While many fans have adopted the song as their go-to empowering anthem, the country starlet also dedicated "Rainbow" to a cause close to her heart. A reminder for anyone facing personal challenges in the LGBT community, the song also aims to comfort those who struggle with feeling different. "I feel a kinship and a friendship with that community," she explained to Taste of Country. "They really opened my eyes up to a lot of different things that I wasn't aware of growing up in a small town in Texas. I will always be an ally and a strong supporter."
More recently, the popular track has resurfaced throughout a collectively trying time. According to the Los Angeles Times, upon the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing societal shift, the ballad permeated social media videos. Various celebrities even covered the tune on their platforms as a way to lift fans' spirits. The outlet also reports that the hallmark song reached over 100 million streams last year.
"Music finds its way into so many cracks and crevices in pop culture — it can give people something to latch onto," Musgraves said in 2018. "There are good things out there, even though that's not what's on the frontal lobe of everyone's mind these days" (via Los Angeles Times).
After taking on many different lives throughout its emotional, seven-year tenure, "Rainbow" still holds a special place in many people's hearts. Not least of all, Musgraves' grandmother — she pinpointed the track as a hit well before it ever climbed Spotify's charts.
