Taylor Swift performed live for the first time since December 2024 on Tuesday night at the world premiere of Toy Story 5 at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre. The appearance was a surprise. Swift stepped behind a piano to debut "I Knew It, I Knew You," her new song from the Disney Pixar film, before a select audience at the premiere event.
According to Billboard, which had reporters inside the theater, Swift also performed a duet with Toy Story composer Randy Newman on "You've Got a Friend in Me." The last time Swift had performed publicly was during the final stop of The Eras Tour in December 2024.
Swift released her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, in 2025, but had not mounted any kind of live performance in the roughly 18 months since the Eras Tour ended. Tuesday's appearance marked her return to the stage, even if briefly.
Billboard's Pop Shop Podcast, hosted by Katie Atkinson and Keith Caulfield, covered the event in detail. Atkinson was among those inside the Dolby Theatre for the performance and described the experience on the podcast.
The Toy Story 5 premiere also came during a busy week for pop music news. Ariana Grande's "Hate That I Made You Love Me" debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Paul McCartney placed his latest project, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, in the top 10 of the Billboard 200.
Other notable pop moments this week included P!nk hosting the 2026 Tony Awards on Sunday and Madonna bringing her Confessions II film premiere to the Tribeca festival.
