In Taylor Swift’s Folklore storyline, James is trying to reconcile with Betty in “betty.”
The song “betty” is narrated from James’s perspective after he has cheated on Betty during a summer fling with the unnamed female character connected to “august.” James goes to Betty’s party hoping to repair their relationship.
This makes “betty” one of three linked Folklore songs. “august” presents the other girl’s perspective, while “cardigan” is associated with Betty looking back on the relationship. The tracks do not form a conventional single-song narrative, but their characters and events overlap.
The annual August trend usually focuses on the song “august,” yet “betty” helps explain the story behind its narrator. The track’s title is also easy to confuse with the name Augustine, which is not the character James seeks to reconcile with.