Taylor Swift has reached the top of major music charts with her original song "I Knew It, I Knew You" for Toy Story 5.
The release represents a significant shift for the Pixar franchise, as it is the first original track written for the series that was not composed by Randy Newman. This departure from tradition has generated substantial media interest and fan engagement.
The song saw an immediate commercial impact following its release earlier this month. According to Forbes, the track led the iTunes chart at the start of the tracking period [1]. Hugh McIntyre of Forbes said, "Taylor Swift's Toy Story 5 song 'I Knew It, I Knew You' leads iTunes at the beginning of this tracking period" [1].
Beyond digital sales, the track achieved dominance on broader industry metrics. The song debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 [2]. Other chart aggregators also confirmed the song reached the top spot on various weekly charts [3].
While most sources identify the track as "I Knew It, I Knew You," some reports, including those from Billboard, have referred to the title as "I Knew It, I Know You" [2]. Despite the slight variation in title reporting, the commercial performance remained consistent across U.S. markets.
The collaboration brings together one of the most successful recording artists in history and one of the most profitable film franchises in animation. The surge in popularity reflects the combined drawing power of Swift's global fanbase and the established legacy of the Toy Story brand.
“The track is the first original, non-Randy Newman track written for the Toy Story franchise.”
The success of this track demonstrates the strategic intersection of a massive pop-culture fandom and a legacy cinematic brand. By breaking the tradition of using Randy Newman for original songs, Disney and Pixar are leveraging contemporary star power to maximize the commercial reach of the film's soundtrack before the movie's release.
