Taylor Swift’s “Cardigan” gives Betty’s perspective in the Folklore trilogy that includes “august.”
The three connected songs follow a love triangle involving Betty, James, and the unnamed girl who narrates “august.” “Cardigan” is told from Betty’s viewpoint, “Betty” comes from James’s viewpoint, and “august” focuses on the other girl’s summer romance.
Swift presented the characters and story as fictional creations rather than a direct account of her own life. The songs use overlapping details, allowing listeners to reconstruct the relationship from three different emotional positions.
The title is officially stylized as “cardigan” in lowercase on Folklore. It is easy to choose “Betty” because that song also belongs to the same trilogy, but “Betty” is James’s song, not Betty’s perspective.