Chris Oledude is not chasing trends. He is carrying history forward. With “Rainbow Soul,” Oledude releases a funky pop single that feels joyful on the surface but carries the weight of lived experience, political memory, and hard-earned optimism underneath. Originally written in 1984 and reborn in 2025, the song bridges generations without sounding nostalgic or dated. Instead, it feels timely in the most honest way, not because it reacts to the moment, but because it speaks to truths that never stopped mattering.
“Rainbow Soul” is about unity without simplification. The refrain “There’s a rainbow in my soul, there’s a rainbow in your soul, there’s a rainbow in our souls” lands as inclusive rather than idealistic. It does not deny division or struggle; it insists that shared humanity exists anyway. The song leans into funk-infused pop with warm chord changes, confident grooves, and spoken-word passages that give the message room to breathe rather than forcing it into slogans.
The song’s origin is inseparable from Oledude’s background. Growing up in a politically active household in Brooklyn, he witnessed the surge of hope surrounding Rev. Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaigns and the rise of the Rainbow Coalition firsthand. His father, the late Congressman Major Owens, played a formative role in shaping Oledude’s understanding of justice, participation, and responsibility. A line written by Owens remains embedded in the song, grounding it in personal legacy rather than abstraction. Over time, Oledude updated the lyrics to honor figures like John Lewis and to expand the rainbow metaphor as a symbol of solidarity with LGBTQIA communities, not as a pivot, but as a natural extension of the song’s original intent.
What makes “Rainbow Soul” distinctive is not just its message, but its evolution. The 1984 version leaned gospel-fast and urgent. The 2025 version slows into funk, confidence, and groove, a reflection of an artist who has lived long enough to understand that endurance can be louder than urgency. The production is smooth and powerful, allowing melody and rhythm to carry emotion without excess.
Chris Oledude’s path has never been linear. From performing on New York City streets and collaborating within activist music circles to stepping away from music for decades in favor of civic engagement, his return is rooted in purpose rather than comeback culture. Personal loss, including the deaths of his father and wife, reshaped his relationship with music, turning it into a space for reflection, healing, and clarity. Since re-emerging in the modern era, Oledude has consistently released work that connects political awareness with musical accessibility, from “George Floyd: Say Their Names” to “No Crowns For Clowns.”
“Rainbow Soul” stands as one of his most complete statements yet: fun without being frivolous, political without being rigid, hopeful without being naïve. In a time saturated with noise, Chris Oledude offers something rarer: music that remembers where it came from, knows where it stands, and still believes in where we could go.