Taylor Swift’s fans were already planning for her to win Oscar gold after she released her newest song, I Knew It, I Knew You, just after midnight on Friday.
The tune, which is being released for the upcoming Disney–Pixar animated film Toy Story 5, marked a long-awaited official return to the country genre after the 2021 rerelease of her Red album.
I Knew It, I Knew You was an instant hit with Swift’s fans, who predicted that it could help her win an Oscar.
The 36-year-old hitmaker – who was recently mocked for her slouchy outfit in a photo she posed in with former Disney CEO Bob Iger – announced the song’s release with a snippet shared to social media that soundtracked an adorable home video of her dressed as a cowgirl.
‘Writing this song felt like a musical departure and coming home at the same time,’ Swift began her caption on Instagram. ‘Creating something for Jessie was a new challenge and also felt like second nature all at once. And being a @toystory kid from the age of 5 til now… is an adventure I plan to be on, to infinity and beyond.’
She also praised ‘the brilliant Andrew Stanton’ – who directed and co-wrote Toy Story 5 – for thinking her music would be a solid fit when he began writing the movie years earlier.
Taylor Swift’s fans were already planning for her to win Oscar gold after she released her newest song, I Knew It, I Knew You, just after midnight on Friday; seen in March in Hollywood
The tune, which is being released for the upcoming Disney–Pixar animated film Toy Story 5, marked a long-awaited official return to the country genre after the 2021 rerelease of her Red album
She also gave special thanks to the iconic singer–songwriter 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 are lucky to get to live in it,’ she continued, clarifying that, ‘By we, I mean myself and my pal @jackantonoff.’
‘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,’ Swift added, before noting that the single was available for streaming and downloads.
The songstress looked adorable in her throwback home video, which showed her stomping around in a pair of blue-and-brown cowboy boots while wearing a denim skirt and a red cowboy hat.
After she announced the song, fans flocked to social media to predict that Swift would win her first Academy Award next year for the Toy Story 5 tune.
‘And the oscar goes to… TAYLOR SWIFT!’ gushed one fan on X shortly after the song dropped.
‘Do yall hear that… it’s the sound… or the academy carving out her Oscar by hand already,’ another stan wrote.
One fan built on the fantasy, adding, ‘”And the Oscar goes to I Knew It, I Knew You Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff” *Travis first to stand up gives a kiss to Taylor and gives Jack the high five* me from the future.’
The songstress looked adorable in her throwback home video, which showed her stomping around in a pair of blue-and-brown cowboy boots with a denim skirt and a top featuring cowboy boot embroidery
Fan were instantly convinced that I Knew It, I Knew You would be the song to win Swift her first Academy Award
Several fans also included praise for Swift’s regular producer and co-songwriter, Jack Antonoff
Another poster fantasized about Swift winning an Oscar and posted a video of Bad Bunny remaining in his seat and covering his face as he teared up when he was announced as the winner of Album of the Year at the 2026 Grammy Awards.
‘Taylor Swift oscar winner,’ wrote multiple optimistic users in nearly identical posts, as one fan gushed, ‘TAYLOR ALLISON SWIFT COME GET YOUR OSCAR GIRL!!’
Several fans also included praise for Swift’s regular producer and co-songwriter, Jack Antonoff.
‘Give tay that oscar RN she and jack 100% percent deserve it, this song is perfection. taylor swift you’ve done it again, thank you so much.’
But even as positive reaction swelled, there were several critics who couldn’t believe the hype.
One user shared a photo of songwriter Diane Warren, who holds the record for the most Oscar nominations without a competitive win, captioning it, ‘Diane Warren knowing she can still win the Oscar this year after listening to the new Taylor Swift song.’
Another naysayer wrote, ‘Taylor Swift Toy Story song is so bad and I’m supposed to believe that’s worth of an Oscar nomination push ?????’
