Taylor Swift Duets Randy Newman At Toy Story 5 Premiere
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- Taylor Swift performed her new original song 'I Knew It, I Knew You' at the Toy Story 5 Los Angeles premiere Tuesday at the Dolby Theater, receiving a standing ovation from the audience.
- She joined Randy Newman for a duet of 'You Got A Friend In Me,' calling him 'the architect of the Toy Story musical universe' during her on-stage remarks.
- 'I Knew It, I Knew You' is a country-folk ballad featuring harmonica — the first track in that style from Swift since folklore's 'Betty' — written from Jessie's perspective about her abandonment and eventual joining of Woody's crew.
- The song was kept 'top secret' from the Toy Story 5 cast until release day (per Tom Hanks), and Swift wrote it immediately after seeing an early screening alongside frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff.
- At the premiere, Swift called Toy Story 5 her 'favorite' film in the franchise and a 'masterpiece,' thanking Disney, Pixar, and director Andrew Stanton for envisioning the opportunity.
- Other premiere attendees included Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, and Greta Lee, who voices the main antagonist Lilypad and previously appeared in Swift's 'Opalite' music video.
Why it matters: Swift's secret-until-release original song for a major Pixar sequel — already breaking records per the source — anchors Toy Story 5's marketing in a cross-promotional model few musician-film tie-ins attempt. The country-folk direction is a notable creative departure from her recent pop output, and ties the track's emotional perspective directly to Jessie as the film's narrative anchor.
