TikTok’s newsroom documented the recurring “August” memory-video trend in 2021.
The platform described creators looking back on summer memories while using Taylor Swift’s 2020 song “August.” Typical videos used quick montages of photographs or clips from a phone camera roll, including trips, friendships, sunsets, cleaning projects, and other personal moments. The song’s lyrics about August slipping away gave the format a nostalgic end-of-summer meaning.
The date matters because the song had already been released the previous year. The trend was not part of the original Folklore launch campaign; it emerged through user-made videos and later returned seasonally. Swift also joined the trend, helping connect the fan activity with the artist herself.
The annual pattern is often called the “August” trend or the “August slipped away” trend. It is distinct from a formal music award, chart category, or officially organized festival. Its recurring nature comes from users revisiting the same sound and theme as the calendar reaches late summer.