1998Released
5:20

Did You Know?

Interesting facts and trivia about I Believe I Can Fly. By Songfacts®.

R. Kelly wrote this for Space Jam, a popular 1996 movie starring Michael Jordan and other NBA stars in a world of cartoons (including Bugs Bunny). The song plays in the opening scene where a young Jordan is practicing late at night. When his father comes to bring him inside, they talk about Michael's aspirations: to play at North Carolina; to play in the NBA; to fly. The movie was big at the box office, but this song was even bigger, becoming an inspirational anthem often played at weddings and used in video tributes. A Space Jam sequel (Space Jam: A New Legacy) appeared in 2021 with LeBron James in the starring role. Kelly was not invited to participate; in lieu of his legal troubles, having him involved in a kids' movie would have been problematic.

Kelly got an early copy of the movie to view for inspiration. According to Rolling Stone magazine, Kelly said, "I studied it and I prayed over it because I wanted the best thing to come out of it."

This won 1997 Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song, and Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television.

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Song Analysis

Key, BPM (tempo) and time signature of I Believe I Can Fly.
GKey
MajorMode
4/4Time Signature
120BPM

Album

The album I Believe I Can Fly is released on.

Released By

The record label that has released I Believe I Can Fly.
Jive
(P) 1998 Zomba Recording LLC, except "I Believe I Can Fly" - (P) 1996 Zomba Recording Corporation

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