*On this day 22 years ago, R. Kelly’s hit single “I Believe I Can Fly” won Best Male R&B Vocal, Best Song Written for TV or a Movie and Best R&B Song at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards.
At that point, he was also the artist behind top 10 R&B singles “Sex Me” and “Your Body’s Callin’,” as well as the No. 1 R&B hits “Bump n Grind, “You Remind Me of Something” and “Down Low (Nobody Has to Know).” The sex tape wouldn’t surface until four years later, but we all knew that four years prior to this song’s Grammy moment, Kelly was rumored to have married Aaliyah when he was 27 and she was 15.
The 1994 marriage rumors were overlooked in 98, and his artistry was rewarded mightily that year for the inspirational “I Believe I Can Fly,” which first appeared on the 1996 soundtrack to “Space Jam,” then later on Kelly’s 1998 album “R.” It 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. It peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, kept from reaching No. 1 by the Goliath that was Toni Braxton’s “Un-Break My Heart.” However, it topped the chart in eight other countries, including the United Kingdom.
Kelly performed the song at the Grammys that year and brought the audience at New York’s Radio City Music Hall to its feet. The New York Times reported that he was “the first performer of the night to get a standing ovation–with his spirited rendition of the song, backed by a full gospel choir.”
R. Kelly Performs “I Believe I Can Fly” at the Grammy Awards – 1998
Video of his alleged statutory rape of and urination on an underage girl, and subsequent 2017 allegations of holding women hostage in a “sex cult” have since emerged and now sit in the cold light of day, unable to be ignored. The six-part documentary “Surviving R. Kelly” brought receipts. And a month after its broadcast, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office in Illinois brought charges – 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
Is it possible to separate all of that heinousness from the song itself? Can folks still be inspired by Kelly’s beautifully-written ode to persistence, dreaming big and self confidence, which have inspired and empowered many a listener preparing for battle – from athletic competitions to education and career endeavors, to getting through cancer treatment?
Vocal powerhouse Syleena Johnson, whose early hits “I Am Your Woman” and “Guess What” were among several of her tracks produced by Kelly, believes fans of his music should be able to separate the artistry from the artist with zero guilt.
“I don’t think people should find themselves responsible for his actions because they love his music,” she told Page Six. “During that time when you heard that music, you were in a pure place where you received something lyrically that inspired and motivated you. Hold on to that. That’s not your fault that he created this … So if we can’t listen to his music, [then] we can’t watch another Harvey Weinstein movie. We can’t watch none of Bill Cosby’s shows.”
I Am Your Woman
Guess What
Hypnotic
Johnson, did, however, tell a reporter last year that she will no longer perform her songs that were produced by or feature Kelly.
While many are either too disgusted or embarrassed to ever “Step in the Name of Love” again (at least in front of people), “I Believe I Can Fly” just might be one of those songs that survives the shame and disgrace of its songwriter.
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A Sloth Crossing the Street
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