Taylor Swift’s ‘Toy Story 5’ Song Is a Return to Pop Country

Taylor Swift has unveiled her new song, "I Knew It, I Knew You," created for Disney and Pixar's forthcoming "Toy Story 5." This release signifies a notable return to Swift's country music origins, a genre that first launched her career before she achieved global pop superstardom.

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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.

While Swift does not employ a distinct country twang on the track, "I Knew It, I Knew You" incorporates signature elements of the country genre. These include prominent live instrumentation, a plucky banjo, and a harmonica that opens the song. This marks her first original material since "The Life of a Showgirl" in October and is co-produced by long-time collaborator Jack Antonoff.

Swift expressed her excitement on social media, describing the songwriting process as both a "musical departure and coming home." She felt a connection to the character Jessie, for whom the song was written, stating it was a "new challenge and also felt like second nature." Her lifelong admiration for the "Toy Story" franchise, dating back to when she was five years old, fueled her creative process.

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And being a “Toy Story” kid from the age of 5 til now... is an adventure I plan to be on, to infinity and beyond.

The collaboration was hinted at through "TS"-initialed billboards appearing in major cities worldwide, styled to resemble the "Toy Story" logo. Swift confirmed the song's release on Instagram, sharing her dream of writing for characters she has adored since childhood and her immediate inspiration after seeing "Toy Story 5" in its early stages.

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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. 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?

"Toy Story 5" director and writer Andrew Stanton praised Swift's contribution, noting her deep connection to the character Jessie and her immediate understanding of the character's emotional journey. Stanton remarked that the song felt intrinsically linked to the "Toy Story" universe, as if it had "always belonged there."

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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.