"Sprinter" is a song by British rappers

Dave Dave may refer to: Film, television, and theater * ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver * ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film * Dave (TV channel), a digital television channel in the ...

and

Central Cee Oakley Neil H. T. Caesar-Su (born 4 June 1998), known professionally as Central Cee, is a British rapper and songwriter from Shepherd's Bush, London. He rose to prominence in 2020 with the release of the singles "Day in the Life" and "Loading". ...

. It was released on 1 June 2023 through Neighbourhood and Live Yours, and included on the collaborative and fifth overall EP ''

Split Decision A split decision (SD) is a winning criterion in boxing, most commonly in full-contact combat sports, in which two of the three judges score one particular competitor as the winner, while the third judge scores for the other competitor. A split de ...

'', released four days later. It debuted at number one in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, becoming Dave's third number-one single and Central Cee's first. The single also became the longest-running number-one rap song in the UK, holding the position for 10 weeks. It also topped the charts in Australia, Ireland, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Switzerland.

Background

The song was first teased by Cee on his

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stories on 18 March 2023, revealing that Dave had just sent him an audio file. They were also spotted in the studio together on 10 May. It marks only the second time the two have teamed up on a song, the last one being a remix of "Spirit Bomb" (2016) by

AJ Tracey Ché Wolton Grant (born 4 March 1994), known professionally as AJ Tracey, is a British rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is from Ladbroke Grove, West London. Tracey rose to popularity in 2016 and was listed by ''The Guardian'' ...

Commercial performance

"Sprinter" debuted at number one on the

, marking the biggest opening week of the year. The track opened with 108,200 chart units in its first tracking week alongside 13.4 million streams, the biggest week of streams for a rap single ever in UK history. Furthermore, the track peaked at number one in Australia after selling 13,000 units in its first tracking week. The track also peaked at number one in Ireland, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Switzerland while it peaked in the top ten of the ''Billboard'' Global 200 and the US

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

. In Canada, "Sprinter" debuted at number five on the Canadian Hot 100 on 17 June 2023, becoming the highest peaking

British hip hop British hip hop, also known as UK hip hop or UK rap, is a genre of music, and a culture that covers a variety of styles of hip hop music made in the United Kingdom. It is generally classified as one of a number of styles of R&B/Hip-Hop. Briti ...

single of all-time, surpassing M.I.A.'s 2008 song, " Paper Planes" which reached number seven.

Composition

"Sprinter" sees the rappers trading "laid-back" verses over a "

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-tinged, summer-ready" beat characterised by "chopped-up

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and wordless

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vocals". David Renshaw of ''

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'' thought the track was distinguished by "bright wordplay and good vibes", while the lyrics talk about the "age-old problem" of partying with too many girls that a whole van is needed to transport them. Robin Murray of '' Clash'' opined that the song "sits somewhere between

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and broader UK rap flavours" and allows the rappers "to do their thing".

Music video

The music video, released on 2 June, switches between

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and

South France Southern France, also known as the South of France or colloquially in French as , is a defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi atlantique'', A ...

. Scenes in

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were filmed in late May 2023. The video features a cameo by Nigerian artist Slawn. The rappers are seen showcasing the perks of their lifestyle, showing off diamonds and other valuables.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{Central Cee 2023 singles 2023 songs Central Cee songs Dave (rapper) songs Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Music videos shot in France Music videos shot in London Number-one singles in Australia Number-one singles in New Zealand Number-one singles in Switzerland Songs written by Central Cee Songs written by Dave (rapper) UK Singles Chart number-one singles