Saddle up, Swifties — Taylor Swift is back to her country music roots on “I Knew It, I Knew You,” her new song for the Toy Story 5 movie.
Written with beloved cowgirl character Jessie in mind, “I Knew It, I Knew You” arrived at midnight Friday (June 5) and — both sonically and lyrically — finds the pop superstar tapping into her original genre. The theme will be featured on the franchise’s fifth movie soundtrack, which drops June 19, the same day Toy Story 5 hits theaters.
Swift posted a message to X alongside a link to the new track, sharing that “writing this song felt like a musical departure and coming home at the same time. 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.”
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Starring Tom Hanks and Tim Allen — who will reprise their iconic voice roles as Woody and Buzz Lightyear, respectively — as well as Joan Cusack returning to voice Jessie, Toy Story 5 will show how Andy’s old toys come to grips with a new electronic tablet taking over the attention of their current owner, Bonnie.
Swift revealed just five days prior to the track’s release that she was involved in Toy Story 5, only after mysterious “TS” billboards using the movie franchise’s signature font appeared in different locations around the world. The 14-time Grammy winner’s website also changed to show a Toy Story-themed countdown leading up to the announcement on Monday.
Toy Story 5 director and screenwriter Andrew Stanton said in a statement, “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,” he added. “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.”
Listen to Swift’s new track “I Knew It, I Knew You” for Toy Story 5 below.
