Taylor Swift announces original song for ‘Toy Story 5’

Track billed as singer's ‘return to country’

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Published Jun 01, 2026  •  3 minute read

Taylor Swift arrives at the 67th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, in Los Angeles. Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer /GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

Taylor Swift announced Monday that she has recorded an original song for Toy Story 5.

Swift, 36, shared the news on Instagram and X, telling her more than 353 million followers on social media that she wrote the song titled I Knew It, I Knew You after seeing an early cut of the upcoming animated film.

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The new entry in the nearly 31-year-old franchise follows the toys, led by Tom Hanks’ Woody, Tim Allen’s Buzz Lightyear and Joan Cusack’s Jessie, facing off against Lilypad (a tablet device voiced by Greta Lee).

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“It’s a Toy Story 🤠,” Swift wrote. “You knew it! My new original song I Knew It, I Knew You for Disney and @pixar‘s @toystory 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.”

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The pop star 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? You can pre-order now exclusively on my site and catch Toy Story 5 in theaters June 19th ☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️.”

Fans of the singer and franchise reacted to the news with excitement.

“MY FAVE PIXAR MOVIE AND MY FAVE SINGER TOGETHER,” one follower commented with another adding, “I just know this song is going to bring tears with it.”

Song marks a return to Swift’s country roots

Disney said in a statement that the song, which is co-written and co-produced by Jack Antonoff, is inspired by cowgirl Jessie’s ongoing journey that began in Toy Story 2 and “marks a return to Taylor Swift’s country roots, blending styles that have defined her record-breaking career as a songwriter and artist.”

Toy Story 5 writer and director Andrew Stanton hailed Swift’s ability to connect with Jessie on the track.

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“It’s incredible just how meaningful it’s been having Taylor write and perform this song,” he said in a news release. “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. It was kismet.”

Bullseye and Jessie with Lilypad in Disney and Pixar’s ‘Toy Story 5.’ Photo by Disney/Pixar

In keeping with the Swift’s penchant for releasing variants, the Grammy winner’s website is currently selling three collector’s edition CDs featuring unique artwork from Toy Story 5 and different versions of I Knew It, I Knew You — including the radio release, a piano interpretation and an acoustic rendition. All three are available until, June 3 at 1:59 p.m. EST or while supplies last.

Swift’s fans had been buzzing about her possible involvement in the film after her official website briefly displayed a mysterious countdown in April that featured a Toy Story-style image.

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Past Toy Story films have featured contributions from superstar artists, including Randy Newman (You’ve Got a Friend in Me from the first Toy Story), Sarah McLachlan (who sang the heartbreaking When She Loved Me in Toy Story 2) and Chris Stapleton (whose The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy appeared in Toy Story 4).

Toy Story 5 opens in theatres June 19.

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