Taylor Swift’s “cardigan” gives Betty’s perspective in the Folklore love triangle that also includes “august” and “betty.” The three songs present related events through different characters and moments.
“august” follows an unnamed girl involved in a summer relationship with James. “betty” later presents James’s perspective as he apologizes for his actions. “cardigan” focuses on Betty, looking back on the relationship and its emotional consequences. The songs are connected by characters and narrative details rather than by a single continuous musical form.
The names Betty and James are fictional within the album’s story world. Swift explained that Folklore was built from imagined narratives, so the triangle should not automatically be treated as a direct autobiographical confession. The connection is one of the album’s most discussed features and helps explain why listeners revisit all three tracks together.