A music video featuring the most prominent Disney Channel stars of the early-2000s is making the rounds on social media, and viewers are laughing over the cultural artifact. The clip comes from the “Disney Channel Circle of Stars,” which recorded two music videos in 2003 and 2005. It has fans feeling nostalgic and embarrassed all at the same time.
The Disney Channel Circle of Stars included Hilary Duff, Raven-Symonรฉ, Orlando Brown, Anneliese van der Pol and Kyla Pratt at a time when all of them were stars on various Disney Channel original series. This week, their music video for “Circle of Life” from The Lion King soundtrack went viral, with fans laughing over the dated fashion and forced vibratos. The group recorded another video for “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” from Cinderella in 2005. These two videos appeared on Disney DVD releases throughout the decade as a special feature, including The Lion King Special Edition, Cinderella Platinum Edition DVD and others.
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Iโm partial to this one pic.twitter.com/2yW2O8rTO8
โ Emily Ward (@omgitsemilyward) April 11, 2021
Disney tried to revive the Circle of Stars concept in 2014, casting newer stars for a version of “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” from the Frozen soundtrack. However, social media is more preoccupied with the older version, which is getting roasted as we speak. Here is a look at what people are saying about the old video.
Hardware
the TV i watched this music video on ๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ channel 55 https://t.co/m4MyhoB0qq pic.twitter.com/R8KU0qFkWM
โ letsโขunโขpack (@Matthurryup) April 11, 2021
The nostalgia put fans right back in the room where they remembered seeing this video for the first time, prompting all kinds of references to early-2000s aesthetics.
Singing
You couldn’t work for Disney if you couldn’t hold a note
โ Inez๐ฝ (@thatgurlinez) April 11, 2021
In hindsight, fans laughed that Disney forced all of its stars to get in on musical numbers, even if they never sang in their respective TV shows and showed no interest in a music career. This convention of teen media has gradually fallen away since then.
Later Releases
Ain’t got shit on this! ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ pic.twitter.com/HMiwIHhvBu
โ King Beige (@Yella_Boiii) April 11, 2021
See this why you should only stick to weed ๐๐พ
โ BROTHA KODA (@dijkeysad34) April 11, 2021
Orlando Brown’s personal life has been a string of scandals in the years since Everybody Loves Raven went off the air, but fans pointed out that he released other music videos as well. Some were just as odd as “Circle of Life.”
Vindicated
Not one shittty show during this era ๐ฉ https://t.co/nsiuLrb0Qr
โ ๐ง๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ง๐ง (@NorlynnL) April 11, 2021
Many fans felt like their love for this era of Disney Channel shows was now vindicated, believing that all those series still hold up.
Aged Poorly
Thatโs true tho ๐
โ JDBwitTheJuice โ๐ฅ โช (@all_in_yo_girl) April 11, 2021
Others felt the opposite โ saying that they remembered these covers sounding better when they were younger. A few also questioned the sound mixing and engineering on these tracks.
Raven
One thing about Raven is that she always delivered the vocals and the bops! pic.twitter.com/d9EspFgee4
โ Kรฉnnรฟโจ (@kennysroys) April 11, 2021
Raven carried Disney on her back for real ๐
โ ะธฮนะธฮฑ ๐ฆ ะฒัโโั (@ninaabelle_) April 11, 2021
While other stars have had moments of controversy and growing pains, fans argued that Raven-Symonรฉ has come through it all the most unscathed.
Diversity
That’s what confuses me about the newer Disney TV and made for TV movies where there’s always the black best friend. I feel lucky having grown up during the 90s-00s
โ Chris (@DapperAsDarren) April 11, 2021
Finally, fans felt that these videos showed that Disney’s diversity and representation was actually better in those days than it is today, and they hoped to see more A-list Black American stars like Raven taking center stage.