When Taylor Swift does almost anything, it makes news. Goes to a restaurant? It’s in the tabloids. Goes to a basketball game? It’s memed forever. And if she writes a brand new song for one of Disney’s most beloved franchises? Well, that’s a global bombshell.
Which is exactly what dropped earlier this week. After seemingly months of rumors and speculation, Disney finally made it official that Swift wrote a new song for Toy Story 5. It’s called “I Knew It, I Knew You” and is inspired by the cowgirl Jessie, voiced by Joan Cusack. The full track was released on Friday. You can listen to it below, which is more than people working on the movie got to do.
Yes, apparently, only a select few people knew that Swift’s song was part of the movie, including people who were working on the movie itself. According to Variety, Toy Story 5 VFX supervisor Thomas Jordan revealed that after Swift saw an early version of the film in February, she was inspired to write the song, but only “a very small group” knew about it.
In fact, Jordan revealed that Pixar created “a decoy version” of the film that didn’t have Swift’s song just so press or Disney staff who saw it wouldn’t and couldn’t leak it. “The crew that made Toy Story 5 did not know about this secret until last week,” Jordan said.
Which is just bonkers. Imagine watching the movie, working on the movie, putting years into a movie, and being like, “Well, that scene could use a little something.” And, ultimately, the scene did have something; Disney just didn’t trust you with the secret.
But it worked. The news was (mostly) a surprise. And, of course, all the people who absolutely needed to know, like Toy Story 5 director Andrew Stanton, did. “It’s incredible just how meaningful it’s been having Taylor write and perform this song,” Stanton said in a press release. “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.”
Kismet that had to be kept a secret until three weeks before release.
Here’s Swift’s song. Where do you think it appears in the movie? Mid-movie montage? End credits? Let us know below.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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