Swift kicked fan anticipation into high gear on Monday when she revealed that she had composed a new country song for the upcoming animated movie.
But even as positive reaction swelled, there were several critics who couldn’t believe the hype
Swift kicked fan anticipation into high gear on Monday when she revealed that she had composed a new country song for the upcoming animated movie; pictured in February 2025
The artist, who is marrying Travis Kelce on July 3 in NYC , broke the exciting news on Instagram.
‘It’s a *Toy* Story. You knew it! My new original song “I Knew It, I Knew You” for Disney and @ pixar ’s @toystory 5 will be yours on June 5th,’ wrote the songbird in her caption.
‘I’ve always dreamed of getting to write for these characters who I’ve adored since I was a five-year-old kid watching the first Toy Story movie.’
Swift then added, ‘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?
The star added that fans can pre-order the song exclusively on her website and that Toy Story 5 will be in theaters on June 19.
Tom Hanks’ wife Rita Wilson hit the like button on Swift’s post as did Olivia Culpo and Vanessa Bryant.
Fans took to X to express their gratitude by saying, ‘OMG thank you so much Taylor, you made my summer,’ while another added, ‘Genius, what’s not to love? Taylor Swift, love. Toy Story, love.’
To illustrate her announcement, Swift shared a new portrait by photographer Beth Garrabrant, who has worked with the singer in the past. And she added animated artwork for her Toy Story 5 song.
The announcement follows a series of TS billboards — a play on Toy Story and Taylor Swift’s shared initials — that appeared over the weekend in LA, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Toronto, Mexico City and London.
She also shared the art work for her Toy Story 5 song
‘It’s a *Toy* Story. You knew it! My new original song “I Knew It, I Knew You” for Disney and @pixar’s @toystory 5 will be yours on June 5th,’ wrote the songbird in her caption
‘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 said
Monday’s news was preceded by a Toy Story 5-themed countdown on Swift’s official website, as well as on billboards in New York and Los Angeles.
A previous iteration of the clock appeared last month, but was soon taken down, suggesting that it may have been set live too early.
When the clock hit zero on Monday, the shop page updated with her latest offerings.
There will be three versions of the new original song called I Knew It, I Knew You: the single as it appears in the film, an acoustic version, and a special piano version, all with unique vocals and production.
Swift wrote and produced the new tune with Jack Antonoff.
A press release shared: ‘Inspired by the rootin’ tootin’ cowgirl Jessie’s ongoing journey in “Toy Story 5” that began back in “Toy Story 2,” “I Knew It, I Knew You” also marks a return to Taylor Swift’s country roots, blending styles that have defined her record-breaking career as a songwriter and artist.’
Meanwhile, Toy Story 5 director Andrew Stanton suggested last week that Swift was not involved with the movie, but his wording was tricky which confused fans.
‘The sad truth is we watched the movie being mixed last week done and the song at the end of that was not a Taylor Swift song,’ Stanton said, but he did not say the song would not appear in the movie at all.
Tom Hanks and Woody at the Toy Story 5 film premiere in London on May 28
On Monday, he confirmed Swift was involved: ‘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. 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.’
Providing music for movies is nothing new for Swift. For Valentine’s Day in 2010 she had Today Was a Fairytale. For The Hunger Games in 2012, she sang Eyes Open and Safe & Sound. In 2017, she and Zayn made I Don’t Wanna Live Forever for Fifty Shades Darker. More recently she wrote and sang Carolina from Where the Crawdads Sing in 2022.
Toy Story 5 includes Woody (voice of Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (voice of Tim Allen), Jessie (voice of Joan Cusack).
The synopsis reads: ‘The gang’s jobs are challenged when they come face-to-face with Lilypad (voice of Greta Lee), a brand-new tablet device that arrives with her own disruptive ideas about what is best for their kid, Bonnie. Will playtime ever be the same?’
The film features an original score by Oscar-winner Randy Newman, who returns to score his fifth Toy Story feature.