After teasing it across a handful of his stadium shows, Sam Fender has finally dropped the official duet version of Rein Me In with Olivia Dean in tow.
Suffice to say, the results are just as stormy, tender and anthemic as you’d hope.
The track, originally a solo cut from Fender’s third record People Watching, got the Olivia Dean treatment during his colossal summer shows. first in front of 80,000 at London Stadium, then again twice more in Newcastle. Now, their studio version is here, and it’s as much a punch to the heart as it is a love letter to the kind of songwriting that knows when to burn slow.
Rather than just harmonising over what was already there, Dean rewrote part of the track from a female perspective, flipping the tension in the song into something more reflective, more mutual. It’s not just a feature — it’s a reframe.
“If I collaborate with someone on one of my songs, I want them to make it their own,” Fender said. “Olivia added a female perspective to Rein Me In, and I think it’s all the better for it.”
Dean returned the favour, calling it her favourite track on the album. “I’ve been a fan of Sam’s for a while now,” she added. “It was a pleasure to write a new verse.”
The new video, shot by Daniel Broadley, cuts between the pair’s live stadium performances and backstage moments — all golden-hour lighting and Geordie glory.
It’s another win for Fender, who’s turned People Watching into not just his biggest release yet, but also his most expansive — emotionally, musically, and geographically. With more UK and Irish dates to come, including Manchester, Edinburgh, Belfast and Electric Picnic, he’s not done yet.
And with Olivia Dean’s second album The Art of Loving dropping in September, don’t be surprised if this collab turns into something a bit more permanent.
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