“august,” “cardigan,” and “betty” form a love triangle on Taylor Swift’s Folklore.
The three songs tell connected stories from different perspectives. “Cardigan” is associated with Betty, “betty” follows James, and “august” presents the viewpoint of the unnamed girl involved with James during the summer.
The arrangement is one of Folklore’s defining narrative devices. Rather than presenting one relationship in a single chronological song, Swift distributes details across separate tracks and asks listeners to compare memory, regret, and misunderstanding between the characters.
The August trend usually foregrounds the title track’s seasonal atmosphere, especially its sense of a romance that disappears when summer ends. Understanding the broader love triangle adds context: James’s relationship with the narrator is temporary, while his story ultimately reconnects him with Betty.