Toy Story 5 is one of the most anticipated animated films in years — Pixar’s return to its most beloved franchise, arriving in U.S. theaters on June 19, 2026. Directed by Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, WALL-E) and produced by Lindsey Collins, the film brings back the iconic voices of Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, and Joan Cusack as Jessie, alongside newcomers Greta Lee, Conan O’Brien, Craig Robinson, Keanu Reeves, and more.
But beyond its animation and story — centered on a “Toys vs. Tech” battle against a new AI tablet named Lilypad — the music of Toy Story 5 is already generating enormous excitement. Franchise composer Randy Newman is back for a fifth consecutive installment, Taylor Swift has contributed a brand-new original song, and the film’s trailer famously featured INXS. Here is the complete, verified guide to everything you need to know about the Toy Story 5 soundtrack.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Film Title | Toy Story 5 |
| Director | Andrew Stanton |
| Written By | Andrew Stanton & Kenna Harris |
| Producer | Lindsey Collins |
| Production Company | Pixar Animation Studios |
| Distributor | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| Film Release Date | June 19, 2026 |
| Composer | Randy Newman |
| Featured Artist | Taylor Swift (original song) |
| Label | Walt Disney Records |
| Soundtrack Release Date | June 19, 2026 |
| Taylor Swift Single Release | June 5, 2026 |
| Full Tracklist | Pending official release |
Toy Story 5 Soundtrack Overview
The Toy Story 5 original motion picture soundtrack is composed by Randy Newman and released through Walt Disney Records on June 19, 2026 — the same day as the film’s theatrical debut in the United States. The album marks Newman’s fifth consecutive collaboration with the Toy Story franchise and his tenth overall collaboration with Pixar Animation Studios — a remarkable creative partnership that began in 1995.
The soundtrack makes headlines for not only Newman’s return but also the confirmed involvement of Taylor Swift, who co-wrote and recorded the original song “I Knew It, I Knew You” alongside longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff. The track — inspired by the character of Jessie and her emotional arc in the film — was officially announced on June 2, 2026, and releases as a standalone single on June 5, 2026, two weeks ahead of the film’s theatrical opening. Collector’s Edition CDs with the single are also available in limited quantities.
Beyond the score and Swift’s contribution, confirmed licensed music includes INXS’s “Never Tear Us Apart” (featured in the film’s viral teaser trailer, which became the No. 1 trending film trailer in the world upon release) and Electric Light Orchestra’s “Mr. Blue Sky”, alongside additional confirmed tracks.
The complete official score tracklist has not yet been published by Walt Disney Records as of the publication date of this article, and will be available in full on June 19, 2026.
Who Composed the Toy Story 5 Soundtrack?
Randy Newman
The original score and songs for Toy Story 5 were composed by Randy Newman — full name Randall Stuart Newman, born November 28, 1943, in Los Angeles, California. Newman is an American singer-songwriter, pianist, composer, arranger, and conductor, and is widely regarded as one of the most celebrated film composers of his generation.
Born into a storied family of Hollywood composers — his uncles include Alfred Newman, Lionel Newman, and Emil Newman, and his cousins include Thomas Newman and David Newman — Randy Newman began his songwriting career at 17 upon graduating from University High School. He studied at UCLA and wrote songs for artists including Dusty Springfield, Cilla Black, and Gene Pitney before recording his own music and building a reputation as one of popular music’s most distinctive and sardonic voices through albums including Sail Away (1972) and Good Old Boys (1974). His 1977 single “Short People” became a mainstream hit, and “I Love L.A.” (1983) became an enduring cultural anthem.
Newman transitioned into film scoring in the 1980s, earning his first Oscar nomination for Ragtime (1981) and his first Grammy Award for The Natural (1984). His career reached its defining chapter in 1995, when he composed the score for the original Toy Story — the first feature film from Pixar Animation Studios — and wrote its signature song, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.” That collaboration launched one of the most celebrated composer-studio partnerships in animated film history.
