“It was kismet,” says Andrew Stanton about collaborating with Taylor Swift for Toy Story 5, releasing on 19th June

The highly anticipated new single, ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’ from Toy Story 5, is out now!

Ever since the TS billboards first popped up across the USA, fans and media have gone into overdrive speculating about the biggest collaboration of the year. The announcement quickly became the news everyone was waiting for.

“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. 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,” said Andrew Stanton, director and co-writer of Toy Story 5, about the landmark collaboration.

‘I Knew It, I Knew You’, the new song written and produced by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff, is inspired by the rootin’ tootin’ cowgirl Jessie’s ongoing journey that began in Toy Story 2. The track also marks a return to Taylor Swift’s country roots, blending styles that have defined her record-breaking career as a songwriter and artist.

Earlier in the day, the global superstar took to social media to share the single. She wrote:
“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 brilliant Andrew Stanton for imagining me for this, all those years ago when you wrote this newest film. 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.

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. “I Knew It, I Knew You” from Toy Story 5 is out everywhere now. 🤠🐴

Check out the post below:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZMKe2HOT95/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Toy Story 5 is directed by Academy Award®️ winner Andrew Stanton (“WALL•E,” “Finding Nemo,” “Finding Dory”), co-directed by Kenna Harris (“Ciao Alberto”), produced by Lindsey Collins (“Turning Red,” “WALL•E,” “Finding Dory”), and features an original score by Academy Award®️ winner Randy Newman who returns to score his fifth “Toy Story” feature.

Toy Story 5 releases exclusively in theatres in India on 19th June 2026 in English and Hindi.