Sam Fender and Olivia Dean have made chart history after their song Rein Me In became the longest-running number one single of all time by a British act.
With 16 weeks at the top of the UK charts, the duet has surpassed Wet Wet Wet’s Love is All Around from 1994 and equalled Canadian singer Bryan Adams’ (Everything I Do) I Do It For You.
Fender, who originally released the track on his third solo album more than a year ago, said watching the song break chart records has “been ridiculous” and “an excuse to party”.
He also credited Grammy winner Dean, saying: “Olivia putting the alternative narrative on it made the song really universal – that opened the floodgates. There’s two sides to the story. And, it’s a toe tapper! It’s officially a banger!”
The duet was released in June last year as a remix of Fender’s solo album track.
It is a two-way conversation about the end of a relationship, with Fender noting previously that the song is “all the better” for Dean’s input.
Fender and Dean debuted the collaboration in early June during one of Fender’s London Stadium shows, with the video of their performance going viral on social media.
Rein Me In is Fender’s first number one, while the pop-rock ballad is Dean’s second chart-topper after the success of her single Man I Need.
The pair also broke more records on Friday, achieving the longest consecutive run in the UK top 40 and the most weeks in the UK top 10 for any non-Christmas single.
There is one record left for the pair to break – the record for the longest running number one by any artist, which is currently held by American Frankie Laine, whose song I Believe spent 18 weeks at the top of the charts in 1953.
