On what date did Taylor Swift release both “august” and its parent album, Folklore?

Taylor Swift released “august” with its parent album, Folklore, on July 24, 2020. The track was not issued first as a separate single; it arrived as part of the album’s surprise release.

Swift announced Folklore shortly before its arrival, making the album an unexpected project during the pandemic. Republic Records distributed it digitally and physically, while the album’s visual identity emphasized black-and-white woodland imagery and a fictional, introspective world.

Although the song is strongly associated with the month of August, its release date was in July. That timing is one reason the annual streaming pattern feels distinctive: listeners often return to the song as the calendar reaches the month named in its title.

The song later gained renewed attention every August, even though it was originally released alongside the full album rather than as a standalone seasonal single. Its chart activity and streaming increases helped turn the title into an internet-era annual tradition.