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‘Toy Story 5’ behind-the-scenes clip reveals how Taylor Swift's ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’ came together

The 'Toy Story 5' song was written by Taylor Swift and her longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff

'Toy Story 5' has been creating a buzz online ever since it was announced, and Taylor Swift took to social media to share a behind-the-scenes video of her recording the film's track 'I Knew It, I Knew You'. In a June 18 clip shared before the film’s June 19 theatrical release, Swift said she began working on the song after she watched an early screening of the movie at 11 a.m. and went home with an idea for its end credits. The song was written and recorded within about eight hours, giving fans a rare look at how quickly the track came together. The clip keeps the focus on the making of the song, which Swift wrote for Jessie’s story in the new Pixar sequel.

The clip also shows that the song was still not fully recorded when Swift filmed the update. "We have now produced it, and I’m doing vocals. It’s 6:57 p.m. In two hours, Bob Iger and Tom from Pixar are coming to hear it. We have not recorded it yet," she said, before adding, "And I think this is one of the most fun days of my life." The exact day of the recording was not revealed in the post, and the video did not confirm how much mixing or finishing work happened after that first studio session. Still, the timeline placed most of the writing, production, and vocal work within the same day. Swift first announced 'I Knew It, I Knew You' earlier in June, explaining that the song came from her connection to the franchise. "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," she wrote at the time. Swift ended the message by writing, "Sometimes you just know, right?"

The song was released on June 5 and was written with Jack Antonoff, Swift’s longtime collaborator. The pair developed the track around Jessie’s storyline in the film, blending Swift’s country influences with the emotional themes of the character’s journey. Swift later explained that writing for the beloved cowgirl felt both familiar and creatively different from her usual projects, making the song a natural fit for the film’s end credits. The collaboration ultimately became one of the key musical additions to ‘Toy Story 5’. 

In her June 5 Instagram post, she wrote, "Writing this song felt like a musical departure and coming home at the same time." She said creating something for Jessie was "a new challenge," but also felt natural because of how long she had lived with the 'Toy Story' films. Swift added that "being a @toystory kid from the age of 5 til now… is an adventure I plan to be on, to infinity and beyond." Her post included a throwback clip of herself dressed as a cowgirl, linking the song back to Jessie before the film arrived in theaters.

'Toy Story 5' brings back Woody, voiced by Tom Hanks, Buzz Lightyear, voiced by Tim Allen, and Jessie, voiced by Joan Cusack, as the toys face a new challenge connected to technology. The group is confronted by Lilypad, a tablet voiced by Greta Lee, who enters Bonnie’s life with ideas about what is best for her. The film is directed by Andrew Stanton and co-directed by Kenna Harris.