Taylor Swift’s latest surprise has officially arrived. The 14-time Grammy winner today (June 5) released “I Knew It, I Knew You,” her new original song from Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5.
The track, which will appear on the film’s soundtrack when it arrives alongside the movie on June 19, finds Swift reuniting with longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff, who co-wrote and co-produced the song. Antonoff’s band, Bleachers, also performs.
Inspired by Jessie, the beloved cowgirl introduced in Toy Story 2, the song marks another stylistic turn for Swift, blending the storytelling instincts and country influences that helped launch her career with the widescreen pop sensibility that has made her the most dominant force in music.
Swift celebrated the release with a lengthy Instagram post reflecting on both the creative process and her lifelong connection to Pixar’s flagship franchise.
“Writing this song felt like a musical departure and coming home at the same time,” she wrote. “Creating something for Jessie was a new challenge and also felt like second nature all at once. And being a @toystory kid from the age of 5 til now… is an adventure I plan to be on, to infinity and beyond…. Thank you to the incomparable @randynewmanofficial for the gorgeous sonic tapestry of songs and scores you’ve meticulously woven over the years. You created the Toy Story musical world, and we are lucky to get to live in it. By we, I mean myself and my pal @jackantonoff. We wrote this with so much adoration for these characters that made us laugh and helped us learn lessons and think outside the backyard all throughout our childhoods.”
The release follows a week of mounting anticipation that included Toy Story 5-themed teasers, a countdown on Swift’s website and a series of “TS” billboards appearing in major cities around the world. Director Andrew Stanton previously praised Swift’s contribution, saying her understanding of Jessie’s emotional journey was immediate and that the song felt as though it had always belonged in the franchise.
Toy Story 5 opens exclusively in theaters on June 19, with Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack returning alongside a new character voiced by Greta Lee. As Swift referenced in her Instagram post, Newman is also back to provide his fifth film score of the series.
