Taylor Swift unveils her latest project for Pixar
Taylor Swift released her new original song, “I Knew It, I Knew You,” on June 5, 2026, as part of the upcoming animated film Toy Story 5. To celebrate the song’s release, the songwriter shared a sweet childhood video on Instagram, showing herself dressed as a cowgirl. The clip featured a young Taylor Swift walking around a room while wearing a cowboy hat, boots, and a denim skirt. In addition to the nostalgic childhood video, the Grammy winner reflected on her connection to the Toy Story franchise and explained that creating music for the beloved film series was both exciting and meaningful.
The singer says the song felt familiar and new
In her message, Taylor described the experience as both a musical departure and a return to her roots. She explained that writing a song for Jessie, the cowgirl character from the Toy Story films, felt natural because of her longtime love for the franchise.
“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,” she said.
Additionally, she thanked Toy Story 5 director Andrew Stanton for inviting her to join the project. She praised composer Randy Newman for helping create the musical identity of the Toy Story universe over the years. The song was written alongside her longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff, who joined her in bringing the project to life.
“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,” the singer shared.
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… pic.twitter.com/gewjzSS0qg
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 5, 2026
The release marks Swift’s first new music since late 2025
“I Knew It, I Knew You” is Taylor Swift’s first new release this year, coming after her massively successful album “The Life of a Showgirl,” which was released on October 3, 2025. The announcement followed weeks of fan speculation after Pixar launched a promotional campaign featuring references that many believed involved the singer as part of the movie. Meanwhile, Toy Story 5 is scheduled to arrive in theaters on June 19, 2026, a date that also marks the anniversary of Taylor Swift’s debut single, “Tim McGraw.”
