Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Disney Debuts Toy Story 5 with Secret Taylor Swift Song

6/7/2026

50 7 Full Breakdown

Summary

Taylor Swift Powers ToyStory 5

Disney releases Toy Story 5 on June 19, 2026, featuring singer Taylor Swift’s song “I Knew It, I Knew You.”
Singer Taylor Swift co-wrote and produced the track with Jack Antonoff, drawing inspiration from the character Jessie.
Disney kept the song secret by showing a decoy cut to most staff and press, revealing it to a small group in early June.

Summary

Taylor Swift Streams

On June 5 2026, Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” broke streaming records.
Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music each reported record-breaking streaming metrics for the song, including the most-streamed country day by a female artist, the biggest country single of 2026 and the platform’s largest 24-hour global debut.
Physical CD and vinyl copies sold out within hours, prompting fans to quickly memorize the chorus and boost its chart climb.

Summary

Taylor Swift Teases

Billboards bearing the “TS” logo appeared in seven cities, including Los Angeles and London, to tease Taylor Swift’s Toy Story 5 song.
Three CD single versions—film mix, acoustic, and piano—were preorderable on Swift’s site and sold out quickly.
Director Andrew Stanton described the track as a “long-lost family member” and called its inclusion kismet.
The song qualifies for the 2027 Oscars.
A win would give Swift an Oscar, completing an EGOT.

History

Historical Context

Disney’s 1994 Lion King soundtrack, released June 13 and featuring Elton John and Tim Rice, earned the Oscar for Best Original Song at the 67th Academy Awards (1995). That pop-star success prompted Disney to hide Taylor Swift’s co-written “I Knew It, I Knew You” for Toy Story 5, unveiling it in June 2026 to boost streaming and potential EGOT prospects.

1 of 4

Taylor Swift Powers ToyStory 5

Disney releases Toy Story 5 on June 19, 2026, featuring singer Taylor Swift’s song “I Knew It, I Knew You.”
Singer Taylor Swift co-wrote and produced the track with Jack Antonoff, drawing inspiration from the character Jessie.
Disney kept the song secret by showing a decoy cut to most staff and press, revealing it to a small group in early June.

1 / 4