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 left by 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 that comprised most of her previous releases. On the album, Carey worked with David Foster and Diane Warren, seemingly replacing Walter Afanasieff, the main balladeer Carey had worked with throughout the 90s. Additionally, since she had taken more control over the style and music she wrote and recorded, Carey collaborated with several musicians such as Jay-Z, Usher and Snoop Dogg.
On Carey's previous album Butterfly, she began incorporating several other genres to her musical repertoire, including R&B and hip-hop. 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, especially a rapper, was featured on a lead single. Additionally, Carey worked with Snoop Dogg and Usher on songs such as "How Much" and "Crybaby", both of which featured strong R&B beats and grooves. However, while Carey felt closely to the music she grew up listening to, she chose to still write ballads that were relate-able, although those that harbored more on R&B than pop. Carey wrote several ballads that she felt mirrored sentiments she experienced during that time in her personal life, of those were "Thank God I Found You" and "After Tonight", the latter which featured song-writing from Warren, while the former by Lewis.
Upon release, Rainbow received mixed to positive review from contemporary music critics. While many celebrated Carey continued musical departure from her adult contemporary past, some felt it 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, becoming 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 well over one million copies throughout the continent.
Five singles were released from the album, with two serving as worldwide international releases, two promotional and one European single. Serving as the album's lead single, "Heartbreaker" introduced Jay-Z as a featured artist. 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" was the second single released from the album, featuring Joe and 98 Degrees. The song also peaked atop the chart in the US, becoming Carey's fifteenth song to do so, however achieving moderate international charting. The next two singles, "Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme) and "Crybaby" featuring Snoop Dogg were released as double A-side, and were the center of a public feud in between Carey and Sony due to their 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.
Background
Since her debut in 1990, Carey's career had been heavily calculated and controlled by her husband and head of her label Sony Music Entertainment, Tommy Mottola.[1] For years, Carey's album's had consisted of slow and meaningful ballads, devoid of any guest appearances or hip-hop. In January 1995, as she recorded Daydream, Carey had already began taking more control over her musical style and genre influences.[1] She enrolled the production and rap-styles of Ol' Dirty Bastard, who was featured on the remix to her song "Fantasy". While Mottola was hesitant at first, Carey's more commanding position on the album payed off.[1] The song became an international chart topper, with critics calling their joint performance one of the pioneering songs of pop and R&B musical collaborations.[2]During the recording and production of Carey's Butterfly in 1997, the couple separated, leaving Carey an extended amount of control over her yet unfinished album.[2] Following their separation, Carey began working with younger hip-hop and R&B producers and song-writers, aside from her usual work with balladeers Walter Afanasieff and Kenneth Edmonds.[3] However, while the album incorporated several different genres and components that were not present in Carey's previous releases, Butterfly maintained a steady balance of her classic ballads and newer R&B infused jams.[3] However, while Sony accepted Carey's new-found collaborations with writers and producers such as P. Diddy and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, they still attempted to only allow the ballads to shine. After Carey's "Honey", the debut single from Butterfly, was released in September 1997, Sony halted the release of the succeeding R&B influenced jams, only fully releasing a second worldwide single, the ballad "My All". Similarly, Rainbow followed in its predecessors' footsteps, becoming even more drenched in modern hip-hop and R&B.[3]
[edit] Writing and recording
 | A sample of the song featuring Jay-Z's verses and the chorus. It features the sampled hook from "Attack of the Name Game", as well as Carey's pro-female lyrics. A 26-second sample of "Thank God I Found You"'s featuring the bridge and beginning of the last chorus. Additional male vocals from Joe and 98 Degrees are also heard. |
