Taylor Swift’s “august” appears on her eighth studio album, Folklore.
Swift released Folklore as a surprise album during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike several of her earlier records, it centered on fictional characters, imagined histories, and an atmospheric indie-pop sound rather than straightforward autobiographical storytelling.
“august” is part of Folklore’s connected teenage love-triangle narrative. Its narrator recalls a temporary summer romance with James, who eventually returns to Betty. The song’s seasonal setting helps explain why listeners and social-media users revisit it every August.
A common mix-up is confusing Folklore with Evermore, its surprise-released sister album. Evermore arrived later in 2020, while “august” belongs specifically to Folklore.