Taylor Swift’s New Toy Story Song Sparks Controversy
Taylor Swift has revealed a new song she wrote for the upcoming Toy Story 5, which has sparked a wave of confusion and debate among fans. The track, titled “I Knew It, I Knew You,” has drawn comparisons to a song by her close friend Gracie Abrams, which shares a nearly identical title.
The American pop star, 36, announced that she has written an original song for the fifth film in the beloved Toy Story franchise. She expressed her long-standing dream of contributing to the Disney and Pixar animated series, which she has adored since she was five years old when the first movie was released.
Taylor shared the news on Monday, revealing that the song will be released on June 5 and featured on the official Toy Story 5 soundtrack when the film debuts on June 19. However, fans have been left puzzled by the similarity in titles between her new track and Gracie Abrams’ song “I Knew It, I Know You.”
Social media users quickly took to platforms to express their thoughts. One user, @isthiisdesire, suggested that Taylor was “stealing” from her fellow artist. Another fan, Hanna, wrote: “Me at first glance: why is Taylor Swift selling CD singles for a Gracie Abrams song?” Meanwhile, a Taylor Swift fan account called @SwiftNYC commented: “I’m trying to recover from the Gracie Abrams jumpscare when I saw the title ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’ but hers is I KNOW YOU.”
Joey added: “Really really torn by this news by Taylor Swift… I really really hate the title. For someone who has been such a champion of doing things the right way, to not mention it’s basically Gracie Abram’s title feels very very strange. At best its tone deaf, at worst it’s a direct shot.” Asia also questioned: “Is it not weird that Gracie Abrams already had a song called I Knew it, I Knew You?”
Taylor addressed the issue with her 273 million followers, acknowledging that fans were right after they began speculating about her involvement in the soundtrack. A series of “TS” billboards, playing on Toy Story and Taylor’s initials, appeared in cities like London, Mexico City, and Los Angeles, along with social media posts and countdowns hinting at the collaboration.
Referencing her hit song “Love Story,” Taylor shared a post on Instagram on Monday, saying: “It’s a Toy Story. You knew it!” She added: “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.”
The song was written and produced by Taylor and Jack Antonoff, inspired by the beloved cowgirl Jessie and marking a return to Taylor’s country roots. Andrew Stanton, the director and screenwriter of Toy Story 5, praised the collaboration, stating that having Taylor write and perform the song was “meaningful.” He described the track as feeling like it belonged with the film from the start.
“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,” Andrew said.
The track will be the first release by the singer since her chart-topping 12th studio album, The Life Of A Showgirl, came out last year. Earlier this year, she released the music video for her single “Opalite,” which is reportedly about her fiancé, NFL star Travis Kelce, and reached number one on the UK singles chart.
The latest Toy Story film sees Woody reunite with Buzz Lightyear and Cowgirl Jessie as they prepare to face off with technology. The film features the return of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Joan Cusack. Additionally, Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny will play the forgotten toy known as Pizza With Sunglasses, while US Traitors host Alan Cumming will voice the evil alter ego to horse Bullseye.
Taylor’s new track will be available to stream from June 5, with Toy Story 5 hitting UK cinemas on June 19.
