Which fictional storyline links Taylor Swift’s “august,” “cardigan,” and “betty”?

Taylor Swift’s “august,” “cardigan,” and “betty” are linked by the Teenage Love Triangle storyline.

The three songs present different perspectives on a fictional relationship involving Betty, James, and the unnamed narrator of “august.” “cardigan” is associated with Betty’s perspective, “betty” centers on James, and “august” portrays the perspective of the other person involved in the summer relationship.

Swift described the songs as connected parts of one narrative while discussing Folklore’s imagined characters and stories. The approach was unusual in her catalog because the songs were designed to work both independently and as parts of a larger emotional arc.

The storyline is fictional, so listeners should not treat the characters as direct portraits of Swift or identifiable real people. The songs’ first-person writing and detailed memories can make the story feel autobiographical, but the trilogy belongs to Folklore’s invented world.