Taylor Swift is joining the ‘Toy Story’ family. The singer has written and recorded a new original song called “I Knew It, I Knew You” for the upcoming Disney and Pixar movie ‘Toy Story 5’. The track drops on June 5, 2026, two weeks before the film hits theaters on June 19, 2026.
A Dream Come True for the Singer
Swift shared the news on her Instagram on June 1. She said she has loved the ‘Toy Story’ characters since she was a little kid. The singer was only 5 years old when the first movie came out in 1995.
“It’s a Toy Story 🤠 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.” – Taylor Swift
Swift got to see an early version of ‘Toy Story 5’. The film moved her so much that she wrote the song right after she got home from the screening.
“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?” she wrote on social media.
A Return to Her Country Music Roots
The song marks a return to country music for Swift, who started her career in Nashville. Disney is calling the track “a return to country” for the pop star. The song is inspired by Jessie, the toy cowgirl character voiced by Joan Cusack.
Swift wrote and produced the track with her longtime partner Jack Antonoff. The two last worked together on her 2024 album ‘The Tortured Poets Department’. ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’ will be Swift’s first new music since her 2025 album ‘The Life of a Showgirl’.
Director Andrew Stanton Praises the Collaboration
‘Toy Story 5’ director Andrew Stanton spoke highly of Swift’s work on the film. Stanton, known for ‘WALL-E’ and ‘Finding Nemo’, said Swift connected with Jessie’s story in a natural way.
“It’s incredible just how meaningful it’s been having Taylor write and perform this song. 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.” – Andrew Stanton, Director of ‘Toy Story 5’
Fans had been guessing for weeks that Swift might be involved with the movie. Mysterious billboards with the letters “TS” appeared in several cities. The billboards also had 13 clouds, which is Swift’s lucky number. The official ‘Toy Story’ Instagram page posted a video of Jessie dancing in front of one of these billboards with a caption that quoted her song ‘Shake It Off’.
How to Get the Song
‘I Knew It, I Knew You’ will be available on June 5. Fans can pre-order the song now on Swift’s official website. The single comes in three different collector’s edition CDs, each costing $3.99.
The three versions are:
- The standard version as it appears in the film
- A special acoustic version
- A special piano version
Each version has unique vocals and production. The CDs are only available for a limited time while supplies last. The song will also be part of the official ‘Toy Story 5’ soundtrack, which comes out on June 19 when the movie opens.
All About ‘Toy Story 5’
‘Toy Story 5’ arrives in theaters on June 19, 2026. The movie brings back the main voice cast. Tom Hanks returns as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, Joan Cusack as Jessie, Annie Potts as Bo Peep, and John Ratzenberger as Hamm.
New cast members include Bad Bunny, who voices a character called Pizza With Sunglasses, and Alan Cumming, who plays Evil Bullseye. Conan O’Brien, Craig Robinson, and Krys Marshall have also joined the cast.
The story this time is ‘Toy meets Tech’. The toys face a challenge from Lilypad, a new tablet device that arrives with her own ideas about what is best for their kid, Bonnie. Greta Lee voices the new character Lilypad.
The film is directed by Andrew Stanton and co-directed by Kenna Harris. Lindsey Collins produces the movie. Randy Newman, who has scored every ‘Toy Story’ film, returns to write the music.
‘Toy Story 5’ will release in theaters across the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, India, and many other countries on June 19. The film opens in India in both English and Hindi languages.
The first ‘Toy Story’ movie came out in 1995. The sequels followed in 1999, 2010, and the fourth film arrived in 2019. ‘Toy Story 5’ marks 31 years since the original movie introduced audiences to Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the toy gang.
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