Sam Fender and Olivia Dean's "Rein Me In" Breaks a 21st-Century Record
Spending 18 weeks at Number One on the UK's Official Singles Chart, "Rein Me In" has become the longest-running Number One single of the 21st century. A collaboration born spontaneously at a stadium show, it has propelled both British artists' careers to new heights.
Sam Fender's June 2025 concert at London Stadium was unforgettable for many reasons. It came in the middle of the promotional run for his Mercury Prize-winning album 'People Watching' and was the biggest headline show of his career to date. But the most enduring moment came midway through the set, when the album's deep cut "Rein Me In" played and the night's opening act, Olivia Dean, walked out to deliver a brand-new verse.
The song now sits in record territory on the UK's Official Singles Chart: after 18 weeks at Number One, it has become the longest-running Number One single of the 21st century, surpassing Drake's "Hotline Bling." On the all-time list, it now ties Frankie Laine's "I Believe," which matched the same run back in 1953.
In February, it won Song of the Year at the BRIT Awards, an honor decided by public vote; Dean and Fender accepted the award together in Manchester. In early May, Dean returned the favor by bringing Fender out as a guest at her O2 Arena shows.
Fender told Genius he wrote the song five years ago as a solo track and has "consistently loved it" ever since. Its narrative of regret and excess also touches on moments from his own life.
Dean, meanwhile, transformed the song entirely with an original second verse she co-wrote with Max Wolfgang, turning a self-pitying tirade into an open dialogue: "I see the tears of a man too proud to reach out a hand." According to Polydor A&R director Richard O'Donovan, the team was "completely floored" when Dean's version came in.