August (song)

Taylor Swift and producer Jack Antonoff had written and produced songs for Swift's previous studio albums 1989 (2014), Reputation (2017), and Lover (2019). They collaborated again on Folklore, which Swift surprise-released amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Folklore was released on July 24, 2020, through Republic Records. Swift wrote or co-wrote all songs on the album, and Swift and Antonoff produced six, including "August". For the song, Antonoff produced the instrumental first, and sent it to Swift who wrote the lyrics "on the spot; it just was an intuitive thing". As with other tracks of Folklore, Swift created "August" based on a fictional narrative with imagined story arcs and characters. == Lyrics and composition ==

Swift wrote "August" as part of three Folklore songs (together with "Cardigan" and "Betty") that explore a love triangle between James, Betty, and Augustine. Throughout the song, imagery of late summer is prevalent: "Your back beneath the sun / Wishing I could write my name on it." She naively believes that she is in love, pondering on her summer romance: "August sipped away like a bottle of wine / Because you were never mine." While the narrators of "Cardigan" and "Betty" are explicitly named, the narrator of "August" is never mentioned by name, which Vulture Nate Jones considered a highlight of her "relative unimportance in her lover's life". As the summer romance progresses, the narrator is portrayed as unassertive and inexperienced, recalling the times when she "canceled my plans just in case you'd call". Musically, "August" is a gloomy dream pop, guitar pop, and soft rock ballad incorporating 1990s-influenced guitars and vocal reverberation. In The A.V. Club, Annie Zaleski noted the song features "shivering" string instruments, keyboards, and minimal synthesizers, and "subtle splotchy grooves". Writing for The Guardian, Laura Snapes wrote: "Her vocal trademarks remain in the yo-yoing vocal yelps." The outro of "August" is a "full orchestra major chord climax" according to Lucy Harbron of Clash. == Commercial performance ==

Upon the release of Folklore, "August" debuted on various singles charts worldwide. In the United States, the song entered at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated August 8, 2020. It charted on the Hot 100 for two consecutive weeks. where it stayed for 20 weeks on the chart. "August" peaked within the top 20 on singles charts of Malaysia (11), In 2022, it appeared on singles charts of the Philippines (number seven), Indonesia (number 17), and Vietnam (number 85), and reached new peaks in Ireland (number 38) and the United Kingdom (number 78). The following year, the track appeared on the Billboard Malaysian chart and reached a new peak at number 46 on the Billboard Global 200. == Live performances ==

in 2023|alt=Swift singing onstage wearing a floating dress At the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards on March 14, 2021, Swift performed "August" as part of a medley with "Cardigan" and "Willow", the latter was taken from her album Evermore. The performance was accompanied by the Folklore producers Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner, marking the first time the three performed together. She began with "Cardigan", singing while laying atop a cottage, before performing "August" on a guitar inside the cottage, accompanied by instruments from Antonoff and Dessner. The trio then stepped outside the cottage to perform the last song, "Willow". Music journalist Rob Sheffield ranked Swift's performance first on his list of the "10 Reasons We Loved the 2021 Grammys." Rolling Stone critic Rob Sheffield also listed it as one of the five "classic" Grammy performances of all time. "August" was included as part of the Folklore act on the set list for the Eras Tour (2023–2024). During the concerts, she sang the song and other Folklore tracks while dressing in a frilly gown that complements the album's cottagecore aesthetic. == Critical reception ==

Critics praised the song's production and Swift's songwriting, and opined that the perspective of its lyrics—a departure from Swift's trademark confessional narratives inspired by her personal life—showcased her maturity as a songwriter. Valerie Magan from Clash remarked that the lyrics feel "vouyeristic, as we lean in to hear all the stories that 'innocent-era' Swift would've kept secret". The same magazine's Lucy Harbron lauded Swift's ability to portray "niche" emotions and her storytelling prowess. Sheffield picked "August" as one of the album's highlights, calling the song "the album's most plainly beautiful ballad". The A.V. Club Annie Zaleski and Under the Radar Caleb Campbell both selected the song as one of Folklores best and compared the production to the music by Scottish dream pop band Cocteau Twins. While acknowledging Swift's indie reinvention on Folklore, Pitchfork Jillian Mapes opined that "August", along with other songs produced by Antonoff, are not really radical transformations, however still display signs of maturity. On behalf of Consequence of Sound, Katie Moulton was somewhat disappointed that the song's theme is not far from Swift's trademark "pop-culture tropes", but found certain lyrics original enough to "refresh the clichés". The Observer Kitty Empire was more reserved in her praise and said "August", although a solid song, did not expand beyond Swift's comfort zone. "August" featured on lists of the best songs of 2020 by publications including Rolling Stone (No. 5), the Chicago Tribune (unranked), and Yahoo! (unranked). Complex Edwin Ortiz ranked it second on his year-end list. In Vulture list ranking all songs in Swift's discography, Jones wrote about "August": "Even in fiction, Swift's ability to capture the wistful ache of nostalgia remains unmatched." Sheffield picked it among the best five songs of Swift's discography: " 'August' feels like such a simple tune, yet it's one of the craftiest creations in the Swiftian Multiverse." Insider's Callie Ahlgrim named "August" as The Best Song of 2020. == Credits and personnel ==

• Taylor Swift – vocals, songwriter, producer • Jack Antonoff – producer, songwriter, recording, live drums, percussion programming, electric guitar, acoustic guitar • Joe Alwyn – producer • Evan Smith – saxophones, flute, electric guitar, keyboards • Bobby Hawk – strings • Laura Sisk – recording • Mike Williams – string recording • Jon Gautier – string recording • Jonathan Low – mixing, synth bass, synth bass recording • Randy Merrill – mastering == Charts ==

Weekly charts Year-end charts == Certifications ==