James is the fictional boy addressed by the narrator in Taylor Swift’s “august.” He is the teenage character at the center of Folklore’s interconnected love-triangle story.
In “august,” James shares a brief summer romance with the unnamed narrator, whom Swift imagined as Augustine or Augusta. The song presents the relationship from her viewpoint, emphasizing hope, uncertainty, and the realization that James was never truly hers.
James also appears in the companion song “betty,” where he narrates his own account and seeks reconciliation with Betty. This makes “august” one part of a three-song narrative rather than a completely separate love story. “cardigan” presents Betty’s perspective, while “betty” presents James’s perspective.