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"I love New York. But if I'm there, I want to go out, friends come to the studio, the phone rings constantly. But in Capri, I am in a remote place, and there is no one I can run into. I felt that in Capri I would be able to effectively finish the album on a shorter schedule. And I did. I made it in three months, I was like 'Get me off this label'! I couldn't take it. The situation there [Sony] was becoming increasingly difficult."[4]Like all of her previous releases, Carey co-wrote and co-produced all of the album's material, working with several hip-hop and R&B producers such as Jay-Z, Terry Lewis, Usher, Snoop Dogg, Missy Elliott, Jermaine Dupri and Brian Michael Cox.[5] For the album's debut single release, Carey collaborated with Jay-Z and DJ Clue.[6] During the spring of 1999, Carey had begun working with Clue on several hooks and melodies, in hopes of creating a successful lead single. After a few hours, they thought of including a hip-hop star on the track, eventually leading to Jay-Z.[6] Additionally, Carey's longtime friend and back-up vocalist Trey Lorenz, who was also featured on her remake of the Jackson 5 song "I'll Be There" lent his vocals to the song. He sang back-up on the song, adding "some soft male vocals."[6] On Rainbow, Carey also worked with Lewis and Jam on the ballad "Thank God I Found You".[7] She had been in the studio with the duo several times, but one night they received a call from Carey's assistant, telling them to meet her at the studio later that night.[7] After meeting, Carey explained to them that she had come up with the title, and the hook and melody. Usually, when Carey would write her music for Rainbow, James "Big Jim" Wright would play the organs and piano, assisting Carey in finding the "right melody."[7] However, since Wright was not present, Lewis played the organ while Carey directed him with her lower registers. After singing Lewis the proper key and chord, they composed the song and recorded Carey's vocals. Knowing she expected to introduce a male vocalist on the track, Lewis brought R&B singer Joe into the studio, as well as pop group 98 Degrees.[7] After a few hours, both the group and Joe had recorded all their vocals and completed the song.[7] In an interview with Bronson, Lewis opened up about the night Carey wrote "Thank God I Found You":
"It all happened that night. She told us the title of the song, the concept and sang us the melody. We usually have Big Jim Wright sit in on those kind of sessions to work out the chords. he wasn't there so I had to work on the chord myself. So I was playing and there was a part where I said 'Man, what chord am I supposed to do here?' and Mariah has such a good ear that she sang me the chord."[7]While the album was submerged further into mainstream R&B territory, Carey stuck to her classic ballads and tender love songs on part of the album, working with writers and producers such as David Foster and Diane Warren.[5] Originally, the idea to work with Warren came after suggestion from Foster, who thought that together the two would be able to "hammer out one hell of a ballad."[5] After spending some time in the studio, the two wrote and produced a song titled "After Tonight". Carey felt the song was a perfect metaphor for her relationship with Miguel, and that their romance in Capri fell under the category of the ballad. While the song was deemed a success by both parties, their working relationship was described with mixed feelings on both their behalf.[5] According to Foster, who had been involved during their writing session, Carey and Warren would not always agree on the lyrics and melodious structure of the song. He described it as a "give and take relationship"; Warren would offer lyrics to place in the chorus or verses and Carey would not agree and expect something more intricate and detailed, where on the other hand Carey would often produce the hook or lyrics that Warren did not feel fit perfectly.[5] However, in the end, Foster claimed that they worked "well together" and managed to produce a song. After recording "After Tonight", Carey decided to invite Miguel to record the song alongside her in the form of a duet.[8] However, after recording his verses several times, Foster and Carey both realized that the song would not turn out the way they planned.[8] Foster claimed the song's key was "too high for him" and that the voices did not harmonize well with each other. Additionally, Carey did not have the time to re-record her vocals in a lower key to accommodate Miguel's verses.[8] Afterwards, Miguel, who was furious over the failed collaboration, sent a cut-up tape of the demo to Foster. Additionally, the duo alongside Foster created the song titled "Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)", which was one of the other ballads featured on Rainbow.[8]
[edit] Music and lyrics
"It was from the standpoint of girls who keep going back to the same guy and they can't help themselves. They know they're going to get hurt. I've been one of those girls, so I know there's a lot of them out there."
