When did Taylor Swift release “august” on the album folklore?

Taylor Swift released “august” on July 24, 2020, as part of folklore.

The release was unexpected because Swift announced folklore only one day earlier, on July 23, 2020. She revealed that the album would arrive at midnight, making the project a surprise release during the COVID-19 pandemic. “august” therefore arrived as an album track rather than as a long-promoted standalone single.

folklore was Swift’s eighth studio album and her first project built substantially around fictional characters and imagined story arcs. That approach helped distinguish “august” from songs that listeners assumed were direct autobiographical accounts.

The date is also important to the song’s later identity. Although the recording debuted in 2020, listeners return to it every August, when its title and summer setting align with the calendar. The annual streaming revival has made the release date a useful historical marker, while the song’s seasonal popularity has continued well beyond its original album launch.