Over the course of his Pixar career, Newman has received 22 Academy Award nominations across Best Original Score and Best Original Song categories, winning twice: for “If I Didn’t Have You” from Monsters, Inc. (2002) and for “We Belong Together” from Toy Story 3 (2011). He has also received 7 Grammy Awards (including the Governor’s Award from The Recording Academy), 3 Primetime Emmy Awards, and was inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame (2002) and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2013). In 2007, he was named a Disney Legend. His collaboration with Pixar across Toy Story 5 now marks his tenth Pixar film.
Taylor Swift — Featured Artist (“I Knew It, I Knew You”)
Taylor Swift contributes the original song “I Knew It, I Knew You” to the Toy Story 5 soundtrack — her first new original music since The Tortured Poets Department (2024) era releases, and since The Life of a Showgirl (October 2025). The song was co-written and co-produced with her longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff.
The track is written about and inspired by the emotional journey of Jessie, the cowgirl character first introduced in Toy Story 2 (1999), whose story continues as a central thread in Toy Story 5. According to Swift’s own statement, she was invited to an early screening of the film during production and wrote the song immediately after watching it:
“I’ve always dreamed of getting to write for these characters who I’ve adored since I was a 5-year-old kid watching the first Toy Story movie. I fell instantly in love with Toy Story 5 when I was lucky enough to see it in its early stages, and I wrote this song as soon as I got home from the screening. Sometimes you just know, right?”
Director Andrew Stanton confirmed Swift’s deep connection to the film’s emotional themes: “Her connection to Jessie and the immediate way she understood what the character was going through was undeniable. The song is so deeply connected to Toy Story. So much so that on first listen, it instantly felt like it had always belonged there, like a long-lost family member.”
The song has been described as a return to Swift’s country roots, drawing on the foundational songwriting style that defined her early career. It releases as a single on June 5, 2026, via Walt Disney Records / Republic Records, and is included on the full Toy Story 5 soundtrack album on June 19.
Swift’s involvement had been heavily speculated for months — fuelled in part by mysterious “TS” billboard campaigns across major cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Toronto, Mexico City, and London — before her official announcement on June 2, 2026.
Toy Story 5 Confirmed Songs
The following tracks have been officially confirmed or verified from credible sources. The complete official score tracklist is yet to be published.
| # | Song | Artist / Composer | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” | Randy Newman | Franchise signature song; confirmed for the film |
| 2 | “I Knew It, I Knew You” | Taylor Swift (co-written with Jack Antonoff) | Original song; inspired by Jessie; releasing June 5, 2026 |
| 3 | “Never Tear Us Apart” | INXS (feat. Michael Hutchence) | Featured in the official teaser trailer |
| 4 | “Mr. Blue Sky” | Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) | Confirmed via WhatSong |
Additional score tracks by Randy Newman are confirmed but not yet titled or listed in full by Walt Disney Records as of this publication. The complete tracklist will be available June 19, 2026.
Score Highlights
“You’ve Got a Friend in Me” — Randy Newman
The song that started it all. Randy Newman wrote and performed “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” for the original Toy Story in 1995, and it has appeared in every installment of the franchise since. It received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song and a Grammy nomination for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture. Its return in Toy Story 5 is both a continuity of the franchise’s musical identity and an emotional anchor for a story about loyalty and belonging in a world increasingly shaped by technology.
“I Knew It, I Knew You” — Taylor Swift
The most anticipated new addition to the Toy Story musical canon in years. Written by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff, the song focuses on Jessie’s emotional journey — a character whose story of being loved, abandoned, and found again across Toy Story 2, 3, and 4 is one of the franchise’s most resonant. Described as leaning into country-influenced songwriting, the track continues a tradition established by Toy Story 2‘s “When She Loved Me” (written by Newman and performed by Sarah McLachlan) of bringing an outside female vocal voice to Jessie’s story. Its arrival on June 5 — exactly 20 years to the day from Taylor Swift’s debut single “Tim McGraw” (June 19, 2006, when adjusted for the film’s release date) — was not lost on fans.
