Taylor Swift has revealed her first new song since 2025’s The Life Of A Showgirl, writing and recording an original track for Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5 inspired by the character Jessie.
by Paul Cashmere
Taylor Swift will release a new original song, ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’, on 5 June, marking her first new music since the release of The Life Of A Showgirl in October 2025. The track has been written specifically for Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5 and is inspired by the continuing story of Jessie, the cowgirl character first introduced in Toy Story 2. The film arrives in cinemas on 19 June.
Swift announced the project after days of online speculation fuelled by mysterious “TS” billboards that appeared in cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Toronto, Mexico City and London. Fans also noticed changes to imagery connected to Swift’s online presence, prompting theories that a new release was imminent.
The announcement confirms that Swift has partnered once again with longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff, who co-wrote and co-produced the song. According to information released alongside the announcement, ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’ revisits the country influences that shaped Swift’s early career while drawing on songwriting elements that have characterised her evolution into one of the most commercially successful artists of her generation.
In a statement shared on social media, Swift explained her personal connection to the franchise.
“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 wrote.
Swift said she was invited to view the film during its development and that the experience immediately inspired the song.
“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 focuses on Jessie’s emotional journey, a storyline that began in Toy Story 2 and continues in the new film. Director Andrew Stanton said Swift quickly connected with the character and understood the themes being explored.
“It’s incredible just how meaningful it’s been having Taylor write and perform this song,” Stanton said. “Her connection to Jessie and the immediate way she understood what the character was going through was undeniable.”
He added that the song felt organically connected to the long-running franchise.
“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.”
Music has played a significant role throughout the Toy Story series. Composer and songwriter Randy Newman established much of the franchise’s emotional identity with ‘You’ve Got A Friend In Me’, while songs such as ‘When She Loved Me’, performed by Sarah McLachlan in Toy Story 2, and the Academy Award-winning ‘We Belong Together’ from Toy Story 3 became key moments in the series’ storytelling.
Swift’s involvement introduces a contemporary pop voice into a franchise traditionally associated with Newman’s songwriting. It also continues her long-running relationship with film soundtracks. Earlier contributions have included songs for Hannah Montana: The Movie, tracks for The Hunger Games films, a duet with Zayn Malik for Fifty Shades Darker, and work with Andrew Lloyd Webber on the 2019 film adaptation of Cats.
The release is notable because Swift has largely remained quiet on the recording front since issuing The Life Of A Showgirl. While she has continued to make headlines through touring, business ventures and the completion of her Taylor’s Version re-recording campaign, new original material has been limited.
The timing also follows the first anniversary of Swift regaining ownership of her master recordings, a milestone she marked publicly in May. For fans, ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’ offers the first indication of where her songwriting may be heading following one of the most commercially successful periods of her career.
Toy Story 5 arrives with a storyline centred on a “Toys vs Tech” theme. The film introduces a tablet named Lilypad, voiced by Greta Lee, as Bonnie’s attention increasingly shifts away from traditional toys. Returning characters including Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Jessie must confront changing ideas about play and childhood in a technology-driven world.
The cast also includes Conan O’Brien, Craig Robinson, Shelby Rabara, Scarlett Spears, Mykal-Michelle Harris and Matty Matheson, alongside several newly recast voice roles.
With the song arriving two weeks before the film’s release, Disney and Pixar are positioning Swift’s contribution as a key element of the movie’s launch. Whether it follows the awards trajectory of previous Toy Story songs remains to be seen, but it immediately adds another high-profile chapter to Swift’s expanding catalogue of soundtrack work and gives the Toy Story franchise one of the biggest music names in the world at a pivotal moment.
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