"Sprinter" is a song by British rappers
Dave and
Central Cee. The single was released 1 June 2023 through record labels Neighbourhood and Live Yours, and was included on the artist's collaborative EP Split Decision, released four days later. The song's instrumental has been characterized as a "
guitar-led, subtle
drill" beat with
Latin influence.[2][3]
Sprinter debuted at number one in the
UK Singles Chart, becoming Dave's third number-one single and Central Cee's first. The single became the longest-running number-one rap song in the UK, holding the position for 10 weeks.[4] It also topped the charts in Australia, Ireland, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Switzerland. Sprinter was ultimately the most streamed song on
Spotify in the United Kingdom in 2023.[5]
Background
The song was first teased by Cee on his
Instagram stories on 18 March 2023, revealing that Dave had just sent him an audio file.[6] They were also spotted in the studio together on 10 May.[7]
Sprinter 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.[8] Additionally, Dave helped produce the song "End of the Beginning" on the
23 mixtape in 2022.[9]
Composition
"Sprinter" sees the rappers trading "laid-back" verses over a "
Latin-tinged, summer-ready"[3] beat characterised by "chopped-up
acoustic guitars and wordless
operatic vocals".[10]
David Renshaw of The Fader 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.[11] Robin Murray of Clash opined that the song "sits somewhere between
drill and broader UK rap flavours" and allows the rappers "to do their thing".[12]
Music video
The music video, released on 2 June, switches between
London and
South France. Scenes in
Monaco were filmed in late May 2023.[13] The video features a cameo by Nigerian artist Slawn.[6] The rappers are seen showcasing the perks of their lifestyle, showing off diamonds and other valuables.[14]
Commercial performance
United Kingdom
"Sprinter" debuted at number one on the
UK Singles Chart, marking the biggest opening week of the year.[15] 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.[15][16][17] By December 2023, Sprinter had received over 500 million streams on Spotify.[18]
The track peaked at number one in Australia after selling 13,000 units in its first tracking week.[19][20] The track also peaked at number one in Ireland, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Switzerland. In the
United Arab Emirates, the song peaked at number 11.[21]
The song was declared "song of the summer" for 2023 by
UK Charts.[23] In August 2023, a video of American rapper
J. Cole rapping along to Sprinter at record producer
T-Minus' wedding went viral on social media.[24] Former U.S. President
Barack Obama included the song on his annual playlist, which was released in December 2023.[25] At the
MOBO Awards 2024, "Sprinter" won the award for best song.[26] At the
2024 Global Awards "Sprinter" was nominated for Best Song.[27]
^"
ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 202330 into search. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
^"
ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 202330 into search. Retrieved 31 July 2023.