“Never Tear Us Apart” — INXS
INXS’s 1987 classic, from their landmark album Kick, was chosen to soundtrack the Toy Story 5 teaser trailer — and the result was a viral phenomenon. The trailer became the No. 1 trending film trailer in the world upon release, surpassing trailers for Stranger Things 5 and the Michael Jackson biopic. INXS themselves responded to the news, calling the placement “incredibly moving” for the band. The song’s lyrics — “Two worlds collided / And they could never tear us apart” — serve as the perfect emotional frame for the film’s central “Toys vs. Tech” conflict.
“Mr. Blue Sky” — Electric Light Orchestra
ELO’s beloved 1977 pop-orchestral classic brings a characteristically bright, optimistic energy to the Toy Story 5 soundtrack — a tone entirely consistent with the franchise’s warm emotional palette, and a song that has previously appeared in several major film and television productions for its instantly uplifting character.
Randy Newman — Pixar & Disney Filmography
| Year | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Toy Story | Academy Award nomination (Score & Song); Grammy nominated |
| 1998 | A Bug’s Life | Academy Award nomination (Score) |
| 1999 | Toy Story 2 | Grammy win (“When She Loved Me”) |
| 2001 | Monsters, Inc. | Academy Award win — Best Original Song (“If I Didn’t Have You”) |
| 2006 | Cars | Academy Award nomination (“Our Town”); Grammy win |
| 2009 | The Princess and the Frog | Academy Award nominations (Score & 2 Songs) |
| 2010 | Toy Story 3 | Academy Award win — Best Original Song (“We Belong Together”); Grammy win |
| 2013 | Monsters University | |
| 2017 | Cars 3 | |
| 2019 | Toy Story 4 | Academy Award nomination (“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away”) |
| 2026 | Toy Story 5 | 10th Pixar collaboration |
Where to Listen to the Toy Story 5 Soundtrack?
Taylor Swift’s original song “I Knew It, I Knew You” releases on June 5, 2026, and will be available across all major streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music. The complete Toy Story 5 original motion picture soundtrack album — composed by Randy Newman and released via Walt Disney Records — is scheduled to drop on June 19, 2026, the same date as the film’s theatrical debut, and will be available to stream and purchase across all major digital platforms from that date. INXS’s “Never Tear Us Apart” and ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky” are currently available on all streaming services via their respective catalog labels.
FAQs
1. Who composed the Toy Story 5 score?
The original score for Toy Story 5 was composed by Randy Newman, who has scored every installment in the Toy Story franchise since the original 1995 film. Toy Story 5 marks his tenth collaboration with Pixar Animation Studios.
2. Does Taylor Swift have a song in Toy Story 5?
Yes. Taylor Swift officially confirmed on June 2, 2026 that she has written and recorded an original song titled “I Knew It, I Knew You” for Toy Story 5, co-produced with Jack Antonoff. The song is inspired by the character Jessie and releases on June 5, 2026.
3. What INXS song is in Toy Story 5?
“Never Tear Us Apart” (1987) by INXS was used in the film’s official teaser trailer. Upon release, the trailer became the No. 1 trending film trailer in the world. In-film usage for the full movie has not been separately confirmed beyond the trailer as of this writing.
4. What label is releasing the Toy Story 5 soundtrack?
The soundtrack is being released through Walt Disney Records on June 19, 2026.
5. When does the Toy Story 5 soundtrack release?
The full original motion picture soundtrack releases on June 19, 2026, simultaneously with the film’s theatrical debut. Taylor Swift’s single “I Knew It, I Knew You” releases two weeks early on June 5, 2026.
6. How many Academy Awards has Randy Newman won for the Toy Story franchise?
Newman has won one Academy Award directly connected to the Toy Story franchise — Best Original Song for “We Belong Together” from Toy Story 3 (2011). He has received numerous additional nominations across the franchise, including for “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” (Toy Story, 1996) and “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” (Toy Story 4, 2020).
7. Is the full Toy Story 5 tracklist available?
Not as of the publication of this article. Walt Disney Records has not yet published the complete score tracklist. The full album will be available on June 19, 2026. Confirmed songs at this time include “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” (Newman), “I Knew It, I Knew You” (Taylor Swift), “Never Tear Us Apart” (INXS), and “Mr. Blue Sky” (ELO).