Taylor Swift performed “Cardigan” first in her 2021 Grammy medley featuring “august.”
At the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards on March 14, 2021, Swift performed “Cardigan,” “august,” and “Willow” as one connected medley. She began with “Cardigan,” then moved into “august” before ending with “Willow.” The performance used a cottage-like stage setting that matched Folklore’s pastoral and cottagecore imagery.
The order matters because all three songs belonged to different parts of Swift’s narrative and album world. “Cardigan” and “august” came from Folklore, while “Willow” came from Evermore. “Cardigan” presents Betty’s perspective, “august” presents the unnamed young woman’s perspective, and “Willow” is from the later album.
The medley was also notable because Swift performed with Folklore producers Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner. It marked the first time the three performed together, making the appearance a significant live presentation of the pandemic-era albums.