Sam Fender and Olivia Dean have achieved one of the biggest chart milestones in modern British music. Their emotional duet “Rein Me In” has officially become the longest-running Number 1 single by a British act in Official Charts history, cementing its place among the UK’s most iconic hits.
What makes the achievement even more remarkable is that the song was never an overnight success. Instead, it slowly built momentum through live performances, streaming, radio support, and word-of-mouth, eventually rewriting multiple Official Charts records along the way.
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From its origins as a deeply personal album track to becoming an award-winning global hit, “Rein Me In” has enjoyed one of the most extraordinary chart journeys of the decade.
How Sam Fender and Olivia Dean’s ‘Rein Me In’ Started as an Album Track Before Making UK Chart History
“Rein Me In” was originally written by Sam Fender, with the duet version also crediting Olivia Dean and Max Wolfgang as co-writers. The song first appeared on Fender’s third studio album, People Watching, released around early 2025.
The original version explores Fender’s fear of commitment and self-sabotage in romantic relationships, focusing on his tendency to push people away while fearing being “reined in” by love. Musically, the track blends heartland rock with jazzy influences, featuring prominent piano and saxophone arrangements. The duet version runs approximately 5 minutes and 37–39 seconds.
Everything changed when the duet remix was released on 20 June 2025 through Polydor. Olivia Dean brought a new perspective to the lyrics, transforming the song into a conversation between two people reflecting on the end of a relationship.
Fender later credited Dean’s contribution with making the song feel more universal and emotionally accessible, while Dean described it as her favorite song from the album.
The Live Performance That Sparked the Viral Success of ‘Rein Me In’
The collaboration gained significant attention before its official release.
Sam Fender and Olivia Dean, who had been touring together with Dean opening for Fender, first performed the duet live during Fender’s London Stadium concert on 6 June 2025. Videos from the performance quickly spread across social media, introducing the collaboration to a much wider audience.
The pair later performed the song again at St. James’ Park, further fueling its popularity. The official music video, built around footage from the London Stadium debut, arrived alongside the single and helped maintain the growing momentum.
Streaming numbers, strong sales, radio support, and the emotional impact of those live performances all contributed to one of the most remarkable chart climbs in recent memory.
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Official Timeline of Sam Fender and Olivia Dean’s Record-Breaking UK Chart Run
| Date / Period | Event | Official Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Early 2025 | Original release | Featured on People Watching |
| 6 June 2025 | First live duet | Performed at London Stadium |
| 20 June 2025 | Duet released | Released via Polydor |
| Initial chart week | UK Singles Chart debut | Entered at No. 86 |
| Following week | Major climb | Rose to No. 6 |
| Week ending 26 February 2026 | Reached No. 1 | Took 35 weeks to reach the top |
| 2026 | Brit Awards | Won Song of the Year |
‘Rein Me In’ Breaks Multiple Official Charts Records
The chart statistics tell an extraordinary story.
After debuting at No. 86, the duet jumped to No. 6 the following week, becoming Sam Fender’s fourth Top 10 hit and Olivia Dean’s second consecutive Top 10.
The biggest milestone came when the song finally reached No. 1 in its 35th week on the chart during the week ending 26 February 2026.
That achievement broke the record for the slowest climb to No. 1, surpassing Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud,” which previously needed 19 weeks in the Top 40 before reaching the summit.
The success did not stop there.
“Rein Me In” spent 16 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1, overtaking Wet Wet Wet’s “Love Is All Around,” which held the British record with 15 weeks in 1994. The song also tied Bryan Adams’ “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” on 16 weeks, trailing only Frankie Laine’s “I Believe,” which spent 18 weeks at No. 1 in 1953.
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It also became the male-female duet with the most weeks at No. 1, surpassing Rihanna and Jay-Z’s “Umbrella,” which spent 10 weeks at the top.
Among its additional UK achievements, the song set records for the longest consecutive run inside the Top 40 and the most weeks inside the Top 10 for any non-Christmas single. By mid-2026, it had remained on the chart for more than 50 weeks.
The song also earned the Brit Award for Song of the Year in 2026. It became Sam Fender’s first UK No. 1 single and Olivia Dean’s second, following “Man I Need.”
Global Chart Performance Shows the Song’s Worldwide Appeal
While the UK remained its biggest success story, “Rein Me In” also performed strongly internationally.
The duet reached No. 1 in both Australia and Ireland, giving Olivia Dean her second chart-topper in each country. In Australia, she also achieved the rare feat of having three simultaneous Top 10 singles.
Elsewhere, the song peaked at No. 2 in New Zealand, reached No. 39 on the Billboard Global 200, and performed well across several European airplay charts.
In the United States, it reached No. 64 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Sam Fender’s first Hot 100 entry while also enjoying stronger performances on Rock and Adult Pop airplay charts. It was also noted as the first single to spend 16 weeks at No. 1 in the UK without reaching the US Top 40.
As of the latest available figures, the single has been certified 3× Platinum in the UK with 1.8 million units, alongside multi-Platinum certifications in Australia and New Zealand and Gold certification in the United States.
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Its combination of heartfelt songwriting, Olivia Dean’s fresh perspective, unforgettable live performances, sustained streaming, and widespread radio support has made “Rein Me In” one of the defining UK chart success stories of the mid-2020s.
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