Taylor Swift's “Cardigan” pairs with “august” as the Folklore love-triangle song associated with Betty's perspective.
The three connected tracks are “Cardigan,” “August,” and “Betty.” Together they portray Betty, James, and the unnamed girl involved in a short summer relationship. “Cardigan” focuses on Betty's experience, while “Betty” gives James the narrative voice.
The songs are not a formal three-part single release. They are separate tracks within Folklore, linked by recurring characters, names, and events. This structure is one reason listeners often analyze the album as a collection of fictional character studies.
“Cardigan” also had a much stronger initial chart profile than “August.” It debuted at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became Swift's sixth US number-one single.