Taylor Swift and composer Randy Newman performed a surprise duet during the Hollywood premiere of Pixar’s Toy Story 5 on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 [1].

The collaboration brings together one of the modern era's most successful pop artists and the legendary songwriter responsible for the franchise's sonic identity. This high-profile appearance signals a major promotional push for the fifth installment of the Pixar series.

The event took place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California [2]. During the celebration, Swift and Newman performed the series' signature song, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” [3]. Newman, who is 82 [4], joined Swift on stage to deliver the classic track to the premiere audience.

In addition to the duet, Swift debuted an original song written for the film titled “I Knew It, I Knew You” [3]. The performance served as a surprise for fans attending the world premiere of the movie [5].

Swift's involvement in the Toy Story 5 soundtrack marks a significant crossover between contemporary pop music and traditional film scoring. The premiere event aimed to celebrate the return of the franchise with a blend of nostalgia, and new musical directions [5].

“Taylor Swift and composer Randy Newman performed a surprise duet during the Hollywood premiere of Pixar’s Toy Story 5”

The pairing of Taylor Swift with Randy Newman suggests Pixar is leveraging both legacy nostalgia and current superstardom to maximize the film's reach. By debuting a new original song alongside the franchise's most famous theme, the studio is bridging the gap between long-time fans of the series and Swift's massive global audience.