Something Big (Mary Mary album)

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Something Big
Mary-mary-something-big.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 29, 2011
GenreReligious[1]
Length43:50
LabelColumbia
Producer
  • Warryn Campbell (also exec.)
  • Mary Mary (exec.)
  • LaMar "Mars" Edwards
  • Gerald Haddon
  • Jazz Nixon
Mary Mary chronology
The Sound
(2008)
Something Big
(2011)
Go Get It
(2012)
Singles from Something Big
  1. "Walking"
    Released: December 7, 2010
  2. "Survive"
    Released: May 2011

Something Big is the sixth studio album by American duo Mary Mary. It was released on March 29, 2011 by Columbia Records. Originally set to be released on December 14, 2010 under the title OMG,[2] it was not released until 2011. Something Big was primarily written by Mary Mary and produced by Warryn Campbell, along with Jazz Nixon, Gerald Haddon and LaMar "Mars" Edwards.

Critical reception[]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic3/5 stars[1]
Christianity Today8/10 stars[3]
Jesus Freak Hideout4/5 stars[4]
Pop Matters6/10 stars[5]

Something Big received generally positive reviews from critics. Andy Kellman of Allmusic praised the title and opening track "Something Big" for being "a raucous stomper" and its follow-up "Something Bigger" which he notes "increases the energy with super-charged marching-band percussion".[1] Andrea Dawn Goforth of Christianity Today also reviewed the album's opening favourably, with its "exciting march-like drum beat and hooky Timbaland-esque male vocal". Goforth also highlighted the "infectious beats, sweet harmonies, and creative arrangements" on the album[3] while Kellman lent praise to the group's "striking harmonies" on the rich folk-soul gospel that is "Homecoming Glory". Likewise, Josh Langhoff of Pop Matters praised the duo's voices, describing them as "wonderful", writing that they "sing clearly and richly, moving from solo lines to well-arranged harmonies" and that "every note seems perfectly calculated to deliver as much pleasure as possible". However, he noted that if there’s any fault in the music on this album, it’s that vocals and production seem overly-planned and non-outlandish throughout" going on to hail the album as "solid" but on the contrary "frustrating", writing that "it hints at an audacity that its lyrics and music never quite deliver".[5] Similarly Kellman reviewed the "album's second half" less positively than the first, writing that its "relatively dry songs lack the edge of the album’s first half" and so it "sags with plaintively strummed acoustic guitars and churning electric guitars".[1] Kevin Hoskins of Jesus Freak Hideout gave a much more favourable review however, rating the album four out of five stars and describing it as being "much better and more diverse than expected". Hoskins listed "Something Big", "Something Bigger", "Walking", "Homecoming Glory", "Catch Me" and "Sitting With Me" - which was described by Langhoff as "a lovely lilting number" - as particular standouts.[4][5]

Commercial performance[]

The album debuted at number ten on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 42,000 copies in the United States.[6]

Singles[]

The lead single, "Walking", was released digitally on December 7, 2010. The song is currently active on the charts, garnering radio play mainly on Urban, Urban Adult Contemporary, Rhythmic, Gospel and Dance radio formats. In the US it had peaked at #3 on the Hot Gospel Songs, #94 on the Billboard Hot 100, #14 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, #5 on the Hot Dance Club Play, and #57 on the Radio Songs.[7] The song's video was directed by Luga Podesta, best known for shooting recent pop videos for Travie McCoy, Emily Osment and Hey Monday and premiered in late January.[8] The second single, "Survive" has peaked at #51 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[9]

Track listing[]

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Something Big"
3:51
2."Something Bigger"
  • E. Campbell
  • T. Campbell
  • W. Campbell
W. Campbell3:17
3."Blind"
  • Antea Shelton
  • Anesha Birchett
  • W. Campbell
W. Campbell3:34
4."It Is Well"
  • E. Campbell
  • T. Campbell
  • W. Campbell
  • Tammi Haddon
W. Campbell4:00
5."Never Wave My Flag"
  • E. Campbell
  • T. Campbell
  • W. Campbell
  • Matthew Edwards
  • Juan Winans
  • W. Campbell
  • Edwards[b]
3:49
6."Walking"
W. Campbell3:20
7."Slow Walk"
  • E. Campbell
  • T. Campbell
  • W. Campbell
W. Campbbell1:47
8."Survive"
  • Gerald Haddon
  • Asaleana Elliott
  • Derrick "Swol" Ray
  • Aaron Sledge
  • Chris Johnson
  • Haddon
  • W. Campbell
3:39
9."Are You Ready"
  • E. Campbell
  • T. Campbell
  • W. Campbell
W. Campbell3:25
10."Catch Me"
  • Winans
  • Justin Gray
  • W. Campbell
  • Edwards
3:51
11."Sitting with Me"
  • E. Campbell
  • T. Campbell
  • T. Haddon
  • Gerald Haddon
  • Haddon
  • W. Campbell
3:47
12."Homecoming Glory"Alvin LoveW. Campbell5:24
Notes and sample credits[10][11][12][13]

Charts[]

Release history[]

List of release dates, showing region, and label
Region Date Label
United States[19] March 29, 2011
  • Columbia
  • Sony
United Kingdom[20]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Kellman, Andy (March 2011). "Something Big - Mary Mary". Allmusic. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  2. ^ https://live.gamut.fm/listen/artist/6413506f-e22b-412c-9f19-239db7df21f2?slide=2
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Dawn Gorforth, Andrea (March 2011). "Something Big - Music - Christianity Today". Christianity Today. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Hoskins, Kevin (21 March 2011). "Jesusfreakhideout.com: Mary Mary, "Something Big" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c Langhoff, Josh (30 March 2011). "Mary Mary: Something Big < PopMatters". Pop Matters. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  6. ^ Caulfield, Keith (April 6, 2011). "Britney Spears Snares Sixth No. 1 on Billboard 200 with 'Femme Fatale'". Billboard. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
  7. ^ "Walking Chart Information". Billboard Mary Mary Walking. Billboard. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  8. ^ "Walking Video Information". Mary Mary Announce SOMETHING BIG for March 29. PR Newswire. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  9. ^ "Survive : Chart History". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  10. ^ Something Big (liner notes). Mary Mary. Columbia Records. 2011.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ "Walking" Sample of "Here We Go". WhoSampled.com. http://www.whosampled.com/sample/303275/Mary-Mary-Walking-Run-DMC-Here-We-Go-(Live-at-the-Funhouse)/
  12. ^ "Walking" Sample of "Gypsy Woman". WhoSampled.com. http://www.whosampled.com/sample/76677/Mary-Mary-Walking-Crystal-Waters-Gypsy-Woman-(She%27s-Homeless)/
  13. ^ "Survive" Sample of "Never Can Say Goodbye". WhoSampled.com. http://www.whosampled.com/sample/138406/Mary-Mary-Survive-The-Jackson-5-Never-Can-Say-Goodbye/
  14. ^ "Mary Mary Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  15. ^ "Mary Mary Chart History (Top Gospel Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  16. ^ "Mary Mary Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  17. ^ "Top Gospel Albums: Best of 2011". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  18. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2011". Billboard. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  19. ^ "Heat Continues to Rise Around Columbia Records/Myblock Stars Mary Mary in Anticipation of New Album, SOMETHING BIG". Urban Christian News. 8 March 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  20. ^ Byfield, Tahirah Edwards. "Album Information". Mary Mary to release Something Big LP in Spring 2011. Soul Culture. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
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