I Believe I Can Fly was released by R. Kelly in 1996 and featured on the soundtrack to the film Space Jam, where its message of hope and self-belief helped make it a worldwide hit. The chorus became one of the most recognisable parts of the song and has since been reused in countless videos, edits and memes as shorthand for triumph, freedom and reaching a goal. Its short, soaring phrase still works because listeners recognise it instantly, even without the full song around it.