What type of fictional relationship links Taylor Swift’s “august,” “cardigan,” and “betty”?

Taylor Swift’s “august,” “cardigan,” and “betty” are linked by a fictional teenage love triangle.

The three songs appear on Folklore and tell connected parts of one story. “cardigan” presents Betty’s perspective, “betty” presents James’s perspective, and “august” presents the viewpoint of the unnamed girl who has a summer romance with James.

James and Betty are in an established relationship, while the narrator of “august” becomes involved with James during the summer. James ultimately returns to Betty, leaving the other narrator with memories of a relationship that was never fully hers. The songs therefore overlap in characters and events while differing in emotional perspective.

The trilogy is sometimes called the Folklore love triangle. It is fictional, and Swift created it to explore how the same events can feel different to different people. The tracks are not a literal chronological autobiography, despite the realistic details in their lyrics.