Taylor Swift’s “cardigan” completes the Folklore love triangle with “august” and “betty.”
The three songs present connected perspectives on a fictional relationship. “august” follows the unnamed girl involved in a summer romance with James. “betty” is told from James’s perspective as he tries to repair his relationship with Betty. “cardigan” presents Betty’s perspective and reflects on the emotional aftermath.
Swift described the songs as part of Folklore’s fictional teenage love-triangle storyline. The tracks are linked by characters and events, but they do not form a conventional three-part sequence in the album’s running order. “cardigan” opens Folklore, “august” appears later, and “betty” comes near the end.
A common mistake is to identify “the 1” or “illicit affairs” as one of the triangle songs because both also explore relationships. However, the named trio is specifically “cardigan,” “august,” and “betty.”