Taylor Swift Admits She Almost Passed On Toy Story 5 Song For One Big Reason

Taylor Swift's "Toy Story 5" song may have topped the charts, but it almost didn't happen at all. When director Andrew Stanton decided he wanted her to contribute to the animated film, she was still on her record-breaking Eras Tour. The filmmaker envisioned her as the perfect successor to songwriter and pianist Randy Newman, who wrote the songs and scores for the first four films in the franchise, including the hit classic "You've Got a Friend." Swift did not circle back to his request until months later, after resting from her tour, which sparked concerns over potentially taking another artist's job. 

In a Q&A with Swift and director Stanton held on November 1, 2026, the singer revealed she almost turned down the gig because she was worried she would be taking away the opportunity from a peer. "I was repeatedly asking, 'I know that it took me a couple months to come back to this project. Be honest: Did you guys replace me?'" she said, recalling the initial conversations during the special screening event. "'I don't want to kick somebody off of this project that you reached out to after [me]. I understand, but I'm not in the business of doing that.'"

The superstar only accepted the offer after receiving absolute confirmation that no one else had been brought into the project. "I found out that there was no other person on your mood board," she joked with Stanton at the Q&A. "Everybody said, 'No, we just decided there wasn't going to be an end credit song [if you didn't do it].'" She ended up writing "I Knew It, I Knew You" with cowriter Jack Antonoff for the film's end credits, which debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Taylor Swift was apparently encouraged by her younger brother Austin Swift to participate in "Toy Story 5" because he strongly believed she would relate to the film's messaging. She explained that Austin had visited Pixar Animation Studios and seen some of the early work on the film. "Sometimes we talk like siblings, and then sometimes we have business conversations that are like half sibling, half business. My brother does all my music synchs. ... He calls me up and he's like, 'I really think you need to see the new 'Toy Story 5.' ... You're gonna love it,'" Taylor recalled. "I was like, 'Why?' He's like, 'I signed an NDA, Taylor. I can't tell you why.'"

According to the singer, her brother was right. "When I saw this brilliant film that Andrew made, I realized exactly why he knew I would love it," Taylor shared in the special Q&A with director Andrew Stanton. "It's centered around Jesse, who's my favorite character, and it deals with female friendship." While Swift has had some shady friendship breakups over the years, the film's message reminded her of her childhood best friend Abigail Anderson. 

The pair first met in high school when Swift moved to Nashville at the age of 14. They bonded over their shared sense of humor and goofiness, which they still share to this day. "When you find that person who just completely sees you for the strange, little genre that is you at your purest, that hit me so hard watching the film," Taylor said while describing their friendship at the Q&A. Many speculated that Anderson would be Taylor's maid of honor at her high-profile wedding to NFL star Travis Kelce, but she ultimately lost the position to Austin, who unconventionally served as his big sister's man of honor.