Swift says she and Jack Antonoff tried to think like Randy Newman while writing the Toy Story 5 song that quickly became a country radio event.
Taylor Swift did not treat her Toy Story 5 contribution like a throwaway soundtrack cut. She says she and Jack Antonoff approached “I Knew It, I Knew You” with Randy Newman’s writing style in mind, aiming to fit a legacy that has defined the franchise for decades.
Swift says Newman’s approach shaped the song
Speaking on American Country Countdown with Ryan Fox, Swift said the assignment carried real weight. “It really hit me the weight of this, how lucky we were to get to take up what Randy Newman has created and and continue that legacy,” she said, describing the song as one more piece in the musical world Newman built for the films.
Swift said she and Antonoff tried to write with Newman’s sensibility in mind, even if his harmonic choices are far from her own usual instincts. “Randy tends to go to really different kind of chord progressions and has very different musical sensibilities than I do,” she said. “So we try to channel that, you know, what would Randy do.”
That framing matters. This was not just a pop star lending a name to a studio release. Swift was talking about craft, and about the pressure that comes with stepping into a lane already owned, in the public mind, by another songwriter.
A premiere moment with Randy Newman onstage
Swift joined Newman at the Toy Story 5 premiere in June and performed “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” with him. Newman handled the keys while the two swapped vocals. It was a clean handoff between generations, and a reminder of how closely the franchise’s music remains tied to his voice and piano.
On Y’all Access with Kelly Sutton, Swift also shared an audio message about the single. Her appearance on country radio was notable on its own. She has spent years away from the format, and this release brought her back into the country conversation in a way that was impossible to miss.
Country radio moved quickly
Before the song came out, Swift reportedly met with country radio programmers to preview it. Whether that was routine industry outreach or something more strategic, the result was immediate. RJ Curtis, executive director of Country Radio Broadcasters Inc., told Rolling Stone earlier this year that country radio would support Swift again “given the right song,” and that she had “delivered in a huge way.”
He was right. “I Knew It, I Knew You” topped the Hot Country Songs chart, reached No. 8 on Country Airplay and hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also made history as the first song by a woman to close out the panel on impact, meaning every country station reporting to Mediabase signed on to play it in the first week.
Swift marked that moment in a note shared in the industry trade Country Aircheck: “Man, it’s been a while! Thank you for making history with me. To infinity and beyond.”
