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Rainbow is a collaboration-heavy album on which Carey worked with a wide range of producers and artists that dominated the music scene of the late 1990s; Rolling Stone called the album "a sterling chronicle of accessible hip-hop balladeering at the close of 1999."[1] Guest artists included rappers Jay-Z, Da Brat, Missy Elliott, Snoop Dogg, Mystikal and Master P, singers Usher and Joe, and boy band 98 Degrees. The album was the first since Carey's debut to not be co-produced heavily by Walter Afanasieff, her long-time collaborator who co-produced most of her signature ballads. In his place, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were enlisted. Many felt the album was a natural continuation of the R&B and hip hop sounds Carey had explored on the album Butterfly (1997).[citation needed]

Rainbow is often considered one of Carey's more personal albums alongside Butterfly and Charmbracelet.[citation needed] The message from Carey in the insert reads,

"This album chronicles my emotional roller coaster ride of the past year. If you listen closely, there's a story here with a very happy ending. After every storm — if you look hard enough — a rainbow appears."

The review of the album by Entertainment Weekly asserts that "Against All Odds (Take a Look at me Now)" refers to her relationship with Derek Jeter. "Petals" makes several obscure references to a "dandelion", siblings, and a "Valentine". Many conjecture that "Valentine" refers to Carey's ex-husband, Tommy Mottola, who at one time had the stage name of "T.D. Valentine".[citation needed] Some speculate that the "siblings" refer to Mottola's children and the "dandelion" refers to Carey's sister Allison, a prostitute.[citation needed]