Thankful

The duo was subsequently signed to Columbia Records/C2 Records and decided to perform under the name Mary Mary, honoring Mary, the mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. They were the first gospel act to record for the industry giant Columbia Records since Tramaine Hawkins in the mid-1990s. Their first single, “Shackles (Praise You)” became a crossover hit, being popular with gospel, R&B, and pop audiences. It was a Top 5 R&B and Top 10 pop hit, and peaked at No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It became the first gospel song in five years to crack the R&B top ten and gained wide exposure on the MTV video cable channel. The album was a huge success because it offered a younger, hipper version of gospel that audiences could relate to. Their debut album, Thankful was released in May 2000. It peaked at No. 1 on the Gospel album chart and at No. 59 of the overall Top 200 chart, and was certified Platinum for shipments of one million copies in the USA. It went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album. The second single “I Sings” features rapper BB Jay. Both singles were also hits in the UK and Europe, and to this day remain popular with Christian youths in the US, Latin America, and Europe. Their only Top 10 UK hit to date is “Shackles (Praise You)”, which reached No. 5 in the UK Singles Chart in June 2000. The follow-up “I Sings” peaked at UK No. 32