Taylor Swift‘s new Toy Story 5 single “I Knew It, I Knew You” is already breaking records, but it almost didn’t happen.
The 36-year-old superstar was not initially interested in creating an original song for the movie until a Pixar producer named Jessica Choi wrote her a letter to give her some context to the film and why it would be so meaningful to have Taylor working on the project.
“I’m fully aware that Austin has already discussed writing an original song for the film so there is absolutely no pressure if you continue to decide this isn’t the right time, but we would certainly kick ourselves if we didn’t give you some background on the film and the team we’ve fought to build,” she started her letter.
Jessica shared some background on herself and her time at Pixar, revealing she joined Toy Story 5 as an “outsider” after working on big franchise films like Thor: Ragnarok, Avatar, and Cats.
“My then goal was to work with strong female creatives on equally big films focused around a female protagonist,” she shared, noting that she, too, initially hesitated to join Toy Story 5 since it has been a historically male-centered franchise. But the script made her realize there was “an opportunity to change that.”
“We are so inspired by your journey carving a path in a male dominated industry and advocating for it through music, and we believe if Jessie were not but a tiny toy, she would be equally inspired and would also have the whole world in the palm of her hand,” Jessica continued, adding that they had made “huge efforts” to “build a team around Jessie that could do her justice.”
Jessie, voiced by Joan Cusack, is the cowgirl doll who takes the lead in the fifth movie.
Fans are already wondering if Taylor‘s song could earn her an Oscar and/or Grammy. Here’s what we know.
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