Taylor Swift wrote “august” first among the three Folklore love-triangle songs.
The connected group includes “cardigan,” “august,” and “betty.” Although “cardigan” opens the album and “betty” supplies James’s viewpoint, Swift wrote “august” first while developing the fictional relationship. The song began with an image of a sun-drenched August and a romance that was beautiful but never fully possessed.
Swift then used the characters and situation to build a broader narrative across the record. The songs do not merely repeat one event: each one emphasizes a different emotional position. “August” focuses on the unnamed girl’s hope and disappointment, “cardigan” centers on Betty’s memory, and “betty” explores James’s regret.
The order of composition is easy to confuse with the order of the album. “Cardigan” is heard first on Folklore because it is the opening track, but it was not the first song Swift wrote in this particular trilogy.