It’s been confirmed that Taylor Swift will contribute a new song, I Knew It, I Knew You, to the soundtrack to upcoming Disney Pixar movie Toy Story 5. Inspired by the ongoing journey of Jessie the cowgirl, who has been part of the Toy Story universe since the second film, It will be released this Friday, 5 June, ahead of the movie's release on 19 June.
I Knew It, I Knew You was written and produced by Swift and her longtime friend and collaborator Jack Antonoff – putting to bed any rumours of a creative break-up following his absence from Swift's most recent album, The Life Of A Showgirl – and is said to mark a return to Swift’s “country roots”. Its announcement comes after a series of ‘TS’ billboards appeared in LA, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Toronto, Mexico City and London over the weekend; these were indeed – as many fans speculated – a play on Taylor Swift and Toy Story’s shared initials.
Discussing the Toy Story franchise and the making of I Knew It, I Knew You, Swift said on Instagram: “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?”
Indeed, but by hitching her songwriting horse to Jessie’s wagon, Swift has some big creative hooves to fill. The cowgirl in question already has her own song in the shape of When She Loved Me, which was written by frequent Toy Story musical contributor Randy Newman for Toy Story 2 and sung by Sarah McLachlan.
A beautiful, heartbreaking tale of loss, When She Loved Me is a proper tearjerker. Indeed, McLachlan told the Zach Sang Show last year that she sobbed the first time she heard it, and immediately knew that she had to sing it.
“It’s so quintessential Randy but the melody is just built for my voice,” she explained. Of the song’s emotional impact when placed in the context of the movie, she added: “It’s gutting – I remember watching it in the theatre just ugly crying and my daughter looking at me like, ‘what is wrong with you?’”
She’ll find out – and we don’t have long to wait to discover how Swift has channelled Jessie’s character, either. “It’s incredible just how meaningful it’s been having Taylor write and perform this song,” says Toy Story 5 director and screenwriter Andrew Stanton. “Her connection to Jessie and the immediate way she understood what the character was going through was undeniable. 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. It was kismet.”
However it sounds, you can pretty much guarantee that I Knew It, I Knew You will be a huge success – destined to go to infinity and beyond, you suspect. As well as appearing on streaming services, it's also available to buy as a CD single that includes the song as it appears in the film, a special acoustic version and a special piano version, all with unique vocals and production
