Songfacts®:

• Tevin Campbell was just 13 and a newcomer on the scene when he released his first single, "Round And Round," written and produced by Prince. It's likely that Prince also played the instruments on the track, and the backup vocals are clearly him. With his mark on the song, it was a great way to introduce Campbell, who was signed to Quincy Jones' label, Qwest. Jones famously worked with another young artist: Michael Jackson.
• The lyric is rather profound, making the point that no matter what we do, the world will just keep on turning 'round and 'round. We can look for meaning in life, but might be better off just pursuing our passions and going wherever it leads:
  
  Is the truth really there or is it right under our hair
  For all we know it's been there all the time
  
  Heavy stuff for a 13-year-old to sing, but it's encased in an age-appropriate, easygoing groove with all the Prince flourishes.
• Campbell performed "Round And Round" in the 1990 Prince movie Graffiti Bridge. The song is part of the soundtrack, and a different mix appears on his debut album, T.E.V.I.N., released the following year.
• Prince was so prolific around this time that other artists were landing hits with his songs on a regular basis, most famously Sinead O'Connor, whose cover of "Nothing Compares 2 U" was also released in 1990 and was a huge hit. That same year, you could also hear his handiwork on "Jerk Out" by The Time and "Pray" by MC Hammer, which samples "When Doves Cry."
• Before this song was released, Campbell sang on the song "Tomorrow" from the Quincy Jones album Back On The Block, and appeared with Jones and other performers from the album on the February 10, 1990 episode of Saturday Night Live.
• Prince wrote and produced four songs on Campbell's second album, I'm Ready, released in 1993. Unlike "Round And Round," some of them were bedroom anthems, including "Shhh" and "The Halls Of Desire." Campbell, 16 at the time, didn't feel comfortable recording these songs because of the subject matter, but wasn't going to turn down Prince.
• The song starts with an impressive vocal run, which is unusual in a hit song because it means DJs can't talk over it.
• Campbell landed more hits over the next few years, including three that went to #1 on the R&B chart: "Tell Me What You Want Me To Do," "Alone with You," and "Can We Talk." His star started falling with his third album, Back To The World in 1996, and he released just one more, Tevin Campbell in 1999. In the 2000s, he appeared in various stage productions, including Hairspray on Broadway.