To say country radio is excited about Taylor Swift’s “Toy Story 5” soundtrack single is to deliver a massive understatement.
Entitled “I Knew It, I Knew You,” the song received playlist pickups from all 157 Mediabase-monitored country stations in conjunction with this week’s official impact. In achieving that feat, it becomes the first song by a female artist to ever close out the Mediabase/Aircheck/Radio and Records panel in its launch week.
An advertisement celebrating the feat appears in this week’s Country Aircheck newsletter; the ad includes a notes from Swift, who references the song’s lyrics and an iconic “Toy Story” line in her expression of gratitude.
“Country radio: Man, it’s been a while! Thanks for making history with me – To infinity and beyond! Love you!”
Swift rose to fame as a country artist (and country radio hitmaker) before formally pivoting to pop with 2014’s “1989.” Since then, only three other Swift songs — “New Year’s Day,” “betty,” and “I Bet You Think About Me” (a vault track first written prior to her pop crossover) — have been officially released to country radio.
— “I Knew It, I Knew You” was one of two new releases to make a major splash on this week’s country add board. Lainey Wilson & John Mayer’s “Phone, Keys, Wallet” also fared well, earning second on the Mediabase/Aircheck add board with pickups from 148 Mediabase-monitored stations.
Wilson’s Broken Bow team celebrates the performance as her biggest add week ever.
