Real talk: There’s a lot of darkness in the world right now.

From erratic politics to unprecedented acts of hatred, everything feels… off.

And in times like these,  it’s easy to shut down. To sink into the depths of despair, and loose hope. Which is why holding on to anything that sparks joy and light matters more than ever.

For me, whenever my universe grows dark, it’s time for Rainbow Brite. The lovable little girl who’s been coloring my world with joy and happiness since before I can remember. 

And, lucky for me– well, all of us really– the voice behind that colorful magic is just as bright and wonderful as her animated counterpart – and, she’s just released a brand-new album overflowing with Love, happiness, and most importantly… hope.

In 2006, Bettina Bush won American Idol Underground and soon after released her independent debut album Lucky Girl. Her single ｢She Is｣ climbed to No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot Singles Sales chart — a strong entry into the music scene. But as her career gained momentum, Bush chose to focus on family life, raising her children Cassie and Jesse. During those years, she stayed creative close to home, hosting national radio programs like Parenting Magazine Live! and launching the podcast The Motherhood Corner.

Now, with her children in their teens, Bush feels like it’s time to sing again.

“I woke up one morning and just felt ready,” she says during a recent phone call. “So, I picked up my phone, sent a text to Automatic (my long-time writing partner), and said, ‘It’s time!’”

“We’d been talking about getting back to it for a while,” she continues. “But for me, the timing had to be right.”

Previously, she collaborated with Automatic on the songs ｢Let Me Inside｣, ｢I Can’t Deny You｣, and my person favorite ｢Emerald City｣.

“I spent a lot of mornings sitting on the beach, writing,” Bush says of her process this time around. “It was magical.”

That was in June. The album dropped just two months later, on August 25.

“We wanted to make sure it was out in time for the August 30 Grammy deadline,” she reveals. “Both for Best Children’s Album and for Album Cover Design.”

The album cover was designed by Bush’s daughter, Cassie, who hopes to become an animator. Cassie also lends her voice to the track｢Living that Rainbow Life｣ and she sounds just like her mother did at her age.  

“Even the producer was like, ‘I can’t tell who’s who!’” Bush laughs. Her son, Jesse, appears on the upbeat  ｢Do This Right｣ and with the album dedicated to her father, Charles – a history make himself – the album is more than just music. It’s a work of love.

“To me a rainbow is a symbol of hope.” Bush said, when I asked what she hoped listeners would take away from the album. “If you believe in yourself and have faith in that voice inside of you, it will empower you to create the joyful and loving life that you are meant to live. It’s absolutely OK for it to look different for everyone. That’s the point. When we come from this positive place, we can’t help but be kind, authentic and accepting of others. My hope is this album is uplifting and helps people find that positive place.”

40 years on, and this woman is still just as inspiring, encouraging, and wonderful as ever.

While you can stream the album through all the usual places. I recommend purchasing it through sites like Qobuz, which offers an uncompressed 16-Bit/44.1 kHz stereo download.

There’s more Bettina on the way so…
Stay tuned!