It’s practically impossible to keep Taylor Swift and her devoted fanbase of Swifties from internet trends. The latest addition to this list is the ‘salt air’ trend, a line from her 2020 track, ‘august’. While the song is three years old, the first line has gone viral out of nowhere which begs the question: why is salt air trending? Let’s take a look at what the line means and learn more about the Taylor Swift song.
Taylor Swift’s viral ‘Salt Air’ explained
The 33-year-old American singer-songwriter has dominated the year so far, all thanks to her sold-out The Eras Tour concerts. Given her constant presence in the news, her fans have made sure to celebrate each and every little detail of her singing career.
The keyword’ Salt Air’ topping trend charts in August has almost become a yearly tradition for Swifties now. The reason lies in the song’s name: ‘august’. To mark the beginning of the eighth month, Taylor Swift’s fans make it a point to ring in the new with the song’s first line.
happy salt air and the rust on your door
It’s august 🥰 https://t.co/mlzXSTVEzD
— Taylor Swift Updates (@SwiftNYC) August 1, 2023
salt air, and the rust on your door
— folklore lyrics bot (@folklorebot) July 31, 2023
And this is how it goes: “Salt air, and the rust on your door, I never needed anything more.” These opening lines have become so iconic that Taylor Swift’s fans have begun to call the 1st of August — Salt Air Day.
It's almost here #saltair pic.twitter.com/HmObuFL4HR
— Este (Med School Era🩺) 🇧🇩🇵🇸 (@lover_stan13) July 31, 2022
Salt Air pic.twitter.com/6WwHb3P47h
— nick (@nickputation) August 1, 2023
the air is getting pretty salty… 🌊 pic.twitter.com/6UNSpZSchm
— Taylor Nation (@taylornation13) July 28, 2023
The trend is similar to the one that Green Day fans celebrate at the end of September. Their legendary track Wake Me Up When September Ends led to an internet sensation. At the break of October every year, people joke that it’s time to wake up the guy from Green Day.
All about august by Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift cleverly placed ‘august’ as the eighth track in her 2020 album, Folklore. The album went on to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2021. Critics praised her mature songwriting skills and a shift to third-person narratives, especially in ‘august’.
The song is supposedly about an ill-fated, short-lived relationship between a guy in a committed relationship and a young woman. They have a summer fling which takes place near the seaside community, and the phrase’ salt air’ brings this atmosphere to life.
The album broke Spotify’s record for the biggest opening day on the platform for an album by a female artist. The Guinness Book of World Records has certified this feat which Swift surpassed later with Red (Taylor’s Version).
What does ‘salt air’ actually mean?
In the song’s context, Taylor Swift uses salt air to create a feeling of melancholy as she reminisces about the month of August and, probably, a lost romantic memory associated with it. On the other hand, Swifties post memes with pictures of rust and rock salt on this day.
Swifties on July 31st #august #rustonyourdoor #SaltAir #taylorswift pic.twitter.com/orarm3zul6
— danny 🩵 (@dancebydaylight) July 31, 2022
what do you mean gf day?? august is for salt air
— emory (@s4tvrnn_) July 26, 2023
Salt air literally refers to the salty nature of the air near coastal areas like beaches. The air has a distinct quality that leaves a lasting after-effect on the skin. Regardless, the song has given this regular phenomenon a whole new level of cultural context.
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