Which publication ranked Taylor Swift’s “august” No. 5 among its best songs of 2020?

Rolling Stone ranked Taylor Swift’s “august” No. 5 among its best songs of 2020.

The ranking reflected the critical response to the song’s cinematic production, fictional storytelling, and blend of dream pop, guitar pop, and soft rock. “august” was widely treated as one of Folklore’s highlights, even though it was not initially released as a conventional single.

This ranking is separate from later lists and chart results. Complex ranked the song second on its year-end list, while Insider named it the best song of 2020. Rolling Stone also later placed “august” fifth in a ranking of Swift’s complete discography, but that was a different list from its 2020 song roundup.