The long-standing rumors within the music and film industries have been officially confirmed: Taylor Swift has recorded a brand-new original song for the soundtrack of Toy Story 5. Titled “I Knew It, I Knew You,” the track is scheduled for release this Friday, June 5, arriving just two weeks ahead of the film’s theatrical debut on June 19.
In an official statement, Disney teased the song as a significant stylistic pivot, marking Swift’s return to the country music genre. While she has dominated the global pop charts for the last decade, Swift originally debuted as a teenage country singer-songwriter in 2006. This new collaboration serves as a nostalgic nod to those beginnings, blending the storytelling of her early career with her modern artistry.
“Inspired by the rootin’ tootin’ cowgirl Jessie’s ongoing journey in Toy Story 5 that began back in Toy Story 2, ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’ also marks a return to Taylor Swift’s country roots, blending styles that have defined her record-breaking career as a songwriter and artist,” Disney shared in a statement via Variety.
Writer-director Andrew Stanton expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, noting the emotional depth Swift brought to the project. “It’s incredible just how meaningful it’s been having Taylor write and perform this song,” Stanton stated. “Her connection to Jessie and the immediate way she understood what the character was going through was undeniable. 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.”
Swift herself revealed that the inspiration struck after she attended an early screening of the Jessie-centric sequel. Taking to X, she shared her lifelong affinity for the franchise: “It’s a *Toy* Story… 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. 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 announcement follows weeks of speculation among fans who noticed cryptic billboards in major cities like Los Angeles. These advertisements featured Swift’s initials, “TS,” rendered in the iconic Toy Story yellow font, set against the familiar blue sky and cloud wallpaper from Andy’s childhood bedroom.
The track was co-written and co-produced by Swift alongside her frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff. The duo most recently worked together on her 2024 album, The Tortured Poets Department. Toy Story 5 is set to hit theaters nationwide on June 19.