The 2000 re-release which was used for promotion of Thankful
"Shackles (Praise You)" is the debut single by American
gospel singer-songwriter duo
Mary Mary, released on February 29, 2000, in the United States. It is considered the group's
signature song[according to whom?] and one of the
best-selling gospel songs of all time. Stan North of GospelFlava.com deemed it one of the pioneer songs of urban gospel music.[1] The song was originally released as a promotional single for their debut album, Thankful, in 1999. They both feature the same track listing but different album covers, the second using a picture of the duo.
"Shackles" became a top-10 hit in several countries around the world, including Australia, Denmark, Iceland, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom, and it charted well in other major music markets. Mary Mary later shot a
music video for the song. A sample of this song was featured on
Stormzy's song titled "Rainfall", which was a part of his 2019 album Heavy Is the Head.
Critical reception
Like many contemporary gospel songs, "Shackles" was not without its criticism; many cited the song as being too modern and not staying true to its gospel roots. Mary Mary responded by saying, "It's definitely contemporary. It's music that everybody in any style of music can relate to. It's universal, but the lyrics are undeniably Gospel."[2]
Commercial performance
"Shackles (Praise You)" became a top-40 hit in the United States, peaking at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was also a worldwide hit, reaching number five in the United Kingdom and number 17 in Ireland. Across mainland Europe, the song was a top-10 hit in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Norway. It also charted strongly in France, Poland, Sweden, and Switzerland, peaking within the top 20. In Australia, the song reached number two in September 2000 and was the highest-selling song of the year that did not reach the number-one spot, coming in at number 10 on Australia's year-end chart for 2000.
Usage in media
The song was featured in the
first season of RuPaul's Drag Race, being performed by contestants Rebecca Glasscock and
Shannel in a "lipsync for your life", as well as in its
thirteenth season, performed by Denali and Olivia Luxx.
The song was featured in the third episode of the third season of American sitcom
Abbott Elementary, as performed by
Sheryl Lee Ralph.
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
^Shackles (Praise You) (US maxi-CD single liner notes). Mary Mary. C2Records, Columbia Records. 2000. 44K 79347.{{
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^Shackles (Praise You) (US 12-inch single sleeve). Mary Mary. C2Records, Columbia Records. 2000. 44 79347.{{
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^Shackles (Praise You) (US cassette single sleeve). Mary Mary. C2Records, Columbia Records. 2000. 38T 79303.{{
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^Shackles (Praise You) (Australian CD single liner notes). Mary Mary. Columbia Records. 2000. 669483 2.{{
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^Shackles (Praise You) (European CD1 liner notes). Mary Mary. Columbia Records. 2000. COL 669200 1.{{
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^Shackles (Praise You) (European CD2 liner notes). Mary Mary. Columbia Records. 2000. COL 669200 2.{{
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^Shackles (Praise You) (UK CD1 liner notes). Mary Mary. Columbia Records. 2000. 669420 2.{{
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^Shackles (Praise You) (UK CD2 liner notes). Mary Mary. Columbia Records. 2000. 669420 5.{{
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^Shackles (Praise You) (UK cassette single sleeve). Mary Mary. Columbia Records. 2000. 669420-4.{{
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