Betty is James’s former lover in Taylor Swift’s “August” storyline.
The song describes a brief summer romance between James and an unnamed female narrator. James ultimately leaves that relationship and reconciles with Betty, making the narrator’s experience one of unrequited love and temporary hope.
Betty is one point of view in Folklore’s connected teenage love triangle. “Cardigan” tells Betty’s side, while “Betty” gives James’s side. “August” completes the triangle by showing what happened to the person who became involved with James during the summer.
A common mix-up is treating “August” as a song about Betty herself. Betty is important to the story, but the narrator of “August” is the unnamed outsider whose romance with James ends when the season ends. Swift described the characters and events as fictional constructions.