Theater is for the people, and showtunes have always reflected the popular music of the time to varying degrees. A lot of these songs explicitly riff on pop and R&B conventions, while making them a little bit larger than life, auditorium-sized versions of Motown or greaser rock. The Lion King takes this approach too, melding Zulu singers with Elton John glamour. It’s all a little ersatz and emotionally manipulative, yet also loaded with genuine pathos - isn't that the definition of camp?