Taylor Swift made a memorable appearance at the Toy Story 5 premiere in Los Angeles, where she took to the red carpet and delivered performances that delighted attendees at the highly anticipated event.
During the premiere, Swift performed a duet with Randy Newman of "You've Got a Friend in Me," the franchise's iconic signature song. She also surprised the audience with a performance of her new original song "I Knew It, I Knew You," which she wrote specifically for the film.
Swift's involvement with Toy Story 5 generated significant buzz before the premiere. She had announced the song's release on her Instagram account on June 1, revealing that she had written the track with her longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff. The single became available on June 5, with three variants offered for preorder on Swift's website: a piano version, an acoustic version, and the original.
Prior to the official announcement, speculation about Swift's involvement had circulated online after fans spotted billboards displaying the initials "TS" in the distinctive blocky yellow Toy Story font across major cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Toronto, Mexico City, and London.
In her announcement, Swift described her emotional connection to the project. "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. She explained that she wrote the song immediately after viewing an early screening of the film, noting that the creative process felt natural and immediate.
The song was inspired by Jessie, the film's cowgirl character, marking Swift's return to the country genre. Director Andrew Stanton praised Swift's work on the track, emphasizing her deep understanding of the character. "Her connection to Jessie and the immediate way she understood what the character was going through was undeniable," Stanton said. He added that the song felt so integral to the film that it seemed like "a long-lost family member" that had always belonged there.
Tom Hanks, who voices Woody in the franchise, revealed that Swift's contribution had been kept secret from the cast until the film's official release. "It's incredible just how meaningful it's been having Taylor write and perform this song," Stanton commented on the collaboration.
The single represents Swift's first new music since the release of her album "The Life of a Showgirl" in October 2025. Toy Story 5 was set for worldwide release on June 19, introducing audiences to new characters and conflicts, including a tablet device called Lilypad that competes for children's playtime attention.