I Believe I Can Fly
"I Believe I Can Fly" is a song written, produced, and performed by American singer R. Kelly from the soundtrack to the 1996 film Space Jam. It was originally released on November 26, 1996, and was later included on Kelly's 1998 album R. In early 1997, "I Believe I Can Fly" reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached the number-one spot of the Billboard R&B Singles Chart and remained there for six non-consecutive weeks. Internationally, "I Believe I Can Fly" topped the charts in eight countries, including Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
"I Believe I Can Fly"
The song received five nominations at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards, winning Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song, and Best Song Written for Visual Media, while losing Song of the Year and Record of the Year. It was ranked number 406 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004. The music video was directed by Kelly with Hype Williams[1] and designed by visual artist and designer Ron Norsworthy.
Background and composition[edit]
In a 2013 interview with The Boombox, R. Kelly was asked about the creative process behind the song: "When I met Michael Jordan on a basketball court at an athletic club — we hooped together in Chicago — he came to me and asked me if I wanted to do a song for his upcoming movie," Kelly said. "I was like, 'Yeah!' I didn't even ask what it was. [Eventually] he let me know what it was, we went to a screening to watch it and that's when I ended up coming up with 'I Believe I Can Fly'. I knew from the first melody that was gonna be the song that was gonna take me out of R&B and into another genre of music."[2]
Critical reception[edit]
A writer for Associated Press described the song as "majestic" and "gospel-styled", noting that "hearing R. Kelly's booming voice reach a crescendo while backed up by a choir is a rousing performance that will get many replays".[3] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that it is "highly inspirational" and "embodying the mind-set of the two superstars [Michael Jordan and R. Kelly]". He added, ""If I can dream it, I can achieve it." A great motivator for the children who will flock to the silver screen for Jordan".[4] A reviewer from Chicago Sun-Times viewed it as a "warm anthem".[5]
Ross Scarano from Complex said, "Like it or not, R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly" works because of R. Kelly. There's not another singer alive with the same combination of ability, earnest conviction, and personal demons—demons that Kelly believes he needs the listener's support to fight." He added that the singer "calls on strings and a choir and every bit of strength available in his lungs and vocal chords to rise above the broad struggle described in the lyrics."[6] David Browne from Entertainment Weekly opined that the "go-for-it lyrics and florid orchestration seem to have been written with a future Disney musical in mind."[7]
Tom Ewing of Freaky Trigger noted "I Believe I Can Fly"'s "genuine power as a redemption song" and also called it "the most convincing self-help song".[8] British newspaper Lennox Herald picked it as the "undoubted highlight" of the Space Jam album".[9] Thessa Mooji from Music & Media described it as a "dramatic ballad".[10] Music Week rated it three out of five, calling it "a smoochy gospel-tinged ballad". They added, "A huge hit in the US and should ignite here."[11]
A reviewer for People Magazine labeled it as "schmaltzy but potent".[12] Sunday Mirror rated it five out of ten, writing, "'I believe I can soar' sings R. Kelly but I suppose we should be thankful that he's released a proper song for once instead of those awful rap cover versions which are clogging up the charts these days. It's taken from the film Space Jam and if you bought Toni Braxton's last single and liked The Bodyguard then you will buy this for sure. I believe it will fly to the top of the charts though it makes me sore to say it."[13] James L. Brown from USC Today deemed it a "long slow ballad".[14]
Impact and legacy[edit]
In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked "I Believe I Can Fly" number 406 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 2012, Complex placed the song at number 24 in their ranking of The Best 90s R&B Songs.[15]
Music video[edit]
The music video for "I Believe I Can Fly" was directed by Hype Williams. It begins at an old farm, where a young boy is playing with his ball. By the farm lies an autumn yellow cornfield, where R. Kelly starts singing. In another scene, a large screen by the farm are showing clips from Space Jam, while Kelly performs on the ground. Later in the video, the singer sits in an autumn forest. Behind him is the screen where the film's clips are displayed. In the last part of the video, Kelly conducts a large choir in a sports hall, accompanied by an orchestra. After Kelly has sung the last stanzas of the song, the choir claps as the video ends.[16]
Other than appearing on the soundtrack for the film Space Jam, "I Believe I Can Fly" was performed by the school band in the 2002 film Drumline during the high school graduation ceremony of Devon Miles (played by Nick Cannon).
Other performances[edit]
Kelly performed this song at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards.
In The TP-2.com Tour, Kelly performed a 10-minute long remix of "I Believe I Can Fly," which included dialogue from a priest, Kelly's mother, and God as characters. The remix was later featured on the bootleg release Loveland.[21][22]
STS-122 crew heard this song on flight day 10 as a wake up call.[23]
Since its release, it has become commonly associated with the NBA, most notably with Michael Jordan. The song also played at the conclusion of NBC's broadcast of the 1997 NBA Finals.[24]
In addition to the NBA, the song also found use at other sporting events, most notably at Major League Baseball's New York Yankees home games during their four consecutive World Series runs from 1998 to 2001, the first three of which they won.
A version of the song, recorded by the Halifax community choir, was used as the backing track to a 2012 UK TV advertisement for the Halifax Bank.[25]
On October 13, 2012, when the Space Shuttle Endeavour was being transferred from Los Angeles International Airport to the California Science Center through the streets of Los Angeles, the recording was played as the shuttle left The Forum, and the song was performed live by James Ingram later that day at Debbie Allen's live show celebrating the Endeavour's arrival at the corner of Crenshaw Blvd and Martin Luther King Blvd. (The shuttle was delayed over five hours in arriving there; to keep the crowd entertained, the performance went on only slightly delayed.)