August (song)

"August" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her eighth studio album, ''Folklore'' (2020). Swift and Jack Antonoff wrote the song, and the two produced it with Joe Alwyn.

"August" is a ballad that combines dream pop, guitar pop, and soft rock. It features a dense reverb and an orchestration of strings and keyboards. The lyrics are told from the perspective of an unnamed female character, who yearns for the 17-year-old boy James; he abandons her after a brief summer romance and reconciles with his former lover Betty. The narrative of "August" forms a love triangle depicted in three ''Folklore'' tracks, the other two being " Cardigan" (from Betty's perspective) and " Betty" (from James's perspective).

Music critics lauded the cinematic production and storytelling of "August", with some deeming it a highlight of ''Folklore'' and Swift's discography. A seasonal success that resurges in popularity around August each year, the track peaked at number 46 on the ''Billboard'' Global 200 and in the top 40 of the charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Malaysia, and Singapore, and the United States. Swift performed "August" live at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2021 and on her sixth concert tour, the Eras Tour, in 2023–2024.

Background and production

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. It was the first song of the three that Swift wrote. According to Swift, she wanted to explore the idea of a girl in an undefined relationship: the lyrics are in the viewpoint of "August", who falls in love with James, who is already in a relationship with someone else. The song was inspired by what Swift described as the image of "the sun drenched month of August, sipped away like a bottle of wine". Throughout the song, imagery of late summer is prevalent: "Your back beneath the sun / Wishing I could write my name on it." Set in a suburban area with "salt air", "August" captures feelings of a teenage girl who goes through an unrequited love in the summer. 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". Swift said that she did not determine a name for the protagonist of "August", calling her "Augusta" or "Augustine" inside her head. 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". Though she knows she and James will never become a couple, she tells herself that it was enough "to live for the hope of it all". She attempts to run away with James: "Remember when I pulled up and said 'Get in the car' / And then canceled my plans just in case you'd call?" Finally, when the summer ends, so does the romance, and the narrator is left with a revelation: "You weren't mine to lose." Swift explained that after this summer romance, James and Betty later return to each other, while the "August" protagonist mourns the summer fling which she considered love.

Compared to the overarching folk sound of ''Folklore'', "August" displays a more pop-oriented production. Aaron Dessner, a producer on ''Folklore'', characterized it as the album's "closest thing to a pop song. It gets loud. It has this shimmering summer haze to it." Musically, "August" is a gloomy dream pop, guitar pop, and soft rock ballad incorporating 1990s-influenced guitars, vocal reverberation, and key changes. Its guitar arrangements are soft rock oriented. 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. The song simultaneously debuted and peaked at number five on the ''Billboard'' Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, where it stayed for 20 weeks on the chart. "August" experienced a 39 percent gain in streams in the US in the 2021 month of August. In 2022, the song resurged once again the same month, with its daily streams skyrocketing 277 percent. ''Billboard'' called it Swift's "seasonal streaming perennial" similar to Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" (1994).

"August" peaked within the top 20 on singles charts of Malaysia (11), Singapore (12), Australia (13), and Canada (16), upon release. Since its release, the song has experienced resurgence in streams and on charts during August and inspired internet memes. 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

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 listed it as one of the five "classic" Grammy performances of all time. "August" was included as part of the ''Folklore'' 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.

Music journalist Jody Rosen, in a review for the ''Los Angeles Times'', appreciated the shift from "pure first-person subjectivity" to fictional narratives. Sheffield picked "August" as one of the album's highlights, calling the song "the album's most plainly beautiful ballad". He placed it fifth on his 2021 ranking of all the 199 songs of Swift's discography. Ellen Johnson from '' Paste'' labeled the track one of the best in Swift's discography as well.

''The A.V. Club'' Annie Zaleski and '' Under the Radar'' Caleb Campbell both selected the song as one of ''Folklore''s best and compared the production to the music by Scottish dream pop band Cocteau Twins. The latter commented that the track serves as a testament to Swift's abilities of "writing the undeniably catchy hooks that make for a great pop song". 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 on ''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

Notes

References

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2020s ballads
2020 songs
Pop ballads
Taylor Swift songs
Songs written by Taylor Swift
Songs written by Jack Antonoff
Song recordings produced by Jack Antonoff
Song recordings produced by Taylor Swift
Dream pop songs
Song recordings produced by Joe Alwyn
American soft rock songs