Taylor Swift’s song “august” appears on the 2020 album Folklore.
Folklore is Swift’s eighth studio album and was released as a surprise on July 24, 2020. The album was created during the COVID-19 lockdown period and moved away from the polished pop sound of some of her earlier records toward indie folk, chamber pop, and alternative styles.
“august” is part of a fictional story shared across three Folklore songs. The other two songs are “cardigan” and “betty,” which present different perspectives on a teenage love triangle involving Betty, James, and an unnamed girl associated with August.
A common mix-up is confusing Folklore with Evermore, Swift’s ninth studio album, which followed later in 2020. The annual August streaming trend comes from the song’s seasonal title and late-summer imagery, not from a separate album or official holiday.