"The Rainbow Children" is the twenty-fourth studio album by American recording artist Prince, released on November 20, 2001, by NPG Records and Redline Entertainment. It was also initially made available through Prince's website earlier that year. This marked the first album released under the name "Prince" after he had reverted to his original stage name from his symbolic moniker, which he had used for several years. The album was released as a double vinyl with a glossy color booklet and was not available again on vinyl until its 2020 Legacy release.
The album is a concept album that explores themes commonly found in Prince's work, including spirituality, human sexuality, love, and racism. These themes are presented through a fictional narrative about a social movement inspired by the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. and the vision of a utopian society. While the album reflects Prince's recent conversion to Jehovah's Witnesses, it also incorporates references to Egyptian monotheism and New Age ideas like the Akashic records. The Rainbow Children has a jazzier sound compared to Prince's previous works and was met with mixed critical reactions. Some fans viewed it as a musical and spiritual evolution for the artist.
Released through the independent distributor Redline Entertainment, the album received minimal promotion at Prince's request, as he wanted to focus on the music itself and avoid commercialism. By the summer of 2007, the album had sold approximately 158,000 copies in the U.S., with an estimated 560,000 copies sold worldwide.
The album also had a promotional website that featured free MP3 downloads of the tracks "She Loves Me 4 Me" and "Mellow."
The album cover features a painting titled The Reine Keis Quintet by Cbabi Bayoc, which Prince chose because it depicted an all-female band, matching the fact that his backing ensemble for this album was also composed of all women.
