The countdown is over, and the Swifties were right all along. Taylor Swift confirmed on June 1 that she has written and recorded an original song for Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5, titled “I Knew It, I Knew You,” dropping June 5 and hitting theaters alongside the film on June 19.
Co-written and co-produced with Jack Antonoff, the track is inspired by the franchise’s beloved cowgirl Jessie, and Disney is billing it as a return to Swift’s country roots. “Inspired by the rootin’ tootin’ cowgirl Jessie’s ongoing journey that began back in Toy Story 2,” a Disney press release noted, “the song blends styles that have defined her record-breaking career as a songwriter and artist.”
Swift made the announcement in classically personal fashion, sharing a dreamy photo of herself lying in a field of tulips. “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 on Instagram. “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?”
Director Andrew Stanton was equally effusive. “Her connection to Jessie and the immediate way she understood what the character was going through was undeniable,” he said. “On first listen, it instantly felt like it had always belonged there, like a long-lost family member. It was kismet.”
Collector’s Edition CDs featuring acoustic and piano versions are available on Swift’s website. The song could also put her in Oscar conversation, with Randy Newman having scored nominations or wins for every previous Toy Story installment.
