Taylor Swift had released eight studio albums when Folklore introduced “august.”
Folklore is officially described as Swift’s eighth studio album. It followed Lover, her seventh studio album, which arrived in 2019, and preceded Evermore, her ninth studio album, released in December 2020.
The album numbering can be confusing because Swift also has re-recorded albums, live releases, and other projects in her discography. Those categories do not change Folklore’s position as her eighth original studio album.
“august” therefore belongs to the middle of a remarkably quick two-album creative period. Folklore arrived in July 2020, and Evermore followed less than five months later, both featuring fictional storytelling and atmospheric production.