Taylor Swift has confirmed that a new original song will be featured in “Toy Story 5,” putting an end to days of fan speculation.
Swift announced on Monday her new original song, “I Knew It, I Knew You,” written for the latest “Toy Story” installment, will be featured on the film’s soundtrack — and releases on streaming on June 5th.
“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,” Swift wrote in an Instagram post.
“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?”
Billed by Disney as Swift’s return to her “country roots,” the upcoming track was inspired by Jessie, the toy cowgirl character in the film.
Pre-sales begin today on Swift’s website for exclusive CD editions of “I Knew It, I Knew You,” including an acoustic and piano version of the single.
“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,” Andrew Stanton,“Toy Story 5” director and screenwriter, said in a statement.
“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.”
Pixar fueled Swiftie speculation
Pixar dropped hints that captured the attention of fans, with its teases sparking excitement ahead of Swift confirming her involvement in “Toy Story 5.”
Swift lightly addressed the speculation over the weekend by posting a countdown on her website that was set to reach zero at noon MT on Monday. The countdown’s background included an animation of Jessie, the cowgirl in “Toy Story,” as well as a billboard featuring the letters “TS” in the same style used for the film’s branding, drawing even more attention from fans.
Speculation surrounding a Taylor Swift-“Toy Story 5″ collaboration took off after Pixar unveiled multiple billboards in major cities featuring the letters “TS” and 13 white clouds. Swifties immediately connected the image to the singer, pointing to her her initials and well-known lucky number, 13.
“13 clouds and ‘TS’?” one fan reacted to the billboards. “Swifties know that can’t be a coincidence. The theories are about to go crazy. Swifties see “TS” and the number 13 everywhere now.”
Pixar fueled rumors with a video of Jessie’s character dancing in front of one of the billboards. The caption read, “She’s making those moves up as she goes,” which fans linked to Swift’s 2014 hit, “Shake it Off.”
Pixar previously announced that pop star Bad Bunny will have a voice cameo in the upcoming movie as Pizza with Sunglasses, a toy that looks like a slice of pizza.
“Effortlessly cool and mysterious, Pizza with Sunglasses is a member of a small but mighty community of forgotten toys that live in an abandoned backyard shed,” Disney said in a press release.
Set to debut on June 19, the new film follows Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack) and the rest of the toys as they face their biggest challenge yet when a new interactive tablet, Lilypad (Greta Lee), arrives — a high-tech toy that captures kids’ attention like nothing they’ve ever seen.
Fans react to Swift and ‘Toy Story’
Fans reacted enthusiastically to Swift’s announcement of a new song in “Toy Story 5,” with some joking that the film could become as much a celebration for Swifties as it is for Pixar fans.