Taylor Swift Announces Original "Toy Story 5" Song "I Knew It, I Knew You"
Taylor Swift spent weeks hiding in plain sight — and her fans found every single clue before she confirmed a single thing.
Swift announced Monday that she has written and recorded an original song called "I Knew It, I Knew You" for Disney and Pixar's Toy Story 5, dropping June 5. The film opens in theaters June 19.
"It's a Toy Story," she wrote on Instagram after a Toy Story-themed countdown on her website ended. "You knew it. My new original song 'I Knew It, I Knew You' for Disney and Pixar's Toy Story 5 will be yours on June 5th."
"I've always dreamed of getting to write for these characters who I've adored since I was a 5-year-old kid watching the first Toy Story movie," she continued. "I fell instantly in love with Toy Story 5 when I was lucky enough to see it in its early stages, and I wrote this song as soon as I got home from the screening. Sometimes you just know, right?"
The Song and Its Inspiration
The song was written and produced by Swift and her longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff. According to a press release, it was "inspired by the rootin' tootin' cowgirl Jessie's ongoing journey in Toy Story 5 that began back in Toy Story 2" and "marks a return to Swift's country roots, blending styles that have defined her record-breaking career as a songwriter and artist."
Toy Story 5 director and screenwriter Andrew Stanton said Swift's "connection to Jessie and the immediate way she understood what the character was going through was undeniable." He added: "The song is so deeply connected to Toy Story. So much so that on first listen, it instantly felt like it had always belonged there, like a long-lost family member. It was kismet."
Jessie has a history of inspiring some of the franchise's most memorable music. In Toy Story 2, Sarah McLachlan's "When She Loved Me" — written by Randy Newman — earned an Academy Award nomination and became one of the most emotionally resonant moments in the series.
The Easter Egg Trail
Speculation had been ramping up for weeks after Pixar posted a video on Instagram featuring a "TS" billboard alongside Jessie doing a dance on top of the sign, with a caption referencing Swift's 2014 hit "Shake It Off." Billboards went up around the country with the acronym "TS" surrounded by 13 cartoon clouds — representing Swift's longtime lucky number. The signs appeared in Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Toronto, Mexico City, and London.
Swifties also noticed that her fifth album 1989 (Taylor's Version) had an updated cover on streaming services, replacing birds with clouds — a subtle nod to the Pixar franchise. The announcement itself landed on June 1, which eagle-eyed fans noted is National Cloud Database Day.
What to Expect From the Film
Toy Story 5 follows a "Toys vs. Tech" storyline. As Bonnie becomes increasingly attached to a tablet named Lilypad, voiced by Greta Lee, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and Jessie must fight to remain relevant in a screen-dominated world. The new voice cast includes Conan O'Brien, Craig Robinson, and Scarlett Spears.
This marks Swift's first new music since the release of her twelfth studio album The Life of a Showgirl last October. Three versions of the single will be available — a piano version, an acoustic version, and the original — with collector's edition CDs available for pre-order on Swift's official website.
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