Jessie receives a heartfelt tribute in Taylor Swift’s nostalgic new single “I Knew It, I Knew You” from Toy Story 5. The track draws inspiration from the beloved Pixar character and showcases Swift’s return to her country roots.
In the moving song, Swift delivers the memorable chorus: “I saw you, standing there in the light of the window/Wearing that same smile/Man, it’s been a while.” Swift reunited with longtime collaborator and producer Jack Antonoff, who last worked with her on 2024’s The Tortured Poets Department.
Swift described the song as both a “musical departure and coming home” in an Instagram post, sharing a throwback video of young Swift wearing a cowgirl hat and boots. The Grammy winner, who has been a Toy Story fan since age five, wrote, “Being part of this adventure is something I plan to be on, to infinity and beyond.”
Swift recorded three versions of “I Knew It, I Knew You,” with acoustic and piano editions exclusively available on CD through her website. In her tribute to collaborators, she wrote: “Thank you to Andrew Stanton for imagining me for this, all those years ago when you wrote this newest film. Thank you to Randy Newman 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’re lucky to get to live in it.”
She added, “By we, I mean myself and my pal Jack Antonoff. 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.”
Speculation about Swift’s involvement in the Toy Story franchise began in late April when her website briefly featured a countdown and temporarily shifted from her Showgirl aesthetic to the series’ iconic cloud wallpaper. While the countdown led nowhere, Toy Story-themed billboards with a large “TS” appeared on May 29. Pixar and Disney later shared videos of the installations to their Instagram accounts, featuring Jessie dancing on the catwalk and referencing Swift’s “Shake It Off.”
Swift’s 12th studio album The Life of a Showgirl was released in 2025 via Republic Records. Toy Story 5 premieres in theaters on June 19, the same day marking the 20th anniversary of Swift’s debut single “Tim McGraw.”