five this week with “So Easy (To Fall In Love With Me)” hitting a new peak at No. 2 and “Man I Need” lifting four places week-on-week to No. 4.
Zara Larsson lands two entries inside the top 10 with 2016 track “Lush Life” up to No. 3, which equals its original peak a decade ago, and as a guest on PinkPantheress’ “Stateside” (No. 9). Bad Bunny‘s “DTMF,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 dated Feb. 21, falls one place to No. 5.
Leave a comment