Three Folklore songs make up Taylor Swift’s teenage love-triangle storyline.
The songs are “cardigan,” “august,” and “betty.” Swift described them as exploring the same relationship from three perspectives and at different points in the characters’ lives. The central characters are Betty, James, and the unnamed female narrator of “august.”
“august” presents the perspective of the girl who has a summer romance with James. “betty” follows James as he reflects on what happened, while “cardigan” is associated with Betty’s memories and feelings. The songs use recurring names and images rather than functioning like a conventional three-part musical with a strictly stated timeline.
A common mistake is counting only “august” and “betty,” because “cardigan” does not name the triangle in its title. Another is assuming the narrator of “august” is officially named Augustine; Swift used that name privately, but the song leaves her unnamed.