Sam Fender and Olivia Dean are currently holding their ground at the summit of the Official Singles Chart. After securing his first-ever Number 1 last Friday, Fender’s duet "Rein Me In" is on track for a second week at the top. This victory comes as the track—now a BRIT Award nominee for Song of the Year—celebrates its status as a record-breaker for the most consecutive weeks in the Top 40 before finally reaching the peak.
The momentum of "Rein Me In" is heavily bolstered by the artists' formidable presence on the live circuit. Fender’s rise to the top follows a period of intense fan engagement, with his live delivery of the anthem becoming a cornerstone of his recent appearances. As the midweek standings hold steady, the track faces stiff competition from Olivia Dean’s solo effort "So Easy (To Fall In Love)" and Zara Larsson’s "Lush Life," yet Fender remains the favorite to retain the crown.
The power of live music is also evident in the surge of the boyband December 10. Formed on the Netflix series Simon Cowell: The Next Act, the seven-piece group is on the verge of its first-ever Top 40 breakthrough. Their debut single, "Run My Way," is currently sitting at Number 13. This chart peak coincides perfectly with the band’s final day of their UK and Ireland tour, with the group wrapping up their live dates today as fans flood streaming platforms to celebrate the tour’s conclusion.
Elsewhere, the dance floor is driving Milky toward a historic Top 10 finish. The Mall Grab remix of "Just The Way You Are" has reinvigorated the 2002 hit, turning it into a modern club staple. Its ascent to Number 10 is a direct result of its ubiquity in recent DJ sets and live electronic shows. Meanwhile, artists like Mumford & Sons and Lana Del Rey are also seeing early sales and streaming reports translate into potential Top 40 positions, rounding out a week where the energy of the stage is clearly dictating the rhythm of the charts.
