The dynamic duo behind the globally recognized children’s educational brand, Ms. Rachel, are illuminating the world of early childhood entertainment with a vibrant new music video and their highly anticipated debut album. Rachel and Aron Accurso, the married couple and creative force known as Ms. Rachel and Mr. Aron, have unveiled "I Love a Rainbow," a visually stunning and musically rich production that serves as the lead single from their forthcoming album, "I’m So Happy." This release marks a significant expansion of their beloved content, promising a more elaborate and sophisticated musical experience for young audiences.
The new single, "I Love a Rainbow," is an effervescent bossa nova track that captures the boundless joy and wonder of childhood. Its accompanying music video, premiering exclusively with Billboard, transports viewers to the breathtaking landscapes of Colorado, where Ms. Rachel and Mr. Aron are seen amidst majestic mountains, swirling polychromatic scarves, and sidewalks transformed into canvases of chalk art. The video embodies a spirit of uninhibited play and collaborative creativity, showcasing the Accursos’ commitment to fostering imaginative experiences for children.
However, the perceived simplicity of the visuals belies a profound depth of musical artistry and intentional design. The "I Love a Rainbow" music video features an extended version of the song, enhanced with a newly composed bridge and a sweeping string section, augmented by a robust ensemble of live musicians. This deliberate expansion aims to elevate the familiar tune into a more expansive auditory and visual experience for the millions of families who engage with Ms. Rachel’s content.
"We wanted to expand it," Aron Accurso told Billboard, detailing the creative process. "We wrote a new bridge and we added a big string section and more live musicians, which feels expansive." This ambition to broaden the sonic and thematic scope of their work is a cornerstone of the "I’m So Happy" album.
Filming in the awe-inspiring Colorado mountain setting further amplified this sense of grandeur. Yet, Rachel Accurso emphasizes that the video’s core message remains centered on "joy and connection and play." This philosophy guided the filming day, which involved eleven children from local Colorado families. Rather than imposing rigid directions, the Accursos adopted a nurturing approach, allowing the children to immerse themselves in the music and express their natural reactions.
"They knew the song, and [we were] like, ‘What do you imagine? What do you think would be good for this next part?’" Rachel explained. "Just creating it with the kids and making sure they had a really special day." The resulting footage artfully captures the unscripted delight of children dancing with rainbow scarves and contributing to the creation of a colossal chalk rainbow. These outdoor scenes are interspersed with dynamic shots of musicians performing the song in New York City, a deliberate choice to highlight the instrumentalists.
For Rachel, a former music educator, showcasing the instruments on screen is a crucial element. "When they hear that riff, if they see Aron’s playing it on piano or they see [someone] playing the percussion, I think it’s cool to think, ‘Maybe I could play that,’" she stated. "Maybe they get an interest in guitar from seeing the instruments." This initiative aims to spark nascent musical curiosity and demystify the process of music creation for young viewers.
Aron Accurso took the directorial reins for the video, a testament to the hands-on, creator-led ethos that has defined their work since the inception of their YouTube channel. "It goes back to just us, the way we started the channel, and that it was very homegrown and creator-led," he remarked, underscoring their commitment to authenticity.
The breathtaking mountain vistas in the video may also owe a subtle nod to classic cinema. Aron admitted that the couple’s one-year-old daughter’s recent fascination with "Do-Re-Mi" from "The Sound of Music" had an influence. "There are little hints of The Sound of Music [in the video]: the mountain vibes, and the singing around," he confessed.
The visual ambition of "I Love a Rainbow" is a direct reflection of the overarching creative strategy for "I’m So Happy." This expansive 23-track collection meticulously reinterprets and enhances the songs originally introduced on the Ms. Rachel series, transforming them into polished studio recordings. The album features a compelling blend of original compositions and cherished children’s classics, all elevated by lush orchestration, innovative arrangements, and the collaborative efforts of 19 vocalists and 42 instrumentalists.
Aron, whose professional background includes significant experience in musical theater as a composer, conductor, and Broadway music director, approached each song with a singular vision. "It was looking at each song individually and just imagining, ‘What is the most special version of that song?’" he explained. "So it was unique to each one." This dedication to individualizing each track ensures a diverse and engaging listening experience.
The Accursos recognized that different songs demanded distinct instrumental approaches. For instance, "Walking to the Zoo" employs a more intimate ensemble, while tracks like "Caterpillar" were conceived to accommodate the grandeur of a full orchestra. "I Love a Rainbow," however, seemed to inherently call for the emotive power of strings. "I thought the string section would really add to the experience and the expansiveness of the idea," Aron elaborated.
Rachel affectionately summarizes her husband’s nuanced musical sensibilities with a T-shirt he owns that reads, "I hear things." She added, "I feel like he hears things that I don’t," highlighting their complementary creative strengths.
This meticulous attention to detail is fundamental to their philosophy on children’s music. Rachel, who holds advanced degrees in early childhood education and music education, firmly believes that young audiences should not be presented with anything less than sophisticated and enriching artistic content. "Children deserve detailed, rich music," she asserted. "Not just deserve, but that they do enjoy it."
This unwavering commitment to quality permeated the production of "I’m So Happy." The Accursos collaborated closely with skilled engineers, accomplished live musicians, and other seasoned professionals with Broadway pedigme. This allowed them to delve deeper into the arrangements, refining and expanding upon the initial versions created for the rapid-fire pace of their educational show, where time constraints often necessitate swift production cycles.
"With the album, we were able to do more of the details or go back and do some of the things that maybe I would have liked to have done the first time around," Aron explained. "It was just a desire to dig in more with more detailed arrangements, more professional engineers, live musicians."
The duo aims to dispel the notion that children’s music is inherently simpler or less crafted than music intended for adult audiences. "I think maybe the misconception is that it is somehow dumbed down or less effortful," Rachel stated. "Children really deserve that detailed music." Aron reinforced this sentiment, emphasizing that "I’m So Happy" was approached "with as much care as if it were a Broadway cast album."
The profound emotional resonance that children can derive from music is perhaps most powerfully illustrated in "Caterpillar," a song steeped in personal history for the Accursos. Aron composed the track while comforting their now 7-year-old son during a period of speech delay. Rachel recalled that their son did not begin speaking until he was two years and nine months old, and the family witnessed his determined efforts to communicate.
"Aron wrote this beautiful song about a caterpillar that’s struggling but keeps going," she shared. The song’s emotional depth is so potent that it can elicit a strong, sometimes tearful, response from even the youngest listeners, who may not yet fully grasp the lyrical narrative but are deeply moved by its underlying sentiment. "Babies have this phenomenon where they cry at it," Rachel observed, noting the sorrowful pout that can emerge even from infants.
"The kids feel deeply and they respond to music, even if they don’t understand the lyrics necessarily," she concluded. "They feel what went into it." For Rachel and Aron, this profound connection underscores the central thesis of "I’m So Happy": children possess a greater capacity for deep listening and emotional engagement than adults might often assume.
"Kids are smarter and deeper and more amazing than we give them credit for sometimes," Rachel stated. With "I’m So Happy," Ms. Rachel and Mr. Aron are ensuring that the music they create meets children at that sophisticated level of understanding and emotional receptivity.
"I Love a Rainbow" is available now, with the full album "I’m So Happy" set for release on September 25th. The album is distributed by Magic Star, the dedicated children’s and family division of Sony Music Entertainment’s The Orchard, promising a wide reach for this meticulously crafted collection. The release of "I’m So Happy" signifies not just new music for fans, but a powerful statement about the value and complexity of children’s artistic experiences.
