Mary Mary Tops America's Gospel Charts With #1 Gospel Song, 'God in Me,' & #1 Gospel Album, The Sound

The Grammy Award winning duo Mary Mary holds both the nation's #1 Gospel Song and #1 Gospel Album positions this week as "God In Me," the latest smash single from the group's chart-topping The Sound, rockets from #6 to #1 on the Billboard Gospel Songs chart.

The Sound has occupied the #1 slot on the Billboard Gospel Album chart for more than six months since its release in October 2008 and has been #1 for 15 consecutive weeks beginning April 19. The Sound has also spent four weeks at #1 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart.

Featuring Kierra "Kiki" Sheard, "God In Me," perhaps the first gospel record to deploy an auto-tune, continues Mary Mary's visionary blending of urban, hip-hop, soul, funk and pop elements with the power and conviction of their Christian message.

Mary Mary performed "God In Me," with guest artist Queen Latifah, at the 2009 BET Awards, where the pair was named this year's Best Gospel Artist.

2009 has been a banner year for Mary Mary. "Get Up," the lead single from The Sound, earned the duo 2009's Best Gospel Performance Grammy (their second overall) and a 2009 Dove Award (the pair's seventh to-date) for Urban Recorded Song of the Year. Mary Mary also took this year's NAACP Image Award for Best Gospel Artist (Traditional or Contemporary).

Heralded as "Praiseworthy" by People magazine, The Sound peaked at #1 on a variety of Billboard Christian and Gospel albums charts shortly after its release in October 2008. The Sound entered the Billboard Top 200 at #7, giving Mary Mary their highest charting -- and second Top 10 -- album on that chart (2005's Mary Mary peaked at #8 on the Top 200). Mary Mary and The Sound achieved one of the highest chart debuts on the Top 200 of any gospel album released in 2008. A bona-fide crossover smash, The Sound made a "Hot Shot" debut on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart at #2.

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CONTACT: Andre Morris, +1-212-833-5072, 212-833-8536 (fax),
andre.morris@sonymusic.com, or Yvette Noel-Schure, +1-212-833-4483,
yvette.noel-schure@sonymusic.com, both of Columbia Records