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Rainbow album cover

Album · 1999

Rainbow

by Mariah Carey

Rainbow is a 1999 pop album by Mariah Carey. It runs 15 tracks across 59 minutes on Columbia.

Pop · Contemporary R&B · Hip-Hop

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65 /100
11 critics
15
Tracks
59 min
Runtime
112 bpm
Tempo
D# major
Key

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Critics

11 publications

Scores collected from the English Wikipedia ratings box (CC BY-SA). Ratings belong to the publications; follow a link to read the review.

Cover art

3 credits

Rainbow cover art
Design
Ian Cuttler
Photography
David LaChapelle
Art direction
Christopher Austopchuk

Tracklist

15 tracks · 59 min

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About

Rainbow is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, released on November 2, 1999, by Columbia Records. The album followed the same pattern as Carey's previous album, Butterfly (1997), in which she began her transition into the R&B market. Rainbow contains a mix of hip-hop-influenced R&B jams, as well as a variety of slow ballads. On the album, Carey worked with David Foster and Diane Warren, who replaced Walter Afanasieff, the main balladeer Carey worked with throughout the 90s. As a result of her separation from her husband, Tommy Mottola, Carey had more control over the musical style of this album, so she collaborated with several artists such as Jay-Z, Usher, and Snoop Dogg.

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On Carey's previous album, Butterfly, she began incorporating several other genres, including R&B and hip-hop, into her musical repertoire. In order to further push her musical horizons, Carey featured Jay-Z on the album's lead single, the first time in her career that another artist was featured on one of her lead singles. Carey wrote ballads that were closer to R&B than pop for this album, and worked with Snoop Dogg and Usher on songs such as "Crybaby" and "How Much," both of which featured strong R&B beats and grooves. Several of the ballads that Carey wrote during this period, including "Thank God I Found You" (written with Terry Lewis) and "After Tonight" (written with Diane Warren), mirrored sentiments she experienced in her personal life. Upon release, Rainbow received mixed to positive reviews from contemporary music critics. While many celebrated Carey's continued musical departure from her adult contemporary past, some felt the album was not as strong or as distinct as Butterfly. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, with first week sales of over 323,000. It was her first album in years to not reach number one. Rainbow was certified triple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments of over three million copies within the United States. Outside the US, the album debuted atop the charts in France, and within the top five in Australia, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, and Switzerland. In Europe, Rainbow was certified platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), denoting shipments of over one million copies throughout the continent. Five singles were released from the album: two worldwide international releases, two promotional releases, and one European single. The album's lead single, "Heartbreaker", featured Jay-Z. The song became Carey's fourteenth chart topper on the Billboard Hot 100, and topped the charts in Canada, New Zealand, and Spain. "Thank God I Found You", featuring Joe and 98 Degrees, was the second single released from the album. The song peaked atop the chart in the US, becoming Carey's fifteenth song to do so, and achieved moderate international charting. The next two singles, "Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme) and "Crybaby"—featuring Snoop Dogg—were released as a double A-side. The songs were at the center of a public feud in between Carey and Sony due to Sony's alleged weak promotion of the singles. Carey's cover of Phil Collins "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" was released in Europe, topping the charts in Ireland and becoming Carey's second chart topper in the United Kingdom.

In brief

When was Rainbow released?
Rainbow was released in 1999 on Columbia.
How many tracks are on Rainbow?
Rainbow has 15 tracks, with a runtime of 59 minutes.
What genre is Rainbow?
Rainbow is catalogued under Pop, Contemporary R&B, Hip-Hop.
What BPM is Rainbow?
Rainbow runs at a median tempo of 112 BPM across its tracks, most often in D# major, measured from audio analysis.
What albums are similar to Rainbow?
Listeners of Rainbow also rate Sweetener by Ariana Grande, Rhythm Nation 1814 by Janet Jackson, Talk That Talk by Rihanna.