Olivia Dean and Sam Fender have broken chart history with Rein Me In after 19 non-consecutive weeks at the top of the UK singles chart. The melodic love song has now officially broken the longest-standing record in British music history, overtaking a mark set by American crooner Frankie Laine in 1953.
It has become hard to avoid, whether on TikTok, on the radio or even while shopping, but its rise to the top has not been straightforward. Originally released as a solo Fender track and repurposed as a duet in June 2025, it took eight months to reach number one in February this year.
How did the duet help the song reach number one?
The reworking of the track from Fender's third studio album, the Mercury Prize-winning People Watching, added an extra verse from Dean about the breakdown of a relationship from a female perspective. Fender and Dean celebrated winning song of the year at this year's Brit Awards, beating off competition from Lewis Capaldi, Raye and Ed Sheeran.
When the track first reached number one, Fender's first time at the top of the charts, he told BBC Radio 1 it was
"all the better"for having Dean's perspective.
"Olivia made the song her own, and it took on a life of its own after we did it together,"he said.
Dean said when the track came out that the original version of Rein Me In was her
"favourite song on Sam's album"and that it was
"a pleasure to write a new verse from a female perspective".
A lot of the song's success as a duet has been credited to its authenticity, with the lyrics exploring the fallout from the end of a relationship and the difficulties faced by both parties as they try to move on from each other. Fender's verses are described as full of anger and regret at not being able to open up and be the partner he wanted to be, while Dean's are softer and more reflective, encouraging him to try again to make it work.
Why has the song connected with so many listeners?
The track has been described by Blunt Magazine's Jake Fitzpatrick as
"stormy, tender and anthemic"and as a
"love letter to the kind of songwriting that knows when to burn slow". It has also won praise from critics and bloggers, including Cult Following's Ewan Gleadow, who says Dean's addition helps it to find
"a new depth", while noting
"charm is a big part of it too, with all those reflections on where you come from and where you're headed".
Rein Me In was first performed as a duet at the London Stadium in June 2025 as part of Fender's People Watching tour, with live video of the performance going viral on TikTok.
The song's journey has been unusual: it first entered the charts in June 2025, but did not hit the top spot until February 2026, just a week before it was crowned song of the year at the Brit Awards. Three weeks after going to number one, it was knocked off the top spot by Harry Styles' American Girls, but only for seven days.
Since then it has only been briefly superseded by Olivia Rodrigo's Drop Dead and Ariana Grande's Hate That I Made You Love Me. Rein Me In has now spent so long at the top that it has broken every record in UK chart history.
Which records did it surpass?
Wet Wet Wet had previously held the longest-running British chart topper, spending 15 weeks at number one in 1994 with Love Is All Around. Bryan Adams' (Everything I Do) I Do It For You spent 16 weeks at the top in 1991, while Frankie Laine's I Believe achieved 18 weeks at number one in the 1950s. Rein Me In, with 19 non-consecutive weeks at number one, has now overtaken them all.
Ben Mortimer, who runs Fender's label Polydor, described it as a
"historic achievement"from
"two homegrown stars"- Newcastle's Fender and London's Dean.
In his interview with Radio 1, Fender acknowledged the track's slow climb to the top, thanking
"the internet". He also said he found it interesting that the track
"travelled online and people came to it later, which is wonderful really because it's the music that's doing the talking".
How has TikTok helped the song spread?
The song has become a mainstay on TikTok, with a quick scroll through the app showing its use on everything from grand declarations of love to montages of holidays and even compilations of football goals and celebrations. It is also notable that the song first went viral after the pair performed it at a show at the London Stadium, home of Dean's team West Ham, in June last year.
She then returned the favour a week later at Newcastle United's St James Park, performing the song at the home of Fender's footballing love.
While TikTok streams do not count towards the official charts, BBC research from last year explored how much of an effect the platform was having on what people listened to, particularly songs with meaningful and powerful lyrics.
Key Facts
- Rein Me In spent 19 non-consecutive weeks at number one in the UK singles chart.
- It overtook Frankie Laine's I Believe, which had held the record since 1953.
- The duet version was repurposed in June 2025 and reached number one in February 2026.
- The track is from Sam Fender's third studio album, the Mercury Prize-winning People Watching.
- It was first performed as a duet at the London Stadium in June 2025 and later went viral on TikTok.
