THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

282-Mary Mary-Shackles (Praise You.)

2000-Number 5 single.

Best Bit-At 2.34. So good they named them twice.

‘Mary Mary’ are the female American ‘Urban Contemporary Gospel’ duo composed of the sisters Erica Campbell, who was born Erica Monique Atkins, on April 29th, 1972, in Inglewood, California, United States, and Tina Campbell, who was born Trecina Evette Atkins, on May 1st, 1974, also in Inglewood, California, They both married men called Campbell, (who are unrelated) which is why they both have the same surname. The Atkin sisters grew up in a family of eight children, and were brought up by very religious parents, their mother, Thomasina is an Evangelist, and choir director, and their father, Eddie, who died in 2013, was a member of the ‘Church of God in Christ’. On signing their contract to ‘Columbia Records’ in 1999, the sisters decided to perform as ‘Mary Mary,’ taking their name from two famous Mary’s from the Bible, ‘Mary mother of Jesus,’ and ‘Mary Magdalene,’ a follower of Jesus.

The discography of Mary Mary includes five studio Albums released between 2000-2011, and 24 singles released as the lead artist, and a further five singles released as a featured artist between 1998-2016, there is also one official compilation Album, and one ‘Holiday (Christmas) Album available. In America on the Billboard 200 Album chart, there final four studio Albums to date have all reached the top 20, with their fourth ‘The Sound,’ peaking the highest at Number 7 in 2008, while as the lead artist ‘Shackles,’ which reached Number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, remains as their only hit single to date, although they have also appeared on the charity single ‘We Are the World 25 for Haiti,’ released in 2010, which made Number 2. Mary Mary have had great success on the Billboard ‘Hot Gospel Songs’ chart, with 18 of the singles they have appeared on making that charts top 40, with six of those tracks including ‘Shackles’ all reaching Number 1. In the UK, Mary Mary have charted twice within the top 40 singles chart, with ‘Shackles,’ (2000-Number 5) and the follow up ‘I Sings’ (2000-Number 32.) Erica Campbell and Trecina Campbell have both also released solo material. Erica has released three studio Albums between 2014-2023, and Trecina has released two studio Albums between 2015-2017.

‘Shackles’ was the debut singles, and the first of two singles released from ‘Thankful,’ the debut studio Album by Mary Mary, from May 2000, the song was co-written by Erica Atkins, and Trecina Atkins, along with the songs producer Warryn Campbell, who married Erica in 2001. ‘Shackles’ samples the much sampled 1984 track ‘Don’t Look Any Further,’ (1984-Billboard Number 72 & UK Number 45) by Dennis Edwards (1943-2018) (see also best songs 1001-777 and 569) featuring Siedah Garrett, and therefore that songs writers Dennis Lambert, (see also best songs 197) Franne Golde, and Duane Hitchings, also receive writing credits.

‘Shackles’ was produced by Warryn Campbell, who was born Warryn Stafford Campbell, Jr. on August 21st, 1975, in Los Angeles, California, United States, he has worked with a number of ‘Gospel,’ ‘Hip-Hop,’ and ‘R&B’ artists, including Kanye West, (see also best songs 1049-636-477 and 267) Missy Elliott, (see also best songs 691) and Alicia Keys. Warryn Campbell who is the winner of nine ‘Grammy Awards’ for his production work, including for the Mary Mary Album ‘Thankful,’ played all the instruments on ‘Shackles,’ as well as co-writing and producing the song. He married Erica Atkins in 2001, and they have three children. Campbell is currently the Pastor of California Worship Center, of San Fernando, CA.

‘Shackles’ is an ‘Urban Contemporary Gospel’ song, the genre is also known as ‘Urban Gospel Music,’ ‘Urban Gospel Pop,’ or just simply ‘Urban Gospel,’ and is a modern sub-genre of Gospel music. It is Protestant hymns and African-American spirituals that make up the basic source material for traditional black Gospel music, which in turn is the most significant source of Urban/Contemporary Gospel. Urban/Contemporary Gospel has kept the spiritual focus of the traditional black Gospel music, but uses modern musical forms. ‘Shackles (Praise You’) can be considered a ‘boundary breaking’ song. It’s message is from the ‘Gospel’ genre, but it became a crossover hit because of it’s R&B melody. The song is one of only a few that has received extensive exposure on ‘MTV,’ and significant airplay on many ‘Contemporary Christian Music’ radio stations across America. As with many other contemporary Gospel songs ‘Shackles (Praise You’) received a lot of criticism, with many citing the song as too modern, and not staying true to it’s Gospel roots. ‘Mary Mary’ have hit back by saying, ‘It’s music that everybody in any style of music can relate to. It’s universal, but the lyrics are undeniably Gospel.’

‘Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance, I just want to praise you. You broke the chains now I can lift my hands, and I’m gonna praise you, I’m gonna praise you.’