Taylor Swift has announced a new song she has penned for Toy Story, which fans have noticed bears an almost identical title to one of her close friend Gracie Abrams' tunes. The American popstar, 36, has revealed that she has written an original song for the upcoming fifth film in the Toy Story franchise. Taylor expressed that she has always 'dreamed' of writing for the beloved Disney and Pixar animation, which she has 'adored' since she was five years old when the first film premiered. She announced her new original song on Monday, which will be released on June 5 and feature on the official Toy Story 5 soundtrack when the film hits theaters on June 19. However, fans have been left rather confused.
Title Controversy
Titled "I Knew It, I Knew You," Taylor's song is nearly identical to her close friend Gracie Abrams' song "I Knew It, I Know You." Taking to social media, fans suggested that the singer has 'copied' Gracie. User @isthiisdesire declared that she was 'stealing' from her fellow artist. Another user named Hanna shared her confusion, writing: 'Me at first glance: why is Taylor Swift selling CD singles for a Gracie Abrams song.' Meanwhile, a Taylor Swift fan account called @SwiftNYC added: '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 also commented: '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 similarly wrote: 'Is it not weird that Gracie Abrams already had a song called I Knew it, I Knew You?'
Announcement and Teasers
Taylor told her 273 million followers that they were right after fans began speculating that she would feature on the soundtrack following a number of teasers from Pixar and her team. A series of 'TS' billboards – a play on Toy Story and Taylor's shared initials – had started to appear in various cities, including London, Mexico City, and Los Angeles, along with social media posts and mysterious countdowns hinting at the collaboration. Referencing her hit song Love Story, Taylor shared a post on Instagram on Monday and said: 'It's a *Toy* Story. You knew it! 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. 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?'
Song Details and Inspiration
Written and produced by Taylor and Jack Antonoff, the new song is inspired by the beloved cowgirl Jessie and marks a return to Taylor's country roots. Andrew Stanton, the Toy Story 5 director and screenwriter, said having Taylor write and perform the song has been really 'meaningful' and noted that the track 'instantly' felt like it belonged with the film. 'Her connection to Jessie and the immediate way she understood what the character was going through was undeniable,' Andrew said. '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.'
Release and Background
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. In addition, Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny will play the forgotten toy known as Pizza With Sunglasses, along with US Traitors host Alan Cumming, who will voice the evil alter ego to horse Bullseye. Metro contacted Taylor Swift's representatives for comment on this story.
Taylor's new track will be available to stream from June 5, with Toy Story 5 hitting UK cinemas on June 19.
