Swifties Were Right: Taylor Swift Unveils “Toy Story 5” Collaboration and New Song
The rumour mill has been churning for months, and it turns out the dedicated Swifties were spot on this time. Speculation that global superstar Taylor Swift would be teaming up with Pixar for a new project began earlier this year, fuelled by a flurry of Toy Story-themed Easter eggs appearing in unexpected places. Now, the confirmation has finally arrived: Taylor Swift has officially collaborated with the beloved Toy Story franchise on a brand-new song, much to the delight of her massive fanbase.
Swift took to Instagram this morning to announce that she has produced an original song for the upcoming Toy Story 5. Titled ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’, the track is set to be released on June 5th, giving fans an early taste of the magic before the film hits cinemas. Given the emotional resonance of previous Toy Story soundtracks, it’s a safe bet that this new song will tug at heartstrings.
In a playful nod to her iconic hit ‘Love Story’, Swift captioned her announcement, “It’s a Toy Story,” a clever pun that perfectly bridges her musical legacy with this new venture. She expressed her long-held admiration for the characters, stating, “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 revealed that she was fortunate enough to see an early cut of Toy Story 5 and was inspired to write the song immediately after. “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,” she shared. “Sometimes you just know, right?”
Taylor Swift has produced a new song for the upcoming Toy Story 5. Image: Instagram/ @taylorswift.
The track ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’ is available for pre-order now, exclusively through Swift’s official website.
A Trail of Easter Eggs: The Clues Leading to the Collaboration
This surprise announcement was far from a bolt from the blue. In classic Taylor Swift fashion, a series of meticulously placed Easter eggs had fans buzzing with anticipation for weeks. Let’s take a look at the breadcrumbs that led us to this exciting reveal:
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Cryptic Billboards
The first major clue emerged in the form of billboards popping up across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. These billboards featured Swift’s initials, “TS,” rendered in the instantly recognisable yellow font of the Toy Story logo. The locations included major cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, and San Francisco, as well as Toronto and Mexico.
Adding another layer of intrigue, each billboard displayed exactly 13 clouds. For any devoted Swiftie, the number 13 is synonymous with good luck, a personal emblem for the artist. The official Pixar social media accounts also amplified the mystery, sharing 13 photos of these billboards, each featuring the 13 clouds, with no accompanying caption, further fuelling speculation.
The speculation began when these billboards began popping up all over the place. Image: X @theTSupdates. -
TikTok’s Cloud Surprise
Even the popular social media platform TikTok got in on the Easter egg hunt. When users searched for “Taylor Swift” on TikTok, a delightful visual would appear: clouds reminiscent of those found in the Toy Story universe would float across the screen.
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Apple Music’s Subtle Hints
Apple Music also played a role in the unfolding mystery. The streaming service subtly altered its Instagram bio, replacing its usual tagline with capitalised ‘T’s and ‘S’s. This was followed by a post featuring Taylor Swift’s Essentials playlist on their Instagram Stories. The playlist had been curated to include only “Track 5” songs from her albums, and a more detailed inspection revealed that every single ‘T’ and ‘S’ within the song lyrics had been capitalised, showcasing an impressive level of commitment.
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Spotify Joins the Fun
Never one to be left out, Spotify joined the playful speculation by adding a cloud emoji to Taylor Swift’s sticker collection within the platform, a direct nod to the Toy Story theme.
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The “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” Album Cover Makeover
Fans noticed a significant change to the album cover of Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version). Originally featuring seagulls, the artwork was updated to replace the birds with clouds, a clear visual cue connecting her work to the Toy Story aesthetic.
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The Kelce Brothers Weigh In
The mystery even extended to the popular “New Heights” podcast hosted by brothers Travis and Jason Kelce. In a bonus episode released over the weekend, the brothers discussed Toy Story, Buzz Lightyear, and even Randy Newman, the composer behind many of the franchise’s iconic songs.
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Dinner with Disney’s Top Brass
Further fuelling the speculation, Taylor Swift and her partner Travis Kelce were spotted having dinner with Bob Iger, the CEO of Disney, back in March 2024. This seemingly casual encounter now appears to have been a significant indicator of an impending collaboration.
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A Direct Nod from Swift Herself
Taylor Swift herself offered a cryptic hint during an interview with The New York Times. When discussing songwriting after her induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, she described inspiration as striking in “spontaneous places where it floats down like a cloud in front of you and all you have to do is grab it.” Taylor Nation, Swift’s official fan management team, shared a clip of this interview on social media, conspicuously adorned with cloud emojis. During the same interview, Swift also alluded to the possibility of her songwriting contributing to a film, stating, “We have this opportunity as songwriters to tell an entire story an entire movie or a very detailed description of one scene in a movie.”
The overwhelming number of interconnected clues, from billboards and social media hints to personal anecdotes and even high-profile meetings, painted a clear picture. Where there were once whispers, there is now a confirmed collaboration, proving that when it comes to Taylor Swift and her fans, no detail is too small to be noticed. The upcoming release of ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’ and Toy Story 5 promises to be an emotional and cinematic event.
