Taylor Swift and Randy Newman delivered an unexpected and crowd-stopping duet of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” at the world premiere of “Toy Story 5” on Tuesday night.
Swift opened Disney and Pixar’s post‑screening celebration in Los Angeles with a solo performance of her original track “I Knew It, I Knew You,” which appears on the “Toy Story 5” soundtrack. The pop superstar, who has said she has been a longtime fan of the movie franchise, received a warm ovation and spoke about what it meant to contribute to the film.
“The universe of these films and ‘Toy Story 5’ is my favorite of all of the ‘Toy Stories.’ I’m so lucky that I get to be a part of this,” she said before turning her attention to Newman.
Swift praised the iconic singer-songwriter onstage, calling him “the architect of the ‘Toy Story’ musical universe.”
“He is the king of making us feel the absolute most and pulling at our heartstrings and making us laugh and making us like he’s one of our friends. You know what I mean? I’m talking about Randy Newman,” Swift said, reflecting on how his music shaped her connection to the films.
Newman responded with his trademark dry humor, telling her, “Very kind of you. Thank you for the kind words. I deserve them.”
She added, sounding energized by the moment, “This is good. This feels like a really good day. Just personally, you feel like playing a song? You’re all set up to do it.”
After their exchange, Newman settled at the piano to begin a solo rendition of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.” As he eased into the familiar melody, Swift surprised the audience by stepping in midway through the song, joining him to trade lines and harmonize on the beloved theme.
Earlier in the evening, Swift posed on the red carpet with Tom Hanks, Joan Cusack and other members of the Toy Story voice cast, underscoring her enthusiasm for the franchise.
“Toy Story 5” will be released by Walt Disney’s Pixar Animation Studios on June 19.