Keshapedia
Advertisement
Keshapedia
Layer 24 copy This article is about the album. You may be looking for the song.

Rainbow is the third studio album by Kesha. It was released on August 11, 2017. The album was released five years since her previous record, Warrior, and since then, Kesha dealt with several struggles in her personal and professional life, including a stint in a treatment center for an eating disorder and emotional issues, as well as a highly publicized legal battle with her former record producer Dr. Luke, whom she accused of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. Kesha began writing material for her next album while in rehab in January 2014 and as her recording contract at the time obliged her to work with Dr. Luke, she later recorded a series of new songs on her own and gave them to her record label.

The album is Kesha's first as executive producer. The album marks a significant difference from Kesha's electro-pop sound that she is known for and incorporates elements of pop, country, glam rock, and neo soul. She collaborated with Wrabel, Ricky Reed, her mother Pebe Sebert, Ryan Lewis, and Drew Pearson to achieve her desired sound. The record features guest appearances from Dolly Parton, Eagles of Death Metal, and The Dap-Kings Horns.

Commercially, the album debuted at no. 1 in the United States, making this her second album to top the chart. The album earned Kesha a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Vocal album, making this her first nomination. The album was certified platinum in 2024, selling over one million equivalent units.[1] To promote the record, Kesha embarked on the Rainbow Tour (2017–2019) and The Adventures of Kesha and Macklemore (2018) with Macklemore.

Background

Kesha revealed in an interview with Teen Vogue that while she was in rehab she wrote 14 songs (one of which was later revealed to be the album's title track, "Rainbow") with the help of a toy Casio keyboard.

Regarding the genre of her new album, Kesha released this statement in the August 2014 edition of Teen Vogue:

I’m not going to be making a lullaby jazz record, just in case there’s anybody out there who actually thought that was a possibility. My music will always have balls until I’m an 85-year-old crazy granny, so don’t be worried about that.

[2]

While on her Kesha and the Creepies: Fuck the World Tour, Kesha announced she has 52 songs ready to be released.

In the October 2016 issue of The New York Times, we learned that Kesha had written 22 more songs that waiting to be completed, polished, and released. Kesha was provided with outside producers and Kesha and Kemosabe had agreed to work with about a dozen of them.[3]

On July 5, 2017, Kesha announced on social media platforms that "Praying" would be released the following day. The song was released along with its music video, alongside the album's pre-order.

The album was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, marking her first of two nominations.

Artwork

Brian Roettinger served as art director for Rainbow. Robert Beatty illustrated the album artwork with photography by Olivia Bee.[4] According to Kesha's Instagram story, the photoshoot took place on April 21, 2017.[5]

Singles

Promotional Singles

Accolades

Rainbow appeared on several publications' year-end lists for 2017, as well as decade-end lists.

Select rankings of Rainbow on year-end lists
Publication List Rank Ref.
AXS 10 Best Pop Albums of 2017
4
[6]
Cosmopolitan The 10 Best Albums of 2017
3
[7]
Idolator The Best Pop Albums & EPs Of 2017
1
[8]
NPR The 50 Best Albums of 2017
8
[9]
People 10 Best Albums of 2017
4
[10]
PopSugar The Best Albums of 2017, According to Us
1
[11]
Rolling Stone 20 Best Pop Albums of 2017
2
[12]
50 Best Albums of 2017
4
[13]
Time The Top 10 Albums of 2017
7
[14]
Yahoo! Music The Best Albums of 2017: Yahoo Entertainment Staff Picks
9
[15]
Decade-end lists
Publication List Rank Ref.
Billboard The 100 Greatest Albums of the 2010s: Staff Picks
73
[16]
Rolling Stone The 100 Best Albums of the 2010s
79
[17]

Track listing

No. Title Length
1. "Bastards"   3:51
2. "Let 'Em Talk" (feat. Eagles of Death Metal) 3:05
3. "Woman" (feat. The Dap-Kings Horns) 3:16
4. "Hymn"   3:25
5. "Praying"   3:50
6. "Learn to Let Go"   3:37
7. "Finding You"   2:52
8. "Rainbow"   3:38
9. "Hunt You Down"   3:17
10. "Boogie Feet" (feat. Eagles of Death Metal) 2:54
11. "Boots"   3:04
12. "Old Flames (Can't Hold a Candle to You)" (feat. Dolly Parton) 4:26
13. "Godzilla"   2:08
14. "Spaceship"   5:15
15. "Emotional" (Japanese bonus track) 3:44
Total length:
52:20

