Taylor Swift wrote “august” first in the Folklore love-triangle series.
The three connected songs are “august,” “Cardigan,” and “Betty.” Together they present a fictional relationship involving James, Betty, and the unnamed young woman who narrates “august.” Swift began with “august” before developing the other perspectives in the narrative.
The songs are not autobiographical chapters from Swift’s life. They belong to Folklore’s broader approach of inventing characters, settings, and story arcs. In “august,” the narrator recalls a short summer romance with James, who ultimately returns to Betty.
Listeners sometimes assume “Cardigan” came first because it was promoted as Folklore’s lead single and opens the album. Promotion order and songwriting order are different: the first song Swift wrote for this particular trilogy was “august.”