Media and Music: How Disney’s “A Goofy Movie” Defined Tevin Campbell’s Career
While Disney isn’t known for creating R&B icons, they accidentally made one in 1995 with Powerline. Tevin Campbell’s superstar character only needed two songs to become a cult icon.
In Media and Music, our writers take a deep dive into how movies use scores and songs to engage viewers, give new meaning and tone to some of our favorite scenes, and establish themes. It almost goes without saying, but there are spoilers abound.
Written by Olivia Abercrombie
Images courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures
If you ask anyone what their favorite Disney song is, they will probably reply with one of the hundreds of grandiose, majestic power ballads that defined the company for most of its infancy. However, people with true taste know where to find underground bops that have eluded the spotlight for a criminally long time. To be enlightened to the range of the Disney music catalog, look no further than the downright goofy — pun intended — “A Goofy Movie.”
The 1995 animated film explores the relationship between the beloved anthropomorphic icon Goofy Goof and his son Max Goof. As a single parent to a rambunctious 14-year-old, Goofy wants to connect with his son by taking him on the same road trip the titular character went on with his father one summer, but Max just wants to be a teenager. The film follows the duo’s road trip across the country as they try to reconcile their relationship, ultimately leading them to an ICONIC concert by Powerline, voiced by 90s R&B star Tevin Campbell. With only two songs in the film, this character still has become a cult icon through the tracks' uniqueness and the fictional musician's star power.
Blank stares and sleepy yawns fill the Spoonerville High School auditorium in the final assembly before summer break until a laser-like snappy drum beat drowns out Principal Mazur’s monotone speech as he drops under the stage via a trap door to make way for the star of the show. The assembly is jolted awake as Max, wearing a Michael Jackson-esque get-up, launches into a lipsync of the opening notes of Powerline’s “Stand Out.”
Not only is this song Max’s anthem, it also perfectly encapsulates his feelings about growing up, his relationship with his father, and the relationship he wants with his crush Roxanne. Funk influences drip through the buzz of the guitar riffs and swinging wah-wah pedal that leads into the opening verse. “I'm driven by the rhythm like the beat of a heart / And I won't stop until I start to stand out” captures his desire to grow up and break free from his father’s shadow. Goofy Goof’s reputation for being odd makes Max feel his image is being tarnished by his father’s. Max takes the obvious approach to mitigate that — for instance, by rebelliously crashing the school assembly “To stand out above the crowd,” as Powerline’s chorus rings out.
While wanting to be his own man (or…dog?) is the main inspiration for Max’s antics, his massive crush on his classmate Roxanne is another major driver. The bright, swinging track breaks down to a smooth, slower beat as Max looks to Roxanne and lipsyncs, “If I could make you stop and take a look at me / Instead of just (walkin' by). There's nothin' that I wouldn't do / If it was gettin' you to notice (I'm alive).” Powerline may sing this song, but it fits so perfectly into Max’s story it's as if he wrote the lyrics himself. Max finally gets the courage to ask Roxanne out, but before Max and Roxanne can go on a date, Goofy drags Max on a road trip. To save Roxanne from disappointment, Max lies and says they are going to LA to perform with Powerline. Thus, the historic father-son road trip begins.
Powerline is the biggest star in the Goofy universe, and the R&B edge in his music is a sign of the times. 1995 was the peak of the Golden Age of R&B, and the entire character design of Powerline is a love letter to the stars of the time like Bobby Brown and Michael Jackson. However, rather than just using a Broadway star or actor to play the pop star, Disney went rogue and cast an actual famous musician, Tevin Campbell. Campbell’s high tenor as Powerline is reminiscent of music group Bell Biv DeVoe’s Ricky Bell, but the superstar quality the character exudes screams Prince, Campbell’s legendary mentor. . This edge to Campbell’s voice brought a fresh energy to the film's soundtrack and marked an intentional detour from Disney’s typical Broadway sound.
After a road trip of cartoonish shenanigans, including a bear attack, an opossum theme park, and a near-death experience with a waterfall, the Goofs arrive in LA as newly bonded father and son. At the beginning of the film, Max wants nothing to do with his father, even Goofy just wants to spend time with Max as he grows up. However, through their long journey together, Goofy learns to listen to his son’s interests, and Max understands how much Goofy cares for him, and embraces his father despite his flaws. The film’s climax sees the duo sneak backstage at the renowned concert — where, to Goofy’s horror, he’s accidentally hoisted up on stage in the middle of Powerline’s performance of “I 2 I.”
Before that the track opens with an electric power-up into a hard-hitting synth that imitates a laser light show. Then, a clean stinging guitar riff flows into the first verse, showing off an evident Prince influence. The lyrics paired with Campbell’s powerful yet boyish vocals are the perfect blend of youth and maturity, perfectly highlighting Max and Goofy’s story arc. Over a groovy drumline and electrifying keys, the chorus rings, “If we listen to each other's heart, we'll find we're never too far apart / And maybe love is the reason why, for the first time ever, we're seeing it eye to eye.” These lyrics represent Max and Goofy’s relationship, acknowledging that although they may not always understand each other, love will always bring them back together.
While these songs are integral to the plot, they have also defined Tevin Campbell's career outside the film. Campbell had some hits in the mid-90s like “Can We Talk,” “I’m Ready," and “Round and Round” — all of which won him Grammy nominations in 1991, 1994, and 1995, respectively. However, after his rise to success at such a young age — he voiced Powerline at 19 — he stayed out of the public eye following an arrest in 1999. Without his stint as Powerline, his music would have fallen into the mass of R&B music of the 90s, but creating a beloved Disney character made him a standout to a new generation of kids when the film became a cult classic in the following years.
The film’s initial release was underwhelming at the box office for Disney at the time, but it picked up traction a few years later mainly due to its catchy soundtrack and partly to the rise of home videos. The classic touching Disney storytelling paired with a killer soundtrack created the perfect generational film that has endured.
Cemented on the silver screen, Tevin Campbell may not have finished his career in the music industry in a traditional sense, but he created a legend through the anthropomorphic Michael Jackson remake in “A Goofy Movie.” While Disney has created other fake popstars like the boy band 4*Town in “Turning Red,” Powerline was the first and will always be the most beloved.