—Carey, describing the lyrics to "Heartbreaker"
Prior to the album's recording, Carey and her sister Allison had a falling out in their relationship.[9] Allison had contracted AIDS in 1995, leading her to blame Carey for many of her problems and heartbreaks throughout the years. The events led to her children being removed from her, as she went into therapy for her disease and mental instability.[9] Carey wrote a song titled "Petals", which she described as the most honest lyrics she had ever written. The song retells Carey's feelings for her sister, while maintaining the pain Allison's betrayal and suffering had caused her.[9] In an interview with Bronson, Carey described the meaing and lyrics to "Petals":
"It is a great outlet for me to go into the studio and write a song like 'Petals', which is one of my most personal songs and remains on of my favorites. I think [it had the most] honest lyrics I've ever written. The song chronicles a lot of past emotions I've felt to certain people close to me, and the way I feel towards them and how their actions have impacted me personally. For that reason, I sang in my lower registers, trying to add that breathy effect to go hand in hand with the song's composition."[6]"After Tonight" was a song Carey wrote alongside David Foster and Diane Warren. Carey felt very personally about the song, claiming she wrote it regarding her relationship with Luis Miguel at the time.[10] The song was compared instrumentally to Carey's previous song, "My All", which features traces of Latin and guitar instrumentation.[10] Lyrically, the song features the protagonist asking her lover if they will still love and come back to them "after tonight." When Carey recorded her cover of Phil Collins' song "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)", she originally intended it to only be a solo ballad. However, after the album was released, the song was re-done, with Irish band Westlife replacing the song's instrumental bridge.[10] "Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)" was one of the album's most uplifting ballads, lyrically serving as an anthem for fans and listeners. The song, Carey said, was a personal theme of hers growing up, not letting others "bring her down" and not allowing them to take away the light inside her.[10]
[edit] Conflict with Sony
| | A sample of the song's chorus. It features the emotional and personal message left by Carey in the lyrics, as well as the melody she composed with Warren. |
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"Basically, a lot of you know the political situation in my professional career is not positive. It's been really, really hard. I don't even know if this message is going to get to you because I don't know if they want you to hear this. I'm getting a lot of negative feedback from certain corporate people. But I am not willing to give up."[11]Carey's actions were given mixed reception, with critics and executives both commending her bold actions towards a song she felt needed to be heard, while others criticized her for publicizing the scandal further.[11] Soon after, Sony involved themselves further, stripping Carey's webpage of any messages and began trying to reach an agreement with her. Fearing to lose their label's highest seller, and the best-selling artist of the decade, Sony chose to release the song.[11] Carey, initially content with the agreement, soon found out that the song had only been allowed a very limited and low-promotion release, not allowing the song to chart on the official US chart, and making international charting extremely difficult and unlikely.[11]
[edit] Critical reception
| [hide] Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [12] |
| Robert Christgau |  [13] |
| Entertainment Weekly | (B+)[14] |
| Los Angeles Times |  [15] |
| MTV Networks Asia Pacific | (7/10)[16] |
| Rolling Stone | [17] |
| USA Today | [18] |
| Vibe | (Mixed)[19] |
Arion Berger, an editor from Rolling Stone also gave the album three out of a possible five stars. He felt Rainbow was a genuine R&B and hip-hop introduced album, calling it a "sterling chronicle of the state of accessible hip-hop balladeering at the close of 1999."[17] Aside from calling the some off the ballads "banal", Berger concluded his review with "Rainbow is at its best — and Carey at her most comfortable — when urbane hip-hop stylings and faux R&B coexist in smooth middle-of-the-road harmony."[17] Critic of The Village Voice Robert Christgau gave the album a double honorable mention (
