Something Big (Mary Mary album)

Something Big is the fifth 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 The Return of Thankful, the sequel to their critically acclaimed debut album Thankful (2000), 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.

Something Big
Studio album by Mary Mary
Released	March 29, 2011
Genre	Religious[1]
Length	43:50
Label	Columbia
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
"Walking" Released: December 7, 2010 "Survive" Released: May 2011

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Christianity Today	[2]
Jesus Freak Hideout	[3]
Pop Matters	[4]

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[2] 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".[4] 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.[3][4]

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.[5]

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.[6] 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.[7] The second single, "Survive" has peaked at #51 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[8]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Something Big"	Tina Campbell Erica Campbell Danny Nixon Alphonzo Mizell Berry Gordy Deke Richards Freddie Perren	Nixon Warryn Campbell T. Campbell^[a]	3:51
2.	"Something Bigger"	E. Campbell T. Campbell W. Campbell	W. Campbell	3:17
3.	"Blind"	Antea Shelton Anesha Birchett W. Campbell	W. Campbell	3:34
4.	"It Is Well"	E. Campbell T. Campbell W. Campbell Tammi Haddon	W. Campbell	4:00
5.	"Never Wave My Flag"	E. Campbell T. Campbell W. Campbell Matthew Edwards Juan Winans	W. Campbell Edwards^[b]	3:49
6.	"Walking"	E. Campbell T. Campbell W. Campbell Neal Conway Crystal Waters	W. Campbell	3:20
7.	"Slow Walk"	E. Campbell T. Campbell W. Campbell	W. Campbbell	1:47
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. Campbell	3:25
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 Love	W. Campbell	5:24

Notes and sample credits[9][10][11][12]

• ^{^[a]} denotes vocal producer
• ^{^[b]} denotes co-producer
• "Something Big" contains a sample from "Mama's Pearl", performed by The Jackson 5.
• "It Is Well" contains re-sung lyrics from "It Is Well with My Soul", written by Horatio Spafford & Philip Bliss.
• "Walking" contains replayed elements from "Gypsy Woman", performed by Crystal Waters, and vocals from "Here We Go (Live at the Funhouse)", performed by Run-D.M.C..
• "Survive" contanins replayed bass sample from "Never Can Say Goodbye"m performed by The Jackson 5.

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2011) Peak position US Billboard 200[13] 10 US Top Gospel Albums (Billboard)[14] 2 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[15] 6

Year-end charts Chart (2011) Position US Top Gospel Albums (Billboard)[16] 3

Release history

List of release dates, showing region, and label

Region	Date	Label
United States[17]	March 29, 2011	Columbia Sony
United Kingdom[18]

References

1. Kellman, Andy (March 2011). "Something Big - Mary Mary". Allmusic. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
2. Dawn Gorforth, Andrea (March 2011). "Something Big - Music - Christianity Today". Christianity Today. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
3. Hoskins, Kevin (21 March 2011). "Jesusfreakhideout.com: Mary Mary, "Something Big" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
4. Langhoff, Josh (30 March 2011). "Mary Mary: Something Big < PopMatters". Pop Matters. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
5. Caulfield, Keith (April 6, 2011). "Britney Spears Snares Sixth No. 1 on Billboard 200 with 'Femme Fatale'". Billboard. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
6. "Walking Chart Information". Billboard Mary Mary Walking. Billboard. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
7. "Walking Video Information". Mary Mary Announce SOMETHING BIG for March 29. PR Newswire. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
8. "Survive : Chart History". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
9. Something Big (liner notes). Mary Mary. Columbia Records. 2011.CS1 maint: others (link)
10. "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)/
11. "Walking" Sample of "Gypsy Woman". WhoSampled.com. http://www.whosampled.com/sample/76677/Mary-Mary-Walking-Crystal-Waters-Gypsy-Woman-(She%27s-Homeless)/
12. "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/
13. "Mary Mary Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
14. "Mary Mary Chart History (Top Gospel Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
15. "Mary Mary Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
16. "Top Gospel Albums: Best of 2011". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
17. "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.
18. Byfield, Tahirah Edwards. "Album Information". Mary Mary to release Something Big LP in Spring 2011. Soul Culture. Retrieved 20 March 2011.