Toy Story fans are not OK after Taylor Swift's single for the fifth installment of the Disney-Pixar classic was released last week. Since the Shake It Off singer, 36, surprised fans with her involvement in the film sequel's soundtrack, social media has been flooded with videos of fans—both of the megastar singer and those who grew up watching favorites like Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and Jessie—sobbing uncontrollably. And it is all because of the heartbreaking storyline behind the singer's moving lyrics.
Jessie's Heartbreak Revealed Again
The track, titled I Knew It, I Knew You, is said to be a point-of-view moment of Jessie as she remembers her original owner, Emily. The song draws on Jessie's painful past with Emily to help Bonnie, who is drifting away from her toys in favor of screens. The song captures the moment of their reunion, with lyrics reflecting Jessie recognizing her former owner years later.
If you need a quick recap: Emily outgrew Jessie and left her on the side of the road in a donations box. She recalls the heartbreak to Woody in Toy Story 2. The song played in the background, Randy Newman's devastating When She Loved Me, truly pulled on the heartstrings back in 1999, and their reunion in 2026 looks like it will receive a similar emotional treatment. Fans online have already given a pre-warning to pack tissues if the lyrics are anything to go by.
Fan Reactions Go Viral
When KIIS FM radio host Smallzy shared a clip of himself sobbing to the song on Instagram, he received plenty of sympathy for the raw emotion. Even Taylor Swift chimed in with a like on the post. Every day, new clips are added on TikTok and Instagram of another fan reacting to the song, realizing the meaning behind it through floods of tears.
Swift confirmed her soundtrack song on Instagram with a personal note about why the collaboration felt so special to her. She wrote: "Writing this song felt like a musical departure and coming home at the same time. Creating something for Jessie was a new challenge and also felt like second nature all at once. And being a Toy Story kid from the age of 5 till now… is an adventure I plan to be on, to infinity and beyond." She captioned a clip of herself dressed as a little cowgirl, showing that young Taylor was a huge Jessie and Toy Story fan.
She added: "Thank you to the brilliant Andrew Stanton for imagining me for this, all those years ago when you wrote this newest film. Thank you to the incomparable Randy Newman for the gorgeous sonic tapestry of songs and scores you've meticulously woven over the years. You created the Toy Story musical world, and we are lucky to get to live in it. By we, I mean myself and my pal Jack Antonoff. We wrote this with so much adoration for these characters that made us laugh and helped us learn lessons and think outside the backyard all throughout our childhoods."
Toy Story 5 Plot and Release
It has been six years since Toy Story 4 hit theaters in 2019, seemingly giving Woody a heartfelt farewell, but in true Pixar fashion, the story is not over just yet. In Toy Story 5, the beloved toys face off against their biggest threat yet: modern technology. Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, and the rest of the gang find their roles as Bonnie's favorite toys challenged when they are introduced to an electronic device named Lilypad. Jessie, in particular, refuses to let modern technology rip away her owner's creative innocence. Toy Story 5 hits cinemas on June 18.