Booklet and credits

Credits adapted from Tidal.[18]

  • Chuck Ainlay – mixing engineer
  • Nick Annis – guitar
  • Justin Armstrong – engineer
  • Heather Borror – violin
  • David Boucher – mixing engineer
  • Ben Bram – background vocals
  • Gabriel Cabezas – cello
  • Ingmar Carlson – assistant engineer, engineer
  • Jon Castelli – mixing engineer
  • Dave Catching – guitar
  • Billy Centenaro – engineer
  • Rogét Chahayed – piano, programming
  • Sergio Chávez – engineer
  • Kenton Chen – background vocals
  • Rebecca Chung-Filice – cello
  • Joe Costa – engineer
  • Stuart Crichton – recording engineer, engineer, background vocals, programming
  • Hannah Crofts – background vocals
  • Robbie Crowell – keyboard
  • Spencer Cullum – guitar
  • Matt Dyson – assistant engineer
  • Eagles of Death Metal – background vocals
  • Jon Estes – bass guitar
  • Kevin Estrada – recording engineer
  • Shawn Everett – mixing engineer
  • Faithful Central Bible Church Choir – choir
  • Katie Faraudo – French horn
  • Gary Ferguson – drums
  • Jeremy Fetzer – guitar
  • Ian Fitchuk – drums
  • Robin Florent – assistant engineer
  • Christopher Foerstel – viola
  • Ben Folds – bass guitar, celesta, percussion, piano, timpani
  • Chris Galland – mixing engineer
  • Chris Garcia – mixing engineer
  • Jeff Gartenbaum – assistant enginee
  • Cochemea Gastelum – baritone saxophone
  • Antonia Gauci – engineer
  • Ira Glansbeek – cello
  • Dave Guy – trumpet
  • Bobby Holland – engineer
  • Jesse Hughes – vocals, guitar
  • Jeff Jackson – assistant engineer
  • Ramage Jacobs – mandolin
  • Andrew Joslyn – strings, violin
  • Andrew Kamman – violin
  • Theo Katzman – percussion
  • Kesha – lead vocals, background vocals
  • Ryan Lerman – background vocals
  • David Levitt – electric guitar
  • Sarah Malmstrom – violin
  • Manny Marroquin – mixing engineer
  • Seth May-Patterson – viola
  • Matt McJunkins – bass guitar
  • Kieron Menzies – mixing engineer
  • Nate Mercereau – guitar
  • Georgia Mooney – background vocals
  • Rob Moose – violin
  • Ryan Nasci – assistant engineer
  • Rick Nowels – organ
  • Garrett Overcash – violin
  • Charlie Paakkari – assistant engineer
  • Zack Pancoast – assistant engineer
  • Drew Pearson – engineer, recording engineer, guitar, keyboard, piano, programming, banjo, bass guitar
  • Tom Peyton – horn
  • Tim Pierce – guitar
  • Jonny Price – programming
  • Ricky Reed – bass guitar, drums, guitar, programming, güiro, keyboard, piano
  • Dean Reid – mixing engineer
  • Fareed Salamah – engineer
  • Pebe Sebert – background vocals
  • Ethan Shumaker – engineer
  • Alex Sopp – flute
  • Michael Stankiewicz – mixing engineer, recording engineer
  • Neal Sugarman – tenor saxophone
  • Jorma Vik – drums
  • Dave Way – engineer
  • Ivan Wayman – assistant engineer
  • Eli Weinberger – cello
  • Lara Wickes – oboe
  • Katherine Wighton – background vocals
  • Saundra Williams – background vocals
  • Danielle Withers – background vocals
  • Trevor Yasuda – mixing engineer

Gallery

Space "Click, click, snap!" To view the Rainbow (album) gallery, click here.


Promotional Videos

Trivia

  • Unlike all other versions of the album, Rainbow's vinyl cover has a skull in the water to the left of Kesha.[19]

References

Navigation

Rainbow logo
Advertisement