), writing "[It's] Not a 'real' r&b thrush, but good enough to fake it."[13] Amy Linden from Vibe was unimpressed with the album, writing "I don't care about it anymore." While complimenting the album's genre influences and musical guest features, Linden felt Rainbow was not original and concluded her review with "'Rainbow' will garner her even more adoration. As for me? I'll be okay."[19] Danyel Smith from Entertainment Weekly gave Rainbow a B+ and concluded "what began on Butterfly as a departure ends up on Rainbow a progression – perhaps the first compelling proof of Carey's true colors as an artist."[14] Elysa Gardner from the Los Angeles Times gave Rainbow three and a half out of a possible four stars. She complimented the album's strong blend of breezy R&B cuts, as well as the lyrically, vocally and melodically strong ballads, writing "Exhibiting an emotional authority to match her technical prowess, Carey gives us a vision of love that's dynamic without being ostentatious."[15] Steve Jones from USA Today gave Rainbow three out of four stars, calling it "colorful" and called it "some of her most compelling work."[18][edit] Commercial performance
Rainbow debuted at number three on the Australian Albums Chart, staying within the chart for a total cycle of seven weeks. The album was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting shipments of over 35,000 copies.[25] In France, the album experienced strong success, debuting atop the albums chart and remaining inside the top forty for thirty-four weeks. Consecutively, the album was certified platinum by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP), with estimated sales of over 413,000 copies.[26][27] Similarly in Germany, Rainbow peaked at number three, and received a platinum certification there as well by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI), denoting shipments of over 500,000 units.[28] The album's success in the United Kingdom was limited, debuting at number eight and staying within the top 100 for four weeks.[29] Rainbow was certified gold by British Phonographic Industry (BPI), denoting shipments of over 100,000 units.[30] Additionally, Rainbow received a platinum certification in Brazil,[31] New Zealand[32] and Spain,[33] and a gold certification in Argentina,[34] Belgium,[35] the Netherlands[36] and Switzerland.[37] Throughout Europe, Rainbow shipped in excess of one million units, being certified platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).[38]
[edit] Singles
Five singles were released in total from Rainbow; two worldwide international releases and three limited promotional releases. "Heartbreaker", the album's first worldwide release, became Carey's fourteenth chart topper in the United States. Aside from staying atop the chart for two weeks, the song also reached the chart's summit in Canada and New Zealand. Throughout Europe, "Heartbreaker" achieved high charting, peaking within the top five in France and the United Kingdom, and within the top ten in Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland. Critically, the song received mixed reviews from music critics. Arion berger from Rolling Stone called the song Carey's "most insinuating: nasal, silken, declarative, riding the percolating beat."[17] However, while dismissing some of the song's vocals and incorporation of the hook, he complimented its marriage of pop and hip-hop through Jay-Z's verses.[17] Robert Christgau named the song one of his favorite picks from Rainbow, calling it "real R&B."[13] The song's corresponding music video became one of the most expensive music videos of all time, costing an estimated $2.5 million.[6] The video features Carey visiting a movie theater with her friends to find her lover with another woman. "Thank God I Found You" was released as the second worldwide single from the album. While becoming Carey's fifteenth chart topper in the US, the song achieved moderate chart success in Europe and other territories. Berger called it a "gospel soar" and complimented Carey's vocals as well as the harmonizing from 98 Degrees.[17] The music video features footage from a live concert with Carey and the band performing the song."Crybaby" and "Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)" were released simultaneously as a double A-side, alongside very limited promotion from Sony.[9] The two songs, especially the latter became the center of a very public controversy in between Carey and her label, due to their alleged low promotion of the album.[9] The song was also chosen as one of the album's top choices by Christgau, who called it the album's best attempt at R&B.[13] Carey and Snoop Dogg were featured in the music video for "Crybaby", with Carey playing an anxious woman who can't sleep at night due to her lover's infidelity. Additionally, a music video for "Can't Take That Away" was released around the same time as well, featuring Carey on a rooftop garden. Throughout the video, Carey sings through a rain storm and towards the video's conclusion, the sun arises bring forth a "new day". Released as the final single from Rainbow, "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" was released with a limited release as well. After performing moderately around the world, a re-done version of the song featuring Westlife was released in Ireland and the United Kingdom.[10] It became successful there, peaking at number one in both territories, becoming Carey's second UK chart topper.[10] The song's video features Carey and Westlife on a boat in Capri. As scenes of the group exploring the island are shown, additional scenes of them in the studio are shown, even though Carey never re-recorded her vocals from the original version.[10]
[edit] Promotion
Main article: Rainbow World Tour
Prior to the album's release, Carey made an appearance on Pavarotti & Friends for Guatemala and Kosovo, performing "My All" and "Hero" alongside Luciano Pavarotti in a live duet.[39] The concert benefit was filmed live in Modena, Italy during the summer of 1999 and was later released for sale on September 21, with funds being donated for the natural disasters at the time in Guatemala and Kosovo.[39] Aside from going on tour, Carey visited and made several live television and award show appearances, as well as recorded her own Fox Broadcasting Company special.[11] The special, titled The Mariah Carey Homecoming Special was a mini-concert filmed at Carey's old high school in Huntington, New York. The special aired on Fox on December 21, 1999.[11] Carey performed "Heartbreaker" and its accompanying remix at the MTV European Music Awards, held on November 11, 1999 in Dublin, Ireland. Additionally, the song was performed on The Oprah Winfrey Show, British music chart program Top of the Pops and The Today Show, which included a performance of "Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)" and "Hero".[10] "Thank God I Found You", the album's following release, was performed live at the 2000 American Music Awards as well as on several European programs including Top of the Pops and Friday Night's All Wright in the United Kingdom, NRJ and Soulier d'Or in France, Wetten, dass..? in Germany and Quelli che... il Calcio in Italy.[10] The album's final two releases, "Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)" and "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" were performed on The View and at the 2000 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards.[11]
[edit] Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Heartbreaker" (featuring Jay-Z) | Mariah Carey, Shawn Carter, Narada Michael Walden, Shirley Ellison, Lincoln Chase, Jeffrey Cohen | M. Carey, DJ Clue | 4:46 |
| 2. | "Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)" | M. Carey, Diane Warren | M. Carey, D. Warren | 4:33 |
| 3. | "Bliss" | M. Carey, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, James "Big Jim" Wright | M. Carey, J. Harris, T. Lewis | 5:44 |
| 4. | "How Much" (featuring Usher) | M. Carey, Bryan-Michael Cox, Jermaine Dupri, Daryl Harper | M. Carey, B. M. Cox, J. Dupri | 3:31 |
| 5. | "After Tonight" | M. Carey, D. Warren, David Foster | M. Carey, D. Foster | 4:16 |
| 6. | "X-Girlfriend" | M. Carey, Kandi Burruss, Kevin Briggs | M. Carey, K. Burruss | 3:58 |
| 7. | "Heartbreaker" (featuring Da Brat and Missy Elliott) | M. Carey, N. M. Walden, Shawntae Harris, Melissa Elliott, Calvin Broadus, Andre Young, Warren Griffin III | M. Carey, M. Elliott, C. Broadus | 3:15 |
| 8. | "Vulnerability (Interlude)" | M. Carey | M. Carey | 1:12 |
| 9. | "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" | Phil Collins | M. Carey, D. Foster | 3:25 |
| 10. | "Crybaby" (featuring Snoop Dogg) | M. Carey, C. Broadus, Trey Lorenz, Teddy Riley, Gene Griffin | M. Carey, Scram Jones | 5:20 |
| 11. | "Did I Do That?" (featuring Mystikal and Master P) | M. Carey, Craig B., Tracey Waples, Joseph Johnson, | M. Carey, T. Waples | 4:16 |
| 12. | "Petals" | M. Carey, J. Harris, T. Lewis, J. Wright | M. Carey, T. Lewis, J. Wright | 4:23 |
| 13. | "Rainbow (Interlude)" | M. Carey, J. Harris, T. Lewis | M. Carey, T. Lewis | 1:32 |
| 14. | "Thank God I Found You" (featuring Joe and 98 Degrees) | M. Carey, J. Harris, T. Lewis | M. Carey, T. Lewis | 4:17 |
- Bonus tracks
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | "Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)" (French bonus track) | Michael Masser, Gerald Goffin | M. Carey, D. Foster, T. Lewis | 3:47 |
| 16. | "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (featuring Westlife) | P. Collins | M. Carey | 3:25 |
[edit] Personnel
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|
[edit] Charts and certifications
[edit] Charts
| [edit] End of year charts
[edit] Certifications
|
- Most certifications are from old criterion (Sales may be higher than the certification level says now).
[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [66] | US R&B [67] | AUS [41] | CAN [68] | FRA [69] | GER [48] | NL [70] | NZ [71] | SWI [72] | UK [29] | |||
| 1999 | "Heartbreaker" (featuring Jay-Z) | 1 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 5 | |
| 2000 | "Thank God I Found You" (featuring 98 Degrees) | 1 | 1 | 27 | 2 | 28 | 28 | 24 | 34 | 17 | 10 |
|
| "Crybaby" (featuring Snoop Dogg) | 28 | 23 | — | 4 | — | — | 27 | — | — | — | ||
| "Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)" | — | — | — | — | — | 45 | — | — | — | |||
| "Against All Odds" | — | — | — | — | 18 | 29 | 27 | — | 20 | — | ||
| "Against All Odds" (featuring Westlife) | — | — | 52 | — | — | — | 29 | — | — | 1 | ||
| "—" denotes a title that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||
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