Raindance
by Dave (featuring Tems)

Album: The Boy Who Played the Harp (2025)
Charted: 1
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Raindance" is a love song with thunder in the distance. Dave has never been one to hand out his emotions cheaply (this is, after all, the man who once turned therapy sessions into a Mercury-Prize-winning album, but here he lets his guard down. It's a slow, vulnerable back-and-forth between him and Nigerian singer Tems, a kind of emotional pas de deux under gray skies.
  • The song plays like an evolving conversation. Dave starts cautiously, circling around the idea of connection, telling a story that moves from guarded small talk ("you was hardly talking") to trust. Tems answers him with choruses that soften the edges, singing about love as an act of emotional refuge.

    Together they create a world where two souls find rhythm and navigate desire under the same storm, hence the title "Raindance," which never appears in the lyrics but soaks through the atmosphere.
  • The production matches that duality: Afrobeat-influenced drums contrasting with Jo Caleb's piano chords, creating a soundscape that mirrors the push and pull of romantic tension. It's the work of Dave's go-to beatmaker and childhood friend Kyle Evans, his engineer Jonny Leslie and Jo Caleb, the same trio behind "Sprinter" with Central Cee. Dave co-produced the track under his Santan moniker.
  • "Raindance" appears on The Boy Who Played the Harp, whose title nods to the biblical story of David soothing Saul's tormented spirit with music.
  • "Raindance" continues Dave's quiet tradition of weaving his Nigerian heritage into his work. Tems becomes the fourth Nigerian artist he's collaborated with, following Burna Boy ("Location"), Wizkid ("System"), and Boj ("Lazarus").
  • The "Raindance" video was shot in Lagos, Nigeria. The intimate scenes and close-up chemistry spawned widespread speculation that Dave and Tems might be romantically involved.
  • TikTok creator @zoebaptistee shared a dance challenge set to the song's bridge on December 14, 2025. The clip amassed millions of views, helping the song sustain its momentum throughout the Christmas season.
  • "Raindance" climbed to #1 on the UK Official Singles Chart in late January 2026 after spending around three months in the chart since its October release. It was Dave's fourth UK #1 single (following "Funky Friday," "Starlight" and "Sprinter" with Central Cee) and Tems' first UK chart-topper.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Wedding Bell Blues

Wedding Bell BluesSong Writing

When a song describes a wedding, it's rarely something to celebrate - with one big exception.

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee JonesSongwriter Interviews

Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.

Sarah Brightman

Sarah BrightmanSongwriter Interviews

One of the most popular classical vocalists in the land is lining up a trip to space, which is the inspiration for many of her songs.

Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers

Bill Medley of The Righteous BrothersSongwriter Interviews

Medley looks back on "Unchained Melody" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" - his huge hits from the '60s that were later revived in movies.

Bill Withers

Bill WithersSongwriter Interviews

Soul music legend Bill Withers on how life experience and the company you keep leads to classic songs like "Lean On Me."

The Police

The PoliceFact or Fiction

Do their first three albums have French titles? Is "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" really meaningless? See if you can tell in this Fact or Fiction.