Taylor Swift Performs New Single at Toy Story 5 Premiere in Los Angeles

Taylor Swift made her first live performance since the final Eras Tour date in December 2024 on Tuesday night at the Toy Story 5 premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. She played a solo-piano version of her new single "I Knew It, I Knew You," the original song she wrote for the film, before the night turned into something a little more special.

Swift then brought Randy Newman onstage, and the two performed "You've Got a Friend in Me" together. Newman, now 82, has scored all five Toy Story films and rarely performs publicly anymore. His last appearance was on John Mulaney's Everybody's Live. Watching these two share a stage, a 30-year franchise song connecting them, was the kind of moment that does not get manufactured.

Taylor Swift's 'I Knew It, I Knew You' Projected to Debut at Number 1 on Billboard Hot 100

"I Knew It, I Knew You" dropped on Friday and is currently projected to open at number one on next week's Billboard Hot 100. That makes it the first original Toy Story song not written by Newman in the franchise's history. It is worth noting: this is not quite the country pivot the early press materials hinted at, but it is still a Taylor Swift song attached to one of the biggest animated franchises ever. The chart math was always going to work out.

The premiere itself was a full red carpet event. Swift posed with cast members and Disney executives before the screening, and the surprise performance came after. Low-key setup, high-key moment. Her first time singing in front of an audience in over six months, and she spent part of it stepping back to let an 82-year-old legend share the spotlight. That reads.

For independent artists and creators watching this, the Randy Newman angle is worth sitting with. Here is a songwriter who built a parallel career doing work-for-hire on kids' films while maintaining his reputation as a sharp, critically respected voice. That balance, between commercial placement and artistic credibility, is something a lot of creators are navigating right now. Sync opportunities and brand partnerships do not have to compromise your voice. Newman is three decades of proof.

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Toy Story 5 has not released yet, so the cultural conversation around this song is only getting started. Watch how the chart debut plays out next week and whether Swift does any additional press or appearances around the film's release. There is more to come here.