Republic Records released Taylor Swift’s “august.” The song arrived as part of Folklore, Swift’s eighth studio album, in 2020.
Folklore marked Swift’s first album released through Republic after her earlier recording relationship with Big Machine. The album was surprise-released during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Republic handled its commercial release and distribution.
A common mix-up is to identify Big Machine as the label because that company released many of Swift’s earlier albums. Big Machine was associated with Swift’s original recordings before her move to Republic. “august,” however, belongs to the Folklore era and is credited to Republic Records.
The song’s annual August resurgence happened after its original release rather than through a new yearly label campaign. Streaming increases and social-media use helped turn the track into a seasonal recurring favorite, with listeners returning to the Republic release each late summer.