Taylor Swift’s song “august” first appeared on the studio album Folklore.
Folklore is Swift’s eighth studio album and was surprise-released on July 24, 2020, through Republic Records. “august” is one of its standard-edition tracks, alongside songs such as “cardigan,” “the 1,” and “betty.”
The album was created during the COVID-19 pandemic and marked a move toward indie folk, chamber pop, and alternative rock textures. Much of its storytelling uses fictional characters and imagined histories rather than directly autobiographical episodes.
A common mix-up is confusing Folklore with Evermore, another Swift album released in 2020. “august” belongs to Folklore; Evermore followed later that year and includes related narrative songs such as “willow” and “dorothea.” The song’s seasonal streaming revival also helped make Folklore a recurring August listening choice for fans.