Taylor Swift released “august” on July 24, 2020.
The song arrived as part of Folklore, which Swift announced and released with unusually little advance promotion. Its release date came before the calendar month named in the title, allowing the track to become associated with the following month’s recurring listening and posting ritual.
“august” was not originally issued as a conventional standalone single. Instead, it gained attention as an album track through streaming, critical praise, live performances, and the yearly online custom of sharing it when August begins.
The release date is sometimes confused with August 1 because the song’s popularity peaks around that date. However, the recording was already available nearly a week before the month it evokes.