Why Taylor Swift Was ‘So Grateful’ to Pen Song for TOY STORY 5

Published: June 22, 2026

By India McCarty

Taylor Swift is making history yet again — the global superstar is the first songwriter outside of Randy Newman to pen a song for a TOY STORY movie.

“I was 5 when I first saw TOY STORY, the first film, and I actually still have my VHS tape from 1995,” she told ABC News. “I think it really speaks to — if you’ve made resounding, meaningful art, if somebody has kept their VHS tape for 31 years.”

Swift continued, “For me, all of the TOY STORY films have just these incredible scores [and] theme songs. Randy Newman has so delicately woven together a signature sound for these films, and I think that’s something that I’m just in awe of, and I’m so grateful to be a part of it.”

Swift and longtime creative collaborator Jack Antonoff penned “I Knew It, I Knew You” for TOY STORY 5. The song has already debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart, and many expect it to be nominated Best Original Song at the Academy Awards.

However, for Swift, any accolades gathered by the track pale in comparison to getting to contribute to a TOY STORY soundtrack.

“When it came to writing ‘I Knew It, I Knew You,’ I, like, just blathered out, ‘We have to write this song!’ Because for us to have an opportunity to write for this film as the first songwriters outside of Randy was really special,” Swift explained.

In an Instagram post announcing the release of “I Knew It, I Knew You,” the singer-songwriter 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 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,” she continued. “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.”

In another Instagram post, Swift revealed she has “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,” Swift continued. “Sometimes you just know, right?”

Swift has racked up plenty of impressive career highlights, but it looks like writing a song for TOY STORY 5 is one that really means a lot to the